Secondary Curriculum 2B

Developing a sub-unit for Stage Six English: Year 12

A) This sub-unit will sit in the Common Module Advanced : Texts and Human
Experiences

B) Texts to be used in this Module include:

 Nineteen Eighty-Four, a prescribed novel by George Orwell which was

composed in 1949 and continues to carry literary value.

 The Unknown Citizen, a poem composed by Wystan Hugh Auden in 1939.

 Guernica, an artwork created by Pablo Picasso in 1937.

 Not even George Orwell envisaged this, an online article composed by Peter
Marks in 2013 for The Drum.

 1984 Apple Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I

C) Justification for texts used:

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four was composed in the year 1949,

however, it continues to be the most significant novel of the twentieth century
with its continuous surges of popularity. The text is a representation of the
power of language as it has been translated to over sixty languages and is
censored in many conservative countries. The text is an allegory of historical and
contemporary events which have and continue to shape the human experiences
of individuals and collective groups. Australian and worldwide readers resonate
with the experiences of the dystopian characters as they translate to their
contemporary realities. For example, the ‘Orwellian’ references to ‘Newspeak’,
‘Doublethink’, ‘Telescreen’ , and ‘Thoughtcrime’, are a part of our everyday
currency and experiences, although in an alternative ways. The text also explores
universal human experiences and themes of oppression, citizenship,
individuality, love, fear, war, and freedom, which transpire across all contexts
and times. Students are able to deepen their understanding on how personal,
social, historical and cultural contexts shape human experiences and the ways in
which innate human qualities transpire across humanity.

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 ‘Orwellian’ texts and the dystopian genre encourages students to reflect upon
and evaluate what it is to be a free human in a society which manipulates what a
‘natural’ or ‘normal’ human experience is. Students gain insights into the
experiences and human conditions which unite or divide people under
authoritarian governments or external pressures. Students can also explore the
paradoxical satirical nature of the text in re-telling or re-representing historical
events and the message this communicates to the reader. The text can be
analysed through hyperbole and satire and students can describe the effect this
has on story-telling about the experiences that unite people and how it exposes
the motivations of humans. The effect of the literary devices used by Orwell and
how these effects contribute to our understanding of human experiences can be
analysed through a historical, contextual, political or personal lens. For example,
Students can explore the symbolism of Room 101, the narrator point of view in
which all other views are withheld from the reader, the paradoxes of dystopian
language, and the historical allusions.

Nineteen Eighty-Four facilitates a space in the classroom for students to think

critically about the world they live in, their position in it, and their own truth by
exploring the paradoxes, inconsistences and anomalies of characters. The text
requires close-analytical reading and in-depth textual analysis which encourages
high-order thinking ,and poses problematic knowledge which students must
respond to through informed arguments. By exploring the political ideologies
and propaganda which is imbedded within the text, students can justify and
explain how specific human experiences and actions appear as natural, despite
being socially and politically constructed.

‘The Unknown Citizen’ is a poem based on a society which privileges a

bureaucratic, policy abiding, and conformist representation of the individual and
the ‘human’. The text gives students an insight into the value and significance of
human life to the states which regiment the daily lives of individuals for the
perceived betterment of society. The poem encourages students to thinks about
what it is to be happy and free in a society where your citizenship carries
particular expectations. Students are encouraged to explore the meaning and

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 composers intent in creating a ‘monumental’ poem about a human with the
absence of emotion, human qualities, and ‘humanness’. This poem was selected
to explore its themes of citizenship, the individual, happiness and freedom and
the way it functions as a monument for the collective human lives who are only
acknowledged as statistical data, and not their ‘humanness’.

The poem’s structural features such as lineation and sentence structure can be
analysed to describe how they contribute to the whole aesthetic of the text and
how they create a dystopian effect. The metaphor in ‘saint’ encourages students
to think about the religious description of a citizen who has not engaged in any
particular worship, but is considered godly like through their dedication to the
state. Similarly, students can compare and contrast the ‘worshippers’ of Big
Brother and the ‘saints’ of this society. The monotonous and satirical tone can be
interpreted to reveal the importance of human life and experiences, the value of
statistical data, and the way in which it resembles the description of the ‘two
minutes of hate’. Students will explore differing point of views by comparing the
point of view of Winston in which Nineteen Eighty-Four is his personal story, and
that of the state’s description of a perfect citizen. By exploring point of view,
students can explore how the text functions as propaganda as the only detail
provided on the citizen is statistical and what is ‘unknown’ is the essence of that
individual (name, birthplace, passions etc). Students are able to compare and
contrast Winston’s desire and motivation to document accurately and leave
records of the ‘truth’ in comparison to the citizen who has no record of his
accurate human experience.

Guernica is an artwork which has come to be known as a an anti-war symbol

and representation of the effects and tragedies of war on collective individuals.
The artwork is shaped by historical, social and political influences similarly to
the previous texts as it signifies the political instability prior to World War Two.
The artwork explores the impact of war on human life, animals and in particular
communities which are bound together by these experiences. By analysing this
artwork, students are able to develop their visual literacy skills in understanding
the power of images and in interpreting images, symbols, codes, colour, and line.

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 The artwork provides the opportunity for students to analyse the importance of
the depiction of human lives amongst animals, and the way in which they both
share the same experiences of the fear of death, facing death, and the physical
and emotional pain of witnessing dehumanisation and brutalization. The cubist
nature of the artwork depicts its message of war realistically through its symbols
of pain, blood, death, fear and loss, while Auden and Orwell use literary devices
to satirise their message. By studying an artwork, students are provided with
alternative ways of viewing the world, are positioned differently, gain new
insights and can in turn create original and creative compositions using their
visual literacy skills and knowledge of totalitarian states and settings.

The 1984 Apple Commercial advertisement was selected in order for students
to engage with a text which embodies their current consumer experience of
technology . The text intertextually adopts a visual representation of Nineteen
Eighty-Four as it represents a collective group of individuals who have been
brainwashed by ‘Big Brother’. Students are able to explore the characterisation
of the revolutionary female ‘Winston mirror’ figure, and her desire to alter the
narrative of this collective group and their regimented life experience through
the ground breaking technology of Apple. Students can investigate the message
of the commercial and how it explores the manipulation of human experience
and collective identities through the propaganda of authorities. The clip is an
engaging stimulus for discussion, reflection and the construction of arguments
on the way in which technology shapes our reality, experiences, and can limit or
enhance our human connections. Students are to explore the irony of the
advertisement and the way technology was introduced to encourage
individuality, free thought, and natural human experiences. Technology has
enabled virtual worlds which imitate dystopian societies and although users of
social media and technology apps assert this is their ‘reality’ and true human
experience, it is far from it.

‘Not even George Orwell envisaged this’ is a newspaper article which

illuminates societies significant interest in ‘Orwellian’ texts due to the way it
address the human experience of ,‘’intrusive state monitoring’’. It explores the

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 complexities of human behaviour and the ways in which twenty first century
civilisations have accepted forms of surveillance through CCTV cameras, laptop
cameras, entertainment shows, and internet data bases. The text demonstrates
the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistences of human behaviour as they are
intrigued by dystopian texts and their ability to expose the effects of totalitarian
states, but yet they readily accept those exact forms in this current society. The
news article is a stimulus for questions such as : ‘What did Orwell envisage for
future societies? ; Did he consider that surveillance would be accepted by society
for commercial use? ; ‘What does societies’ acceptance of surveillance reveal
about the human condition?; Are humans able to learn from the past?’. The
article provides students with a different perspective on surveillance,
propaganda and politics through referring to current political leaders and
events. The text is engaging and ties in the implicit messages of Nineteen Eighty-
Four, the value and relevance of the text to contemporary societies, and engages
students in critical reflection on how humans can learn or change their societies
through the influence of dystopian literature.

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Secondary Curriculum 2B: Year 12 Advanced Sub-unit

English Lesson Plan 1

Year: Year 12 Topic/ concept: The contextual basis of ‘Nineteen

Eighty-Four’ and how paradoxes and allusions
shape the historical nature of the text.
Lesson Sequence 1/ 16 lessons

Outcomes
EA12-1 Independently responds to, composes and evaluates a range of complex
texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, imaginative expression
and pleasure
 Critically engage with complex texts from a variety of personal, social,
historical and cultural contexts, and evaluate how these contexts impact on
meaning
 Analyse how text structures, language features and stylistic elements shape
meaning and create particular effects and nuances, for example through
allusions, paradoxes and ambiguities

Materials
- George Orwell- Nineteen Eighty Four (text)
- Smart Board
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc5m12Qo8JI

Teaching objectives
To incite students to question their own personal and cultural beliefs on what it is to a
be human and how there are innate human qualities which transpire across all
contexts. Students are to critically reflect on the idea that ‘humanness’ is contextually
shaped and despite these differences, there are innate human characteristics that
unite us all. Students to learn about the shaping forces of ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ and
reflect on Orwell’s intent in re-writing history through story telling. Students to think
about what they might learn about humans and the human experience through a
dystopian text. To show students how the text as a whole is paradoxical and
encourage them to critically think about why Orwell would want to recreate history
through a story. Students explore how story-telling unites the experiences of
individuals into a collective one and reveals or exposes the true emotions, actions and
motivations of humans. To demonstrate how historical allusions function within the
text and contribute to its aesthetic whole.

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
0-10 - Teacher guiding “The choice for mankind lies between freedom and
class discussion happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is
and probing better.” – George Orwell
students
- Teacher to project the following quote on the
response
through how/
board alongside an image of the different book
why/ explain covers of 1984 which have evolved over time.

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 - Students in
normal seating
arrangement
- Teacher to  Teacher is to have
project the students copy the quote
quote and into their book and reflect
images on the upon Orwell’s description
smart board of what it is to be a human
in his dystopian text
 Together as a class,
students are to brain
storm how the novel as a
whole and the quote itself
speaks to them about
human nature and the
essence of what it is to be a human in a dystopian
society. Is this quote relevant to the modern age?

What paradoxes and inconsistencies does this

quote reveal about the human experiences within
the dystopian text?
 Students to think about motivations, emotions,
individual experiences, collective experiences etc
in relation to the quote.
 Students add to their brain storm anything which
they did not consider
10-20 - Teacher to  Students are to watch a short clip which provides
project the a summary on the political and historical forces of
YouTube clip and the text.
guide class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc5m12Qo8JI
discussion
 Students are to think about historical figures
- Students to take such as Stalin and Hitler, historical events such
notes of anything as the Holocaust, the Communist threat, Post
they feel is World War climate
relevant  Teacher to emphasise that these historical figures
strived to embed a totalitarian form of
- Teacher to write government. What effect might this have on the
down the short individual and collective human experiences?
paragraph which
 Discussion on what is storytelling and why do
students will
copy into their authors story tell, what effect do they have? (
books stories unite people, divide people, reveal human
essence, expose or critique a society and re-shape
arguments)
 Students take notes on discussion and write
the following:
 Nineteen Eighty-Four re-writes history to reveal
the anomalies , paradoxes and inconsistencies
which existed and continues to exist in humans by
commenting on human experiences through a
historical lens. The text is a part of the dystopian
genre as it recreates an unsettling, totalitarian
and anxiety filled state. This enables Orwell to
criticise, hyperbolise and satirise the motivations

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 and desires of humans within a testing,
constrictive and totalitarian state.
20-45 - Teacher to give  Students are to open up their text books to chapter
the class 1 for the following learning activity.
instructions on Activity 1:
annotation  Students are to annotate the chapter and identify any
activity and historical references or rhetoric’s of past historical
write up the events (political leaders, hysteria, propaganda,
questions on the Holocaust denial, censorship of words or ideas,
board communist values) : Public world
- Students can Students to answer the following questions:
share ideas with 1. Why is the notion of story-telling important for
their table and historical events? What does it reveal about the essence
support one of humans/ human nature? Use examples from the text
another in to support your arguments.
identifying 2. How does Orwell use literary devices (tone, satire,
historical hyperbole) to critique the society which is based on
allusions or historical events?
work 3. Using your own beliefs and views, explain how the
independently notion of re-writing historical events and history is a
paradox within itself.

45-60 - Teacher to give Activity 2:

the class clear  Identify Mr. Winston’s private world and the form in
instructions and which Mr. Winston’s expresses this.
write up the - Within chapter 1 Winston engages in a symbolic act of
table on the freedom and rejection of totalitarian views through
board so starting a diary. This is an allusion to a historically
students can important individual who partook in the same act.
copy it into their Identify this individual and complete the following
book and begin table
the activity What is the collective What does the act of diary writing
reveal about what humans need
experience shared by
and want during struggles and
- Teacher to float Winston and the stress within their personal lives
around the individual you have (which may be impacted by a range
classroom identified of factors)
reading students
responses and
provide feedback

Homework Students are to find another example of a historical

allusion and describe it using evidence from the text
and their own historical understanding. Students are
to answer ‘Why would an author purposely make this
allusion? What effect does it have on the reader or the
text as a whole?’

Evaluation:
The contributions of students to the class discussion will reveal whether they have read the text
or not and will demonstrate their understanding of how studying totalitarian societies reveals
the complexities of human nature. Gifted students or students who have historical interests
should be able to identify how historical allusions are embedded within the text to critique the
actions of humans in the past and how dystopian societies expose human nature. Students who
struggle to see this mirroring will be supported through further resources and encouraged to do
some in-class research if necessary. If students understand the purpose of story-telling, they
will be able to successfully describe and evaluate how texts carry historical, social and political

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meaning. The act of story-telling is a symbolic act and it not only unites people, but portrays the
human experiences of individuals. Gifted students will be able to understand that paradoxes
function within particular lines of a text, and will extend this knowledge within the learning
activity in which they must describe how the text as a whole is a paradox. Students may need
assistance in understanding the function and purpose of a paradox, hence, they will need to
revisit their background knowledge and apply this to the text as a whole. Through reading and
observing student responses, it will be clear whether the students have achieved the learning
outcome for the lesson or need further support.

Week 1, Lesson 2
By studying George Orwell’s text, Nineteen Eighty-Four, students will be able to identify and explain
how the individual/collective experiences of humans in a particular context can be shared in their
modern world. Students work in groups to create a newspaper article on an assigned phrase or
word from the dystopian metalanguage to describe how ‘Big Brother’ is here in 2019 by finding
modern day examples of that word (FAKE NEWS, censorship, technology interference, allegiance to
the government). Students are to locate those phrases or references within the text(doublethink,
newspeak, Big Brother, unperson) and describe what it reveals about humans or authoritarian
control. Students are to use language devices such as hyperbole, satire, irony etc when composing
their newspaper and think about the purpose of newspaper articles. Students can use technology
and will present their article to the class. Students will judiciously select aspects of language,
style and convention to represent experience for interpretive, imaginative and evaluative
purposes.

Week 1, Lesson 3
Students continue studying Nineteen Eighty-Four to describe the symbolism within Julia and
Winston’s intimate ‘political’ intimate relationship and how this illuminates the human
need/necessity for connection and love under a totalitarian government. Humans after all are
social beings, therefore, they will always have the desire to connect and be connected under
any circumstance and despite the consequences. Students will explain the ways specific
language concepts, for example imagery, symbolism or sound, shape meaning for
different audiences and purposes. Students are to write a letter to, ‘Big Brother’ declaring the
importance of human connection and use well-structured arguments to counteract claims made
about love, connectedness and desire within the text. Students must use textual evidence while
constructing these arguments. Students can also write a detailed diary entry refuting claims
made about the need for human connection by using textual evidence and discuss how the
human condition of fear restrains them from making connections in a totalitarian society.

Week 1, Lesson 4
Students study Nineteen Eighty-Four to reflect upon the notion of truth and how the control or
use of language can either empower or silence the truth and autonomous individuals. By
limiting the vocabulary of newspeak, the revolutionary and non-conformist thoughts of
individuals can only exist in their internal world and not in the public world. This reduces the
threat of a revolt and encourages individuals to owe their allegiance to Big Brother as they are
only accepted to speak in a way which supports the cause. Students are provided an extract and
must discuss how euphemism functions within the bolded words and how they contribute to
the novel as a whole. Students will then circulate the class and provide a dysphemistic/realistic
description of those words on the different posters provided. Students are to discuss who has
the authority to change words and to create an argument on how euphemism positions them as
a reader. Students will engage with complex texts through their specific language forms,
features and structures to understand particular representations of human experience
and appreciate the power of language to shape meaning.

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Extract A
The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment,
education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with
war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry
of Plenty, which was responsible for economic affairs. Their names, in
Newspeak: Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and Miniplenty ‘’

Lesson plan 5

Year: Year 12 Topic/ concept: The anomalies and paradoxes

within characters and what these reveal about the
human condition
- characterisation / point of view

Lesson Sequence 5/ 16 lessons

Outcomes
EA12-3 critically analyses and uses language forms, features and structures of texts
justifying appropriateness for specific purposes, audiences and contexts and evaluates
their effects on meaning

EA12-5 thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively, critically and discerningly to

respond to, evaluate and compose texts that synthesise complex information, ideas and
arguments

 support critical interpretations of texts through sustained argument and

relevant detailed textual analysis (ACELR046)
 critically evaluate own and others' arguments, justifications, evidence and
points of view

Materials
- George Orwell- Nineteen Eighty Four (text)
- Smart Board

Teacher objectives
To show students that anomalies and paradoxes are innate to human behaviour and are also
evident within the characterisation of Winston and Julia. Although they are two opposing
characters, they share a collective experience of being ‘human’ as they both experience fear,
deal with rational and irrational thoughts, and are continuously behaving in a way which
makes them feel ‘’alive’’. To encourage students to immerse themselves in the point of view of
a character and to develop this view through textual evidence and critical thought. To support
students in their own reflection of what connects them to the imagined worlds of characters
and to create critical, sustained arguments in an imaginative way of letter writing. Most
importantly, for students to understand there are distinct collective and individual human
experiences based on individuality and conformity and every human will have a philosophy on
how life and happiness should be based on their own beliefs and values.

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Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
- Teacher to guide - Ask students to think about what an anomaly is and
0-10 class discussion to create a list of examples from the text they can
- Reference from think of
the text is to be - Discuss why authors intentionally use anomalies
written on the within their writing and story-telling and what does
board this tell us about the essence of humans?

- Student are to Warm up activity:

complete warm up - Students are to annotate the slogan of the party and
activity expose the paradox/ anomaly in each of the lines
individually. under a time limit.

War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
10 – - Teacher is to Class is to be split into 4 focus groups and are allocated a
25 organise the group particular focus of a character. Each focus group will be
activity by provided a laptop and a google document link which will also
allocating be projected on the smart board so students can read it as it
students to groups updates.
and provide them Group 1 : Winston: find textual evidence for the anomalies
a specific focus and paradoxes of Winston’s character and how this
contradicts his strive for individualism
- Students are to AND
complete the Evidence for moments in which fear overcomes his rational
activity, working thoughts which causes inconsistencies in his behaviour
in groups.
Group 2: Winston : find textual evidence that suggests
- Teacher is to Winston is an individual who rejects the political party
project the class AND
google document Find textual evidence that suggest Winston is rational and
critical in his ability to see the party for what it is

Group 3 Julia : Find textual evidence of Julia’s anomalies and

the paradoxes within her character in her support for the
party (Although, she holds views against the party, she
continues to live by their rules )

Group 4 Julia: Find textual evidence that suggests Julia is an

individual in some way and desires to be freed from the party

25-40 - Class discussion Regroup and have each group discuss their findings and
- Students are to their views on the character
present their - Teacher to ask the students questions such as ‘Do you
findings and believe that he/she finds a true sense of happiness in
respond to symbolically rejecting the party? Why/ Why not?’
discussion ‘What does Julia achieve in performing her
questions individuality and views and then performing as an
individual apart of the party’s collective unity?’
- Teacher is to
explore What is the collective human experience shared by Julia
interesting points and Winston despite their character differences (humans
of evidence which have their own truth, thoughts and behaviours change, fear
students found can shape our way of thinking and behaving)

Personal reflection

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 - Students complete - What does the evidence suggest about how
the personal humans experience fear and how can fear alter
reflection activity your strive for individuality and your rational
thoughts?
- Students are to jot down how fear has impacted them
in their lifetime or has influenced them in joining a
collective group. Students to reflect on what it is to be
a human and if you can feel like one living a life other
than your own
40- 60 - Students are to Letter writing activity
complete the - Students are to select a character (Winston or Julia)
following learning and are required to write a letter to the oppositie
activity character. In this letter students are to think about
the characterisation of their chosen character and to
- Teacher is to read write from their point of view by reflecting on the
student responses textual evidence they have collected.
and provide them
positive feedback - In this letter, students are to critique the receiver
(character) of the letter and argue whether they
- Students are to agree/disagree with the characters position and
‘send’ their letter view on the political party. They must question
to the opposing their desire to be a non-conforming individual or
character which their conformist collective identity.
allows them to
explore a different - Students must refer to the inconsistencies and
point of view paradoxes within the characters behaviour and
encourage them to see things through a specific way
- Students are to think about the language they will use
while writing from a particular character’s point of
view and the literary devices they will use to express
this.
Students to ‘’send’’ their letter to a peer within the class
who has the opposing character
- Teacher to conclude the lesson with the idea that
although Winston has many inconsistencies in his
behaviour, he ultimately rejects the party. Julia also
engages in a symbolic rejection of the party but she
accepts her fate of conforming to the party.
Homework Students to answer the following questions:
- How can individuality and conformity limit our
human experiences and our own philosophies of
what is to be a human?

- Select a character which has resonated with you and

describe how that character and yourself share a
collective human experience.

Evaluation
The lesson requires a close reading of the prescribed text in order for students to recognise the
importance of textual evidence and to use this evidence to create critical and informed arguments
based on important ideas. Students are to explore anomalies and paradoxes and reflect on what this
reveals about the human condition and the essence of what it is to be a human. The responses which
students have and the different pieces of evidence they find will demonstrate their understanding of
characterisation and the human experiences of the character. Group work will assist students who
may struggle through the encouragement of others in their group and allows the gifted students to
explain the activity or guide the group. The contributions to the class discussion will also
demonstrate students understanding and how students see themselves through these characters

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and their experiences. By revealing the anomalies and paradoxes of both characters, students should
successfully be able to appreciate that although Winston and Julia are characterised in different
ways, they share a collective experience of being human by dealing with rational thoughts and fear
in determining their behaviour. The letter activity will demonstrate and consolidate the students
understanding of point of view and characterisation, while critiquing the actions and beliefs of either
Julia or Winston in regards to the parties ideology. By swapping letters, gifted students will be able
to critique the view of the other ‘’character’’ (peer) and students who need assistance will be
exposed to critical arguments of a character which will assist them in shaping their understanding.

Week 2 Lesson 6
Up until this point, students have engaged with the idea that they share a collective experience
with the characters of Nineteen Eighty-Four through the human conditions of fear, freedom and
thoughts. In this lesson, students will watch the 1984 Apple Commercial
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I) and analyse how the representation and
intertextuality of Nineteen Eighty-Four in a technological advertisement functions as a satire.
They will also compare the message of the advertisement and how technology is advertised in
comparison to the reality of how social media functions as a totalitarian regime within the
modern age. Students are to reflect on the reasons the ad is a satire using their own individual
and collective experiences. Students will explain and evaluate whether their own
perspectives and values align with the perspectives and values expressed in texts.
Students are to create satirical creative texts using language devices such as satire, irony,
paradoxes and tone to describe how social media has influenced a conformist dystopian society,
contrary to the intended intentions of technology. Student are to reflect upon the idea that
humans easily conform and fall to the pressures of society.

Week 2, Lesson 7
Students have explored a range of perspectives including their own while studying ,Nineteen
Eighty-Four. Students are to investigate why the text is written through the narrators point of
view and the third person. Students are to explore the effect of being exposed to Winston’s
thought process and psychological wellbeing and the effect of not being able to view the
thoughts of other characters. The learning activity will be based on students explaining the
relationship between responder, composer, text and context. Students are to explain how
this positions them as a reader and describe how this position would change if the story was
narrated through Julia, O’Brien or Big Brother.

Week 2, Lesson 8
Students will explore ideas of betrayal, love and forceful conversion based on ‘Room 101’ in
Nineteen Eighty-Four. Students will explore the fragility of the human mind and how fear tactics
such as torture can manipulate a human to forget that which makes them feel alive. Students
will explore the symbolism of Room 101 and what it reveals about humans who have authority
to break individuals physically and emotionally in order to reshape them according to the
societies need. The room is a symbol of every society across time which is faced with hubristic
leaders who act on power, desire and greed to promote a particular ideology or propaganda
within their society. Students explore the irony of the use of ‘’questioning’’ within a society
which refrains questioning the status quo and the paternal like character of the torturer.
Students engage in a class debate on whether the actions of Winston and Julia can be justified
and the idea that individually cannot flourish in a society. Students are to also create an
alternative ending to the story using this image as a stimulus and in doing so will compose
creative and critical texts that affirm or challenge ideas, values and perspectives that are
represented in texts.

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Lesson plan 9

Year: 12 Topic/ Concept: The dependence on individuals to

create a collective identity (The Party)
Lesson Sequence 9/ 16

Outcomes
EA12-3 Critically analyses and uses language forms, features and structures of texts
justifying appropriateness for specific purposes, audiences and contexts and evaluates their
effects on meaning

EA12-2 Uses, evaluates and justifies processes, skills and knowledge required to effectively
respond to and composes texts in different modes, media and technologies

 Compose complex and sophisticated texts in different modes, media and forms
 Uses appropriate and effective form, content, style and tone for different purposes
and audiences and evaluate their effectiveness in real and imagined contexts
 engage with complex texts through their specific language forms, features and
structures to understand particular representations of human experience and
appreciate the power of language to shape meaning

Materials
- George Orwell- Nineteen Eighty Four (text)
- Smart Board
- Computers/ Laptops
- Posters
Teaching objectives
To encourage students to think critically about propaganda and how political ideologies
aim to reshape the ‘human experience’ and depend on individuals to create a collective
whole. Students are to explore how totalitarian parties dehumanise individuals and their
experiences (paternal relationships, intimate relationships, family connections, personal
interests) through control in order to create a compliant collective following for the
betterment of their party. To show students how political parties reshape natural
experiences, emotions and actions of humans in which individuals then live for the
ideology of party instead of themselves and what makes them feel human. To educate
students on the use of satire and how the text functions as a satire to ridicule the
dehumanisation of human experiences. To demonstrate to students the necessary skills
and knowledge of satire and how Orwell uses hyperbole, irony, paradoxes and irony to
communicate this to his readers. To provide students the opportunity to create their own
forms of propaganda through a range of mediums and technologies by using satire.

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
- Teacher to role Teacher simulation and roleplay activity:
0-5 play the As students enter the classroom, teacher is to act as an authoritarian
simulation and figure who is trying to break the idea of individuality and create a
collective whole. Students are to place their bags at the front of the
give instructions
class room, be reminded they are being educated for the greater
to students good of ‘Big Brother’, must wear a badge that is provided to them,
are asked to sacrifice their phones as a symbol of something they
- Students to love to the ‘Big Brother love box’.
partake in the - Students are provided a peace of paper and must copy
activity and down the following : ‘’We now share a collective identity
respond to the through our love to Big Brother. Everything we do or feel
instructions will be in the interest of Big Brother. I will learn to speak

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 newspeak and reject those who do not feel the same way I
do. My purpose in life is to support the party, to love the
party, and to celebrate the life I live for the party. I am no
longer an individual as I am now a part of a collective
whole. Big Brother needs me and for Big Brother I will live.’’
5 –15 - Teacher to guide - Reflection on activity: Teacher to ask students :
class discussion How did you feel partaking in that activity? , How did
you feel before entering the classroom and why did it
- Students to change during the activity? Did you feel as though
respond to the you were losing a sense of self and your
reflection individuality? Did you feel like you belonged to a
questions collective group as you and your peers were
experiencing the same thing?
- Students to
answer the - Teacher to reiterate that Big Brother depends on
questions which the mass of individuals and reshapes them and
are projected on the human condition in order to create a
the board collective whole. Big Brother dehumanises
individually individuals, their experiences, emotions, and
actions which make them feel ‘human’ to create a
- Volunteer/ Gifted false hood of what it is to be a human, in favour of
students to share the party.
their responses
with the class Students answer the following in their books:
- The following extract from the novel refers to a range
of human conditions, using these references explain
why Big Brother aims to become a focus of them and
how this creates a false hood of what it is to be a
human.

“[Big Brothers] function is to act as a focusing

point for love, fear, and reverence, emotions which
are more easily felt towards an individual that
towards an organisation.”
- Volunteer students are to share their responses with
the class and teacher is to summarise the main idea:
Totalitarian authorities manipulate and use human
conditions within their propaganda and ideologies to
make their strict regimes and control feel as a
‘natural experience’. Collective parties rely on a group
of individuals.
- Students to think about how the text operates as a
satire.

15-35 - Teacher is to Students explore how Big Brother regiments all aspects of life
project the table and human experiences and why Orwell satirises this.
on the smart Students are to work in pairs to complete the
board or provide following table: (students can add onto the table)
students a print
out of the table Human Evidence Use of satirical literary
experience/ Device (hyperbole,
aspect of paradox, irony etc)
- Students are to life
use their texts to Marriage
fill in the table Love
while working in Clothing
pairs Daily
rituals
- Students are to Work
write down their
argument/ ideas

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 on the smart - Once students have completed the table, together in
board after pairs they are to create an argument or idea as to
completing the why Orwell satirises these human
table experiences/conditions and what it reveals about his
intentions for the book.
- Class discussion - Students write down their response on the board
Class discussion of evidence found and use of satire.
Teacher to ask pairs to explain their argument which they
have put up on the board.
Students copy board.

35-60 - Students are to - Students are to create a piece of propaganda for a

create their piece totalitarian society (they may use the setting of the
of propaganda text or create their own one) by adopting a satirical
using their chosen approach. Students are to use literary devices to
modes shape meaning and have an effect on their audiences.
- Presentation by They are to include basic human conditions or
volunteer/ gifted experiences and re shape them.
students - Students can create a website, speech, video,
podcast, poster etc.
- Volunteer/ gifted students to share their responses
and present it to the class.

Homework Students are to refer to page 21/22 of their texts

which address the compulsory participation in the
‘Two Minutes of Hate’ . Students are to answer
‘’Why does Winston who is a revolutionary character
describe joining the crowd as an instinctive
reaction?’’

Evaluation
The role-play activity will be successful if students understand that totalitarian societies and
political parties are dependent on a mass of individuals whose lives are regimented, resulting in a
collective whole. If students are able to recognise that human conditions, actions, experiences, and
emotions make up the ‘human experience’ and the reality of an individual’s life, they will in turn
understand why Big Brother focuses on these ideas to create a collective regimented whole. Big
Brother manipulates the idea of what it is to a human in favour of his party, creating a society which
views the totalitarian government at the heart of their everyday life and living purpose. The
responses of students in the discussions will demonstrate whether they have an understanding,
perspective and emotional response to what is asked of them. Students with a lower ability may
need the questions simplified or rephrased to assist them in responding. The table activity will
reveal whether students can work in pairs and use textual evidence to shape sustained and informed
arguments. Working in pairs allows students to assist each other and depend on one another if they
are struggling. The works which students produce will demonstrate whether they have understood
the effect of satire and have used language to send a clear and powerful message to their society. It
will also demonstrate their ability to create their own texts, inspired by the prescribed text.

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Week 3, Lesson 10
Students are to evaluate the influence of the contexts of composers and responders on
perspectives and ideas by undertaking a research task. Students are to assess Orwell’s
authority as a composer of Nineteen Eighty-Four by comparing his background, context and
influences in creating the novel. Students are to create a biography for Orwell using their
laptops or school computers in order for them to understand the relationship between
composer, text and context. It will also allow them to critically view the representations
embedded within the text, question Orwell’s authority and possibly generate a renowned
appreciation or dissatisfaction with the text.

Week 3, Lesson 11
Students are to explore the role of the composer and the methods in which they communicate
messages of historical events or societies to either expose, criticise, or celebrate them. Students
are to explain the relationship between authors and artists and the ways in which they use
symbolism. By studying Pablo Picasso’s artwork , ‘Guernica’ students will be able to evaluate
and reflect on the relationship between representations of significant historical and
cultural events and figures, and their representations in texts. Students will be able to
reflect on the idea that symbolism is both a literary device and visual device. Students are to
explore how the artwork is/ isn’t symbolic of the dystopian theme and compare/contrast the
ways in which Orwell and Picasso represent historical and cultural events through human
experience.

Week 4, Lesson 12
Students are to create their own visual representations of Nineteen Eighty-Four using Guernica
and the use of symbolism within it as an influence to develop their visual literacy. Students are
to think about how symbolism works, the main themes or ideas within the dystopian text and
communicate a strong, sustained message. Students are to experiment with and justify
changes to textual conventions, media and technologies in adapting or re-creating texts
for particular audiences and contexts. A reflection task is also attached to this activity in
which students must evaluate the power of symbolism within images and the power of language
within Nineteen Eighty-Four. Students are to think about the effectiveness of language in novels
and images/symbols in artworks in generating an emotional response and communicating a
message.

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Lesson plan 13

Year: 12 Topic/ Concept: Who is the individual? Dystopian

representations of the individual (point of view,
representation)
Lesson Sequence 13/16
Outcomes
EA12-7 Evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds and
recognises how they are valued
 appreciate, analyse and speculate about the power of language to represent
personal and public worlds for critical reflection and pleasure
 evaluate and select language forms, features and structures of texts to represent
diverse human experience, universal themes and social, cultural and historical
contexts

Materials
- ‘The Unknown Citizen’ – W.H Auden
- Smart Board

Teaching Objectives
Up until this point, students have explored the point of view of characters who have had
their lives and human experiences regimented by a totalitarian party in Nineteen Eighty-
Four. The aim of the lesson is to demonstrate and explore the ‘other’ side of the story
through the perspective of a state monument creator in,‘ The Unknown Citizen’. To show
students how Auden has used a satirical and monotonous tone to ridicule the state, the
ideal ‘citizen’, and the ways in which happiness and freedom are calculated. To encourage
students to explore aspects of the dystopian genre within the poem through its structural
or language features. To have students think about the representation of the individual
citizen and question why a monument be made of them. To show students the irony in the
title as what is unknown is the essence of the individual, their history, their human
experiences and the things that make them happy. Lastly to explore what it is to be happy
and free in a regimented society and explore how states aren’t concerned with these
human experiences as they are reduced to statistical numbers of society.

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/ learning activities
- Teacher to guide - Discussion on what it means to be a free human
0-5 class discussion, and a citizen of a state and how this impacts our
ask students human experiences
questions, probe - Students to also think about the ways in which we
them, question remember individuals and the importance of
their views etc documentation as a remanent of their human
experience on earth
- Students are to - How do regimented states remember citizens?
contribute to the - How do humans remember their friends, family etc?
class discussion - Focus questions: Can you truly be free and happy in
and are a regimented society/ state? Are citizens able to
encouraged to express their unhappiness?
think critically - States favour ideal conformist citizens as evident
about the focus within Nineteen-Eighty Four.
ideas
5 –15 - Teacher to give - Students are provided a copy of ‘The Unknown
students their Citizen’ and are to read it individually. Students are to
own copy of the think about the things they need to know or want to
poem

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 know about the citizen to determine whether they
- Students are to were happy or free.
individually read - Students are to write down any ideas or points that
the poem crosses their head about the ways states represent
their citizens
- Volunteer - Volunteer student to scribe the responses of
student to scribe students on the smart board
responses on the - Together as a class, through the support of the
teacher students are to come to the assertion that the
Smart Board
author has explicitly left out details about the
individual in order to create a totalitarian
representation of the individual void of the things
that make them human as this is the
representation which the state privileges .
15-25 - Teacher to play - Teacher to play Auden’s reading of the poem for
Auden’s reading the students in order for them to reflect on the
of the poem on tone of the poem and the function of the line
YouTube breaks
- Students are to answer the following questions: How
- Questions to be would you describe the tone of the poem and what
written on the does the reading of the poem remind you off ?
smartboard - What is the effect of the line breaks and how does this
contribute to the representation of the citizen?
- How does the tone of the poem create a dystopian
- Students are to
effect and representation of humans?
individually
answer the
questions
25-40 - Teacher to Annotation activity:
project the - Highlight lines or words of the poem which reveal
annotation who’s point of view is being represented in the poem
activity on the - Underline aspects of the poem which have a
dystopian effect
board
- Circle any references to personal human experiences,
actions or emotions
- Students are to
- Annotate any words which use literary devices which
complete the create a representation of the ‘citizen’
activity or work - E.g. metaphor in ‘’he was a saint’’ : The citizen is
in pairs represented and described as a saint not because
they did anything holy like or godly like, but because
of their commitment to the ‘Greater Community’
(euphemism).

Volunteer students to share their responses with the

class and students are to annotate their poems
further
- Teacher is to emphasise that language provides us
with insights of the public world and the diverse
ways in which human experiences are represented
- This representation of the citizen is through a
state’s point of view and is to be used as a marble
monument. Teacher to ask students why?
- The representation of the citizen is not interested
in the human conditions, their emotions, their
past experiences, the mark they left on society,
but on how well they performed as a citizen of the
state.
- The unknown citizen is reduced to a piece of
statistical data and what is unknown is the human

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 essence of the individual, the things that made them
human.

40- - Teacher to project - Students are to brainstorm in their books why the
60 the activity citizen is represented in the way they are and
instructions and complete the following activity:
details on the
smart board Students are to imagine they are hypothetically the
,‘Unknown Citizen’ and create a critical response to
- Students are to the monument.
work individually - Students are to think about the use of tone and
and work on their how they will represent their character.
responses - Students are to respond to the rhetorical
questions ‘’Was he free? Was he happy?’’ and the
- Students to share satire in ‘’Had anything been wrong, we should
their responses certainly have heard.’’
- Volunteer students to share their responses
Homework Students to answer : In what way does the monument
function as a piece of propaganda and what message
does it communicate to its citizens about the purpose
of their life?

Evaluation
The success of the lesson will be evaluated through the way students respond to the listening
activity which requires them to evaluate and analyse the effect of tone. The activity will be successful
if students recognise that the monotone and disconnected tone of the text creates an unsettling
effect on the reader to represent the statistical value of citizens and not their ‘humaneness’. Gifted
students will also be able to recognise or make a connection between the ‘two minutes of hate’ or
‘News-talk’ in, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Other students may need to be assisted by thinking about how
the message of the poem would change if it was in an optimistic or emotional tone. If students
successfully annotate the poem, they will be able to demonstrate their understanding on the power
of language and the ways in which words carry meaning on public/private human experiences. The
contributions to the class discussion will allow students to express their understanding and assist
struggling students in shaping the way they think about these ideas. The creative texts which
students create will demonstrate their understanding of representation, the ability to evaluate the
main message of the poem and revert it through tone and the creation of their character.

Week 4, Lesson 14
Students are to use Nineteen Eighty-Four and ‘The Unknown Citizen’ to explore the importance of
documentation, records and history in revealing a collective history or human experience which
is void of censorship. Students are to investigate the causes and effects of a lack of human
record which refer to the human experiences of individuals in their lifetime. Students are to
compare the motivations of Winston and his desire to document accurately in the Ministry of
Truth, his manipulation of ‘speakwrite’ and his diary note taking. Students will then compare
the individual within the poem and their lack of record and documentation to reveal their true
human life experience. Students will explore how this impacts the creation of history and
‘historical truth’ if particular societies do not acknowledge the life experiences of collective
groups because they do not fit in with the nations narrative. Students will engage critically
and creatively with a wide range of texts which may be informed by different critical
perspectives.

Week 4, Lesson 15
Students are to adapt literary conventions for specific audiences, challenging conventions
and reinterpreting ideas and perspectives. Students are to explore the ways in which both
Nineteen Eighty-Four and ‘The Unknown Citizen’ strive to nullify the existence of resistance and

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create a dystopian world in which all citizens are compliant with the states rules while living
their own authentic human experience. Both texts strive to demonstrate and represent the
human experience of totalitarian or bureaucratic worlds as normal, natural, purposeful and
meaningful. Students are to adopt the literary convention and structure of the poem, ‘The
Unknown Citizen’, to create their own poems, exposing this ideology.

Week 4, Lesson 16
In this lesson, students will reflect on and discuss personal preferences and insights gained
from familiarity with a wide range of repertoire of complex tests. Students are to analyse the
following news article https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-19/marks---1984/4763166 and
discuss how ,‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’, and ,‘ The Unknown Citizen’, have value and relevance to today’s
society. Students are to reflect on how these texts have relevance to them, their beliefs and views of
the world or contrary to this, have challenged them. Students are to make critiques of the totalitarian
society in Orwell’s text and explain how these critiques can be applied to the bureaucratic world
described in the poem. Students are required to create a news article discussing the relevance of
these texts to their current society and what society can learn from them. They are to include their
own personal opinions and beliefs and reflect on how this has positioned them or will position
readers to view their current world. Students are to also include the irony in readers enjoying
dystopian literature, but not applying its message to their lives as they readily accept surveillance
and internet data collection in their own personal lives.

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