Summary
At a time when truth itself seems under siege, this comprehensive lesson bridges Orwell's dystopian masterpiece with today's media landscape. Students begin to develop their media literacy by evaluating real versus fake news through a Walking Vote activity, then explore logical fallacies and propaganda techniques using a Doublethink Detector card game. They analyze media bias across the political spectrum and examine how authoritarian governments like North Korea and Venezuela mirror 1984's totalitarian control. Through research on countries organized around Orwell's fabricated Ministries, students scrutinize parallels between fiction and reality to develop media literacy and learn to recognize information manipulation. Through Fishbowl discussions and Choice Board projects, students critically examine government power, censorship, and propaganda to deepen their own freedom of thought.
Essential Question(s)
How does the manipulation of truth and information in 1984 reflect the dangers of media bias in shaping public perception and reality? In what ways does Orwell’s concept of propaganda and surveillance in 1984 parallel modern challenges in maintaining freedom of thought in an age of biased media?
Snapshot
Engage
Students use a Walking Vote strategy to determine whether news articles are authentic or false.
Explore
Students play a card game to identify logical fallacies and bias in media, and apply critical thinking skills to evaluate media articles for bias.
Explain
Students use the Categorical Highlighting strategy to compare the novel 1984 and the United States, and study aspects of North Korea in an article and short videos.
Extend
Students research countries with information manipulation challenges similar to North Korea, summarize, and present their findings.
Evaluate
Students conduct a modified Fishbowl to analyze connections between 1984 and countries in the real world, synthesize their understanding in a Six-Word Memoir, and collaborate on Choice Board projects.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Copies of George Orwell's novel 1984 (one per student)
Walking Vote Posters (attached; one set of two)
Fallacies in Propaganda and Fake News handout (attached; one per student)
Doublethink Detector Cards (attached; one set per group)
Doublethink Detector Cards Key (attached)
Political Spectrum handout (attached; one per student)
Thinking about Bias handout (attached; one per student)
H-Chart handout (attached; one per student)
Jihyun Park article (attached; one per student)
Manipulation of Information handout (optional; one per student or group)
Ministries Posters (attached)
Ministries handout (attached; one per student)
Choice Board handout (optional, attached; one per student)
Rubric handout (optional, attached; one per student)
Chart paper
Markers
Highlighters in 2 different colors (enough to have one of each for each student)
Sticky notes
Index cards or notebook paper, cut into 3” x 5” pieces
Preparation for the Lesson
Reading structure for this lesson:
Students should not begin reading 1984 until after the Engage and Explore sections, when they should read Books 1 and 2.
Book 3 should be read before beginning the Extend section.
Print, cut out, and laminate the Walking Vote Posters and Doublethink Detector Cards for use in this and future lessons.
Print the four Ministries Posters and hang them up around the classroom for students to refer to while reading the novel.
Create a Parking Lot poster on chart paper or designate a Parking Lot in the classroom for the Explain section.
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to facilitate the lesson. Begin by displaying slides 1–4 to present the title, essential questions, and the learning objectives in as much detail as needed.
Display slide 5 to introduce the Walking Vote strategy, and point out the Walking Vote Posters that indicate one side of the room as “Real or Authentic News” and the other as “False or Fake News.” Show slide 6 and tell students to move to the side of the room that best answers their judgement about the news headline: whether it is true, authentic news, or false news and satire. Inform students that they must choose a side and be able to defend their answer. If they choose to stay in the middle of the room, they must explain why. Continue showing slides 7–22 one at a time, allowing time for feedback.
Explore
75 Minute(s)
Display slide 23 and distribute the Fallacies in Propaganda and Fake News handout. Explain to students that propaganda and fake news often rely on logical fallacies to influence and manipulate audiences. As a class, read each type of fallacy and examples by clicking through the bullet point animations on the slide, stopping to take questions or clarify any misconceptions. (Note that the first example for each fallacy is an example from 1984.)
Transition to slide 24 and the Doublethink Detector card game activity. Put students into groups of 3 or 4 and distribute a set of the Doublethink Detector Cards to each group. Taking turns, students will choose a card from the stack of fallacies and read the information on the card. The team decides what kind of fallacy the card indicates and justifies their choice with evidence. On the Fallacies in Propaganda and Fake News handout, each student should record their group’s answers and justifications. Once completed, use the Inverted Pyramid strategy, in which a group of four join another group of four to discuss their answers. Continue joining groups until the whole class is back together to discuss the answers and their justifications.
Pose the question, “What does it mean to be on the left or on the right of an issue?” Show slide 25 to play the short video, “The Political Spectrum” and guide introductory discussion.
When finished, display slide 26 and hand out the Political Spectrum infographic or, alternatively, direct students to the infographic online. Conduct an I Notice, I Wonder discussion and record student answers on chart paper. Take this time to explain what it means to “lean left” versus to “lean right,” as well as what it means to remain neutral. It’s important that the instructor remain unbiased when addressing student questions and comments. Remind students that this infographic will help them determine the answers to the next activity.
Display slide 27 to show students the video “How to Detect Bias in Media.”
Distribute the Thinking about Bias handout and give students time to scan the document. Display slides 28–29 and conduct a brief discussion about developing critical media literacy skills. Then pass out the H-Chart and transition to slide 30. Using the H-Chart handout, ask the students to read the provided articles in the linked Wakelet and decide if each article is biased left, biased right, or neutral. Explain to students that they will write the title of the article under the position of bias, and a reason(s) for each choice. At the bottom of each column, students will jot down any reason that helped them make their decisions. This can include word choice, facts used, etc.
Explain
50 Minute(s)
Display slide 31 and explain the Categorical Highlighting strategy. Distribute the Jihyun Park article and lead a teacher read-aloud or have students read silently, stopping to clarify or answer questions. Direct students to use two highlighters to mark what relates to 1984 in one color and what relates to the United States in another color. Allow enough time for students to finish reading and highlighting. When they are finished, allow them to pair up to discuss the Point of Most Significance from the article.
Discuss as a class what students highlighted related to the novel and to the United States. Ask students if they felt that some things could apply to both and why.
Display slide 32 to introduce students to the TED talk video in which Yeonmi Park [not the same Ms. Park as the article] speaks. Before starting the video, ask the students what they think she will speak about based on the article they read. Consider using closed captioning, and start the video.
Depending on your focus, you may prefer to show students part of the video Interviews with Kang Chol-hwan.
After viewing, ask students if there was anything that surprised them. Distribute sticky notes and ask students to write how the video’s description of North Korea made them think about what it looks like and sounds like, and how they felt about North Korea after reading the article about Jihyun Park and listening to Yeonmi Park. Have students post their sticky notes on a designated Parking Lot.
Extend
180 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 33. Explain to students that they will be researching countries with difficulties similar to those of North Korea.
Instruct students to pick from provided countries and begin researching. Have them take notes of any similarities to the book or any quality or trend students notice that are present in the United States. They must provide facts and make note of the bias they found in their research, noting any fallacies.
Students will be researching from the following list. You may choose to pass out the optional handout Manipulation of Information.
Venezuela – The Maduro regime has undermined democratic institutions through electoral manipulation, repression of opposition, and centralized control over key state functions.
Turkmenistan – The president wields unchecked power, enforces a personality cult, and controls media and civil life tightly.
China – The Communist Party exercises centralized authority, suppresses dissent, and uses mass surveillance and censorship.
Iran – A theocratic regime led by the Supreme Leader limits civil liberties and cracks down on opposition and protest.
Belarus – President Lukashenko has ruled for decades with heavy repression of opposition, media control, and electoral manipulation.
Russia – The Kremlin consolidates power through electoral control, media dominance, and criminalization of dissenting voices.
Syria – Under Assad, the state used brutal repression and military force to maintain authoritarian rule amid civil war.
Saudi Arabia – The monarchy controls political expression, restricts civil liberties, and punishes critics harshly.
Myanmar (Burma) – The military junta exerts strict control after a coup, violently repressing opposition and democracy movements.
Angola – While nominally democratic, the ruling MPLA has maintained power for decades using state control of media, limited political freedoms, and alleged electoral irregularities.
Nicaragua – President Ortega has consolidated power by dismantling democratic checks, suppressing opposition, and tightly controlling elections and civil society.
Other (a student-suggested example)
Distribute the Ministries handout and explain to students that they will independently engage with articles and videos about three different countries’ governments. As they read and view, students will complete the Ministries handout. If possible, they will write observations and quotes from texts/videos in each of the appropriate Ministries categories. These observations and/or quotes should reflect issues that are present in countries that lean toward totalitarianism while recognizing that some of them are also current issues in the United States. Move to slide 34 to review the example. Decide as a class if anything from the example should be underlined for being similar to 1984 or circled because it is present in the U.S.A.
Remind students as they are researching that only factual information should be included in the chart and students should append an asterisk (*) to anything they note as bias that they find in their research. Students should also take note of any fallacy they encounter during their research.
Transition to slide 35. When students have completed their research, have them write a 30-Second Expert summary statement about the observations they recorded on the Ministries handout.
Evaluate
50 Minute(s)
Move to slide 36 and review the discussion norms with the class. Add any additional norms needed as you discuss the importance of listening and speaking when engaging in conversations. Allow students to share their observations about the Ministries, totalitarian governments, 1984, and our own government in a modified Fishbowl Socratic seminar.
Begin the seminar by putting their desks into a large circle so all students can see each other. Hand out a sticky note or index card to each student. Have each student verbally share their 30-Second Expert statement with no discussion. After all students have shared their statements, ask them to write down on their sticky note or card two higher-level questions about something they heard from their peers' research. Have the students put their questions in a bowl.
You will play the role of the facilitator at the beginning of the discussion. Possible questions to start the discussion include:
Do you see any parallels between the world of 1984 and our own society or government today? If so, where?
How does propaganda in 1984 compare to the way information is shared or distorted in our world today?
How do language and censorship shape public thought in 1984? Can we see similar influences in real life?
What similarities did you discover between the countries you researched and 1984?
Once the process is familiar, select a few students who can facilitate the discussion. The facilitator does not participate in the discussion but can ask questions along the way to prompt deeper discussion and understanding. Have the facilitator draw questions from the 30-second Expert bowl and encourage students to answer and discuss before moving on to the next question.
Display slide 37. After reading, researching, and discussing key issues in 1984 and the real world, have the students write a Six-Word Memoir summarizing their attitude toward key themes in the lesson: government, bias, censorship, etc.
Alternate or additional Evaluate: Unhide slide 38, distribute the Choice Board and the Rubric handouts, and present the Choice Board activity. Students are to be assigned or pick groups of 2 to 4 people and choose one of the options. They may use YouTube, a camera, or any other approved platform to create their findings involving 1984, North Korea, the countries they researched, and the findings of other students that were shared.
Allow time for students to work on their presentations and share them with the class.
Resources
Anthony. (n.d.). Group of piglets [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-piglets-133468/
AP News. (2025, March 5). A Cheeto shaped like the beloved Pokémon Charizard is auctioned for $87,840. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/pokemon-cheeto-charizard-cheetozard-auction-9619c778aab3d0bb7bd3ed1fbcf5517b
Boston University. (2020). Tree octopus. Artemis. https://www.bu.edu/lernet/artemis/years/2020/projects/StudentWebsites/NadiaWebsite/TreeOctupus.html
CBS News. (2018, May 3). U.K. schools getting rid of analog clocks because teens cannot tell time. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-k-schools-getting-rid-of-analog-clocks-because-teens-cannot-tell-time/
Chris and Rosie. (2018, April 30). Mom delivers her own baby after watching YouTube tutorial. Shenandoah Country Q102. https://shenandoahcountryq102.iheart.com/content/2018-04-30-mom-delivers-her-own-baby-after-watching-youtube-tutorial/
CIVIX. (2021, April 26). The Political Spectrum [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJA3EhyVPc0
Cole, R. (1998). The Encyclopedia of propaganda. Sharpe Reference.
Common Craft. (2024, Oct 15). How to detect bias in media - explained by Common Craft [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R6-2_8m4Co
Foong, Anna Hannah. (2017). Jihyun Park: Defector. Refugee. Survivor. Freedom fighter for North Koreans. CommonLit. https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/jihyun-park-defector-refugee-survivor-freedom-fighter-for-north-koreans
TheFreedomCollection. (2015, Jul 17). Kang Chol-Hwan: Media control [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btsOOs3P-kQ
Gabbatiss, J. (2016, December 7). Incredible physics behind the deadly 1919 Boston molasses flood. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2114116-incredible-physics-behind-the-deadly-1919-boston-molasses-flood/
Goldin, M. (2021, February 25). AP Fact check: ‘Statue of Liberty’ image was created using Photoshop, not ruins from the artist’s home. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-statue-of-liberty-syrian-artist-002661858342
Grieshaber, K. (2025, March 5). Piglets left to starve as part of a controversial art exhibition in Denmark have been stolen. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-pigs-controversial-art-exhibition-animal-rights-4ed7e96f9274f68dd9f202ed9955748a
Harrington, H. T. (2014, November 10). Benjamin Franklin fakes a newspaper. All Things Liberty. https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/11/propaganda-warfare-benjamin-franklin-fakes-a-newspaper/
Human Rights Watch. (2023, February 9). Eritrea: Crackdown on draft evaders’ families. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/09/eritrea-crackdown-draft-evaders-families
Human Rights Watch. (2009, April 16). Service for life: State repression and indefinite conscription in Eritrea. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/04/16/service-life/state-repression-and-indefinite-conscription-Eritrea
K20 Center. (n.d.). 30-second expert. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1048
K20 Center. (n.d.). Choice boards. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/73
K20 Center. (n.d.). Fishbowl. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/3053
K20 Center. (n.d.). I notice, I wonder. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/180
K20 Center. (n.d.). Inverted pyramid. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/173
K20 Center. (n.d.). Parking lot. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/131
K20 Center. (n.d.). POMS: Point of most significance. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/101
K20 Center. (n.d.). Six-word memoirs. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/75
K20 Center. (n.d.). Walking vote. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/4126???????
K20 ID Team. (2025). Left, center, right: Detecting bias in news media. Wakelet. https://wakelet.com/wake/HTCvuPuQP0SjcYc0Wt8eF
KIKN. (2025, February 14). Fargo man uses flamethrower to melt snow in front yard. KIKN. https://kikn.com/fargo-man-uses-flamethrower-to-melt-snow-in-front-yard/
Library of Congress. (2024, February). The Spanish-American War and the yellow press. Headlines and Heroes. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2024/02/the-spanish-american-war-and-the-yellow-press/
Mather, V. (2024, October 10). Raccoons take over Washington home, baffling residents [Screenshot]. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/us/raccoons-washington-home.html
McCandless, D., & Posavec, S. (2024). Left vs. Right (US) [Infographic]. Information is Beautiful. https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/left-vs-right-us/
The New York Public Library. (n.d.). Children playing cards in front yard in slum area near Union Station [Photograph]. NYPL Digital Collections. https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/children-playing-cards-in-front-yard-in-slum-area-near-union-station-section-a51a7a
The Onion. (2017, September 28). Archaeological dig uncovers ancient race of skeleton people. The Onion. https://theonion.com/archaeological-dig-uncovers-ancient-race-of-skeleton-pe-1819565415/
The Onion. (2017, October 2). Winner didn’t even know it was pie-eating contest [Screenshot]. The Onion. https://theonion.com/winner-didnt-even-know-it-was-pie-eating-contest-1819586935/
The Onion (n.d.). Dolphin spends amazing vacation swimming with stockbrokers [Screenshot]. The Onion. https://theonion.com/dolphin-spends-amazing-vacation-swimming-with-stockbrok-1819575361
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (April 11 version) [Large language model]. A man using a flamethrower to melt snow in front of a house [AI-generated image]. ChatGPT. https://chat.openai.com/chat
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (April 11 version) [Large language model]. Description of image generation for a 2D television with a shattered screen. ChatGPT. https://chat.openai.com/chat
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (April 11 version) [Large language model]. Description of image generation for a 2D television with an unshattered screen. ChatGPT. https://chat.openai.com/chat
OpenAI. (2025, May 2). ChatGPT (April 11 version) [Large language model]. Tree octopus illustration [AI-generated image]. ChatGPT. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Pixabay. (n.d.). Low-angle photography of Big Ben in London [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photography-of-big-ben-in-london-280347/
Power, H. (2024, July 2). UN should ensure continued scrutiny of rights crisis in Eritrea. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/02/un-should-ensure-continued-scrutiny-rights-crisis-Eritrea
Scutti, S. (2018, March 26). Children with autism less likely to be fully vaccinated, study finds. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/26/health/vaccination-rates-children-autism-study/index.html
Srestha, U. (n.d.). Pile of newspapers [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/pile-of-newspapers-HeNrEdA4Zp4
The Straits Times. (2018, December 3). Chinese farmer unleashes 300 million hungry cockroaches to eat food waste. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/chinese-farmer-unleashes-300-million-hungry-cockroaches-to-eat-food-waste
Stypczynski, A. (n.d.). A group of men kneeling down next to each other [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/a-group-of-men-kneeling-down-next-to-each-other-s-y8QSmpyNI
TED. (2019, September 26). What I learned about freedom after escaping North Korea | Yeonmi Park | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLzTo-y8Ef0
Telegraph Reporters. (2018, May 3). Missing hiker faces huge bill for rescue operation after being found in luxury hotel. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/03/missing-hiker-faces-huge-bill-rescue-operation-found-luxury/