Instructional Video

George Orwell

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Ordinary people, ordinary jobs, ordinary life. According to George Orwell it's the ordinary that should be the focus of literature. Introduce readers to this extraordinary writer with a short video that details how his life experiences shaped his ideas and his writings.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Have class members view the video out of class, prepare questions, and return for a whole class discussion of Orwell's ideas
  • Give bonus points to viewers who can identify the famous people and events pictured in the photos used in the film
  • Most appropriate for honors or AP level language arts and history classes
  • Introduce the video after reading one of Orwell's books
  • Have individuals create their own allegory and select animals to represent current political figures and groups
Classroom Considerations
  • The close captioning often misrepresents the narration; turn it off 
  • Viewers may be confused by the reference to English private schools as the public school system
  • Show the video in full screen mode to avoid the comment section
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • The images used can be seen as allegorical and add a level of humor to the video
Cons
  • None