Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title :George Orwell and Our Language Today Name: Carlos Alvarez
Content Area: English Grade Level: 10
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

RL 2. RI: 4,5,6. W 2. SL 1, and L 1,2, and 3
Big Ideas:
The idea of having a unit centered around George Orwell is to understand his relevance to today. By examining his essay, "Politics and
the English Language," we will build a platform which we can stand on to continue on to "1984,", his famous dystopian novel that will
eventually become our main text. We want our students to understand both text in light of each other, understand that Orwell values
each word in his text. To him each word works much like a confident stroke of a paint brush, and when seen as a whole we
understand the meaning that they attach to the piece as a whole. His ideas on privacy, an obtrusive government and the individual
were written as cautionary stories, but now we see how relevant they have become. Our government has gone through scandals that
have brought Orwell's imaginary world to life. The students will be able to define themselves as individuals, understand the
importance that government plays in our lives, and they will be able to understand how important language is to our lives. As George
Orwell stated himself, " if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt though." As their teacher I want our students to
understand the power that is held by using language efficiently. Their own thoughts are at stake. With the use of Orwell's texts we
allow our students to write better, think critically about language in the realm of politics but more importantly become active
participants in the world outside of their high school building. The big idea is to become social and literary activists, to pursue
whatever they believe with all their ability.
Unit Goals and Objectives:

Students are to read in detail the whole essay of Politics and the English Language

They will keep a journal in where daily discussion questions are asked

Be able to understand the difference between archaic, dead and dull language, and that which Orwell may describe as being useful. When reading a piece of modern
literature, the students should be able to catch those dead metaphors, pretentious language, and be able to come up with useful images through language. Likewise they
should be able to take vibrant passages, like the bible verses, and turn them into the modern language.

Understand the link between our thought process and our language tradition. See how political language, with its at times corrupt ways, can show how it truly functions
through the hints it leaves behind in its talk.



Understand the Dying Metaphor, the Operators/ Verbal False Limbs, Pretentious Diction, and Meaningless words. State the 6 simplified rules that orwell states in the end.

Be able to translate a newspaper article that is written in dull modern English and create a more lively piece of literature

Understand the problem with euphemisms in political language, recall some of the keywords used in Orwells book 1984, Big Brother, Double Think, explain how these
words allow for political manipulation, demonstrate that you have been able to parallel Orwells essay with this novel.
Unit Summary:
The Unit plan was created to guide students to the power of language and how it can be tied to politics and our own private lives. Students will be asked to read two pieces of
literature by Orwell: 1984 and Politics and the English Language, with that they will dig further into the garden that is Orwells wiritng. Pulling ideas and themes that are
find through out, they will enhance their ability to write unlike the dying modern English by translating dull articles into new, image capturing pieces. They will create a
podcast that brings orwell back to life to discuss our current state of living and tie it back to the ideas he wrote about in his novel and his essay. Finally the students will write
a similar essay to the one we started with, they will do all of this to understand the power of language and how it can effect the way we think and live.


Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:
KWL chart and a daily journal log
Formative:
Survey created on survey monkey, Lecture quiz, main
idea graphic organizer and quick-write.
Summative:
Podcast: interviewing Orwell
Final Speech and Paper
Lesson 1
Student Learning Objective:
Understand the 6 simple rules
Orwell gives to allow for
better writing. Avoiding his
given faults of Modern
English, students should be
able to point out writings like
Professor Lancelot Hogben
(Interglossia) and see why
these writings are horrible.
Acceptable Evidence:
Be able to understand n
article that is written about
Obama and his speech on the
NSA outing, compare his
speech and the rules we have
seen through out our main
text.
Instructional Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction
Lesson Activities:
After reading Orwells essay, students will be come to class with their daily
journals. That day we will have a journal about the difficulty of describing an
abstract thought and the ease of writing of an concrete object. I will present
structures to aid them in this description.

They will get into groups and discuss this essay, what are the points that Orwell
makes, that interest you?

Once that happens we will go through each section as a class, look at bible verses
that show the language that Orwell advocates, and transform them into ugly pieces
of wiring, eventually they will be able to translate their newspaper articles into
great writing, hopefully.
Lesson 2
Student Learning Objective:
Understand the problem with
euphemisms in political
language, recall some of the
Acceptable Evidence:
Students will pair up and
construct a podcast that will
consist of an interview and a
Instructional Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Lesson Activities:
students will read the whole novel 1984. Coming into class we will begin the
discussion with the idea of privacy. I will bring up the article that deals with
parents checking their childrens facebook page.


issues we met in our main text.
Compare what we saw as a
caution text and see how it
relates to our modern day
political issues, what would
Orwell say about everything
that has happened.
interviewer. They will imagine
what orwell would say by
playing as him, they will ask
questions that will both
encompass his essay and the
book we have read.
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

the article Little Brother is watching by Walter Kirn, can spark a debate as to
why this book has shown a spike in sales so recently. They will then begin to start
thinking about paralleling the reasons why this book is so similar, by writing their
own modern adaptation. They may write a chapter, a short scene of a film, a play,
anything really.

The final project for lesson 2 would be the podcast, they will need to write up a
script, find research on the author, primary research on the orwellls time, and
make a credible interview. Students will be encouraged to use music, sound effects,
anything to make it more entertaining yet informative.
Lesson 3
Student Learning Objective:
Be able to use the cautionary
lessons and language in
Orwells essay, the student
will write their own essay that
deals with the political state of
our country. they will
demonstrate their ability to
critique political speeches with
the knowledge of NSA and
other current events.
Acceptable Evidence:
the essay itself should show
some sort of evidence that
through out the whole lesson
students have attained the
knowledge and ability to write
an essay that Orwell would
deem effective.
Instructional Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction
Lesson Activities:
They will be asked to write an essay. One similar to Orwells , politics and the
English Language. A persuasive essay that deals with what we have seen through
our time with orwell. It can be about anything that ties what orwell discussed in his
book, it must contain some reference to his essay, and then tie everything together
with the current events that are bringing to light orwells fears.
Unit Resources:
http://englishandorwell.weebly.com/

you will also need a daily journal, a computer throughout the lesson, audacity which is a program to record podcast


Useful Websites:
Here is a link to my Livebinder profile where I placed all the link you will need to get to the resources and websites

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1267992&backurl=/shelf/my

the binder can also be found in our digital unit plan website.

http://englishandorwell.weebly.com/