Animal+Farm+and+Russian+Revolution+Webquest

Animal Farm and The Russian Revolution Web Quest Introduction and Task:

The novel Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution. This means that the characters and events symbolize actual people and events in history. The task of this web quest is to research who and what happened so that you can understand the “story underneath the story,” so to speak. Your task is simple: visit the websites throughout the web quest, and fill in the answers on your handout.

Part I: George Orwell Use the following site to find information to answer questions about Animal Farm's author, George Orwell. Although we could spend an entire Web Quest on George Orwell, his life, and his writing, we are focusing on Russian history today. A brief overview is all we need.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jorwell.htm If you want to know more, you can also visit: http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html

Part II: Nicholas II Use the following pages to find information about Tsar Nicholas II.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtsar.htm

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/AlexPalaceNRbio.html

Part III: Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, and Communism Visit the following sites to answer questions about these men.

History/Biography of Marx: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/karl_marx.htm?&0= A famous quote from Marx: http://www.whatquote.com/quotes/Karl-Marx/24493-Workers-of-the-world.htm

A succinct explanation of Communism: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-communism.htm Trotsky: http://www.answers.com/topic/leon-trotsky

More Trotsky: http://www.marxist.net/trotsky/life/life.htm

Part IV: Joseph Stalin Stalin….What a guy…… A pretty succinct page on Stalin: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stalin_joseph.shtml

A little more in depth, but still pretty succinct and easy to understand: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/stalin/

Stalin and Propaganda (Scroll down to #4): http://www.johndclare.net/Russ12.htm

Secret Police: []

Part II Directions: Answer the questions in your own words. Do not cut and paste the information. Be thorough and thoughtful. Aim: How does literature (and Animal Farm specifically) help us to better understand the world around us?

1. What is an allegory?

2. What is George Orwell’s real name? Why do you think he wrote under a pseudonym?

3. What is the name of the first book he published?

4. In what year was Animal Farm published?

5. What is democracy? How did Nicholas II feel about democracy?

6. What were working conditions in Russia like with Nicholas II as a leader?

7. What was Bloody Sunday? Why might this be significant?

8. Was Nicholas II an effective or poor leader? Explain.

9. Karl Marx said what about religion? Why might this be significant?

10. Marx helped to write The Communist Manifesto, which stated that all men were born free but that society had got to such a state that the majority were __. What does this mean?__ 11. Marx had ten points. Name two:

12. Write out the famous quote from Marx. Explain the quote.

13. What is the phrase that explains Communism in a “nutshell”? What does it mean?

__ 14. According to the site (and common sense), Communism would probably function well if humans did not have the unfortunate tendency toward ___. 15. Leon Trotsky wanted to improve life in Russia; he used his pen to oppose what leader? Why or why not was Trotsky effective?

16. Who ordered Trotsky’s assassination? Why?

17. What title was Stalin given in 1922?

18. By the late 1920’s, what was his role? What does this suggest about the nature of power?

19. What happened in the 1930’s during the Great Terror or Great Purge?

20. What did children learn about Stalin from their mothers?

21. What are some of the forms of propaganda that Stalin employed?

22. Stalin used a secret police force to force support of him and to kill the disobedient. We, in recent years, think of the KGB, but what four letter acronym were they called in his time?

23. In a previous class you tried to create a world that was entirely equal. What types of government do you think may work best? Explain why. Reflect in your thoughts on the following: your life in America, your knowledge of both history and current events, and our reading of literature, including: Iran as portrayed in Persepolis and the downfall of humanity as portrayed in Lord of the Flies. Write in fully developed paragraphs. Proof read for grammar, mechanics, and usage.

24. Finally, reflect on the Aim statement: How does literature (and Animal Farm specifically) help us to better understand the world around us?

Adapted from this Source: @http://www.jerichoschools.org/hs/teachers/lfischer/animal_farm/webquest.doc JERICHO HIGHSCHOOLENGLISH MS. FISCHER ENGLISH 2