Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 3: Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History / Lesson 7
ELA
Unit 3
8th Grade
Lesson 7 of 32
Jump To
Identify ways that Stalin used propaganda to control the people of the Soviet Union.
Book: Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History) by Sean McCollum — Chapters 10-12
We participate in the Amazon Associate program. This means that if you use this link to make an Amazon purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which support our non-profit mission.
Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
How did Stalin use the propaganda technique of "fear" to justify his ruthlessness during "the Great Terror"? Explain what this technique is in your own words and then provide evidence of Stalin’s use of this technique from the text to support your answer.
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What forms of media did Stalin use to promote propaganda messages? Provide evidence from Chapter 10 to support your answer.
How did Stalin use the propaganda technique of "plain folks"? Explain what this technique is in your own words and provide evidence of Stalin’s use of this technique from Chapter 10 to support your answer.
How does Stalin use the technique of "glittering generalities"? Provide two examples from chapter 10 to support your answer.
How did people in Stalin’s own government feel about him? How did he respond to political critics? Provide specific evidence from chapter 11 to support your answer.
On page 80, McCollum writes, "Party members were encouraged to turn in anyone suspected of anti-communist thoughts. Husbands and wives accused each other. Children were hailed as heroes for turning in mothers and fathers." What does this demonstrate about human nature?
Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
dict
to say or speak
dictator
n.
(p. 74)
a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has taken control by force
adversary
(p. 75)
enemy, competitor, or opponent
Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.
RI.8.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.8.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.8.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.8.1 — Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RI.8.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.8.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.8.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.8.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.8.1.a — Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.8.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.8.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.8.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.8.9.b — Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced").
W.8.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson 6
Lesson 8
Define and articulate the differences between capitalism and communism.
RI.8.2 RI.8.3
Explain the events, ideas, and social conditions that began to shape Stalin’s behavior and beliefs about the world.
Identify the events, ideas, and social conditions that led to the Russian Revolution, and explain Stalin’s role in the establishment of a new communist society and government.
Explain the purpose of Stalin’s Five-Year Plan, its impact on the people of the Soviet Union, and how author McCollum uses specific text features to develop key ideas about this time period.
RI.8.2 RI.8.5
Writing
Define propaganda and gather evidence about a specific propaganda technique in preparation for creating an informational poster.
RI.8.2 W.8.2 W.8.9
Draft a paragraph and create a poster that informs classmates about a propaganda technique.
W.8.2 W.8.2.a W.8.2.b W.8.5
Determine the central idea of individual chapters of Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History) and the text overall, and explain how the author develops and supports these ideas.
RI.8.2
Define the literary genres of satire and allegory, and explain their purposes.
Explain how Orwell uses descriptive language to develop Old Major’s perspective and make connections between Old Major’s speech and real-world economic systems.
RL.8.2 RL.8.4
Identify specific events and lines of dialogue that reveal character traits, and explain the impact of events on the plot of Animal Farm.
RL.8.3
Explain the impact of different propaganda techniques the pigs use in Animal Farm.
RL.8.3 RL.8.4
Explain how George Orwell has interpreted individuals and events from the Russian Revolution and portrayed them in his allegorical text, Animal Farm.
Explain how the pigs use propaganda techniques to manipulate the other animals, and how the author uses this manipulation to develop dramatic irony.
RL.8.4 RL.8.6
Explain how George Orwell has interpreted events of the Russian Revolution and portrayed them in his allegorical text Animal Farm.
Explain how the pigs have betrayed the original principles of Animal Farm, and how their betrayal and manipulation of the other animals creates dramatic irony.
RL.8.3 RL.8.6
Explain how Squealer uses language and propaganda techniques to manipulate the other animals, and how the author uses this manipulation to develop dramatic irony.
RL.8.3 RL.8.4 RL.8.6
Explain the significance of specific lines and events in Animal Farm and what they reveal about characters and the plot.
Determine what Orwell wants the reader to understand about the Russian Revolution and human nature more broadly, and explain how he develops these ideas in Animal Farm.
RL.8.2
Identify places where the film version of Animal Farm differs from the original text and evaluate the choices that the director made.
RL.8.7
Unpack a narrative writing prompt, study a Mentor Text, and begin to outline their "rewrites."
RL.8.2 W.8.3 W.8.5
Complete a full draft of narrative "rewrites."
W.8.3 W.8.3.a W.8.3.d W.8.3.e
Engage in peer feedback with a partner and present narratives to the class.
SL.8.4 W.8.3 W.8.5
Socratic Seminar
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, demonstrating a deep understanding of the text and topic by posing and responding to questions and providing evidence to support ideas.
SL.8.1 SL.8.1.a SL.8.1.c SL.8.4
Unpack a Writing Prompt and begin to gather evidence for a literary analysis essay.
W.8.1 W.8.9
Draft a claim statement and create an outline for a four-paragraph literary analysis essay.
W.8.1 W.8.1.a W.8.1.b
Draft two strong body paragraphs and revise them to contextualize and introduce evidence.
W.8.1 W.8.1.c W.8.1.d
Outline and draft introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
W.8.1 W.8.1.a W.8.1.e
Revise essay for linking words and tone, and experiment with verb moods.
L.8.1 L.8.1.c W.8.1 W.8.1.c W.8.1.d
Assessment – 2 days
Create a free account to access thousands of lesson plans.
Already have an account? Sign In
See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.
Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.
Yes
No
Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free