Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Animal Farm Speaks to the World”

In this activity, students will choose different characters and personas for themselves from within and outside the Animal Farm universe to create written and audiovisual reportage about the farm. Then, they will present their report and hold a panel discussion.

The pigs on Animal Farm create a propaganda machine powered by Squealer’s persuasive speech, Minimus’s patriotic writing, and the sheer terror of Napoleon’s attack dogs. They use this propaganda, along with other tactics, to present a carefully curated view of the farm to the world and hide the reality of the farm animals’ misery from all—even the animals themselves.  

• Adopt a character or persona from among the following: representative of or spokesperson for the pigs; an animal on the farm who supports the pigs; an animal on the farm who secretly harbors questions or rebellious ideas; a human who trades with Animal Farm; a writer, journalist, or documentarian who sympathizes with the pigs; a writer, journalist, or documentarian who is skeptical about Animal Farm; a neutral party who simply knows of the farm from secondhand sources
• Create reportage about the farm in line with your persona.