Animal Farm was written by George Orwell, the pen name of Englishman Eric Arthur Blair. The novel, which can be found in full online, was published in 1945 and was written as a satirical allegory of early Soviet Russia.
Many students detest the book when they begin, I’ve found, but by the time they’ve read the first few chapters, they’re usually hooked and give the novel great reviews in the end.
In student teaching, I worked with Ray Robinson at GWHS, where I currently teach. He was the head of the department until he retired two years ago. He had his basic English 12 class reading Animal Farm and tied it in with Dr. Zhivago, which was already one of my favorite movies! It’s an interesting set of companion pieces, since the film’s backdrop is Russia during World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution that directly followed and washed the country in Communism.
I’d like to get together some materials on the history behind the novel and a viewing guide for the film. I know there are also a number of excellent websites of which I’d like to gather a list. (More to come!)
Available Teaching Materials
- Reading Plan – Word File
- Prereading – Word File
- Quiz #1 – Word File (not available for download)
- Quiz #2 – Word File (not available for download)
- Quiz #3 – Word File (not available for download)
- Quiz #4 – Word File (not available for download)
- Quiz #5 – Word File (not available for download)
© 2008 – 2010 mrshawke-dot-com
Most of my teaching resources are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. If you’re not sure, don’t hesitate to ask me. :-)
Send me a message if you are a teacher who would like copies of my quizzes or tests. Please include the name of your school and/or district, your school e-mail address, and the title you are interested in. All secure materials are shared with the expectation that they will be kept secure and not redistributed or otherwise shared.
This is my first year teaching Animal Farm – boy I wish I would have found you earlier!! I am in the process of making a final exam on the novel. I would love copies of your quizzes or tests. Thank you!
Jen Berich
English Teacher
Yough High School
Herminie, PA
Hi, Jen!
Thanks for your message. I’ll send you copies of the quizzes this evening. =)
Hello!
Great site! You are an inspiration. I have worked 90 hour weeks on curriculum all year, and would REALLY appreciate any test or quizzes you could give me from Animal Farm. If you choose not to I understand. Thank you sooo much!
-Nick
Hi, Nick! Thanks for the message and the compliments! I know exactly what you mean about the 90-hour weeks. It’s so tough. Is this your first year of teaching?
I would love to send you Animal Farm quizzes (and any others you may want or need), but I need your school information first in order to keep everything secure. I can send the materials to this email, but I need your school email also, along with the name of your school and/or district. I don’t post names, and I only post school names if given permission. But I do post district names when I share resources.
I look forward to hearing back from you soon!
Hello again!
Sorry I forgot to give my school email. I am in the Marlborough Public School system. Feel free to email me at my school email for more info. Thank you soooo much for helping me out!
Hi there. Thanks for the info! I’ll be e-mailing those quizzes to you this evening. I’m really glad to be able to help out. Good luck! =)
Hello Mrs. Hawke,
I, too, would so much appreciate copies of any tests or quizzes you would be willing to share with me for Animal Farm. I am teaching the novel in a two week summer session.
Sincerely,
Diane Freeland
Hrm. I replied to Diane here. I remember asking about how in the world they covered an entire course in a two-week session. Even our repeat sessions are three weeks. I was at the Institute backing my files up when I replied, I know, because I have the email (with attached quizzes) I sent Diane once I returned home. I suppose here is one of those lost items in the move to a new server. It’s the only one I’ve noticed so far. *crossing fingers*
Would you please email me the quizzes you have for Animal Farm? I’d greatly appreciate it. Seems like you have some wonderful resources here and I’m thankful for having found them!
Hello, Amanda! I’m glad you visited and made a comment. Thanks for the compliment!
I’ll gladly send you my Animal Farm quizzes, but I’ll need your school/district information and school email first. It’s my policy, so that I can do my best to keep these materials secure for all. I hope you understand. :)
Jo
Beginning novel soon in my Civics and Economics class. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, Penny! Thanks for your message!
Have you used novels in your classes before? I love seeing literature used across the curriculum. I’ll email you my materials in just a few.
Jo
I am finishing up Animal Farm with a group of 8th graders. I have been searching for any quizzes or info I can get ahold of to use with them at the close of the novel. Whatever you are willing to send is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks, Christina Wolken (Onslow County Schools)
Hello there,
I happened upon your site while doing some research to assist in the delivery of Animal Farm.
I teach at Jens Haven Memorial School in Nain, which is located in Northern Labrador, Canada! Any and all resources that might help in the delivery and instruction would be most helpful.
Thanks so very much!!
@ Christina Wolken: Your materials are on the way. Sorry for the delay. :(
Dear Mrs. Hawke,
As a special education co-teacher with a specialty in math, I feel totally lost in my lone 10th grade Literature class. I rarely have enough time in the day to complete all of the paperwork required in my county, much less come up with unique lessons from scratch. I would LOVE to have copies of your resources for Animal Farm so I can feel more prepared to teach this novel unit for the first time. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Shirley Tharp
Mrs. Hawke,
Oops, I did not see that you need my school name before you can send me the Animal Farm teaching resources. Here is that information:
Greenbrier High School
Evans, GA 30813
Columbia County School District
http://www.ccboe.net
http://www1.ccboe.net/gbh/index.htm
shirley.tharp@ccboe.net
Thanks,
Shirley Tharp
Hi!
I’m preparing to teach Animal Farm to 10th grade students at Carver Early College in Atlanta, GA. I taught the novel once before, and I am very interested in copies of your quizzes/tests. Thanks!
Ms. Hawke,
I am very interested in receiving your information on Animal Farm and Quizes that go along with it. I am a special Education teacher who co-teaches with a 12th grade English teacher who is stuggling.
I need some help for all the students in the class.
Thank you, Mary Frist Southern Lee High School, Sanford, NC
i’m a retired teacher who is currently working as a long term substitute for a friend who has cancer. I haven’t read Animal Farm since high school and have never taught it. I would greatly appreciate any materials you could send my way. Thank you, Pam Atkins Portsmouth, VA
Mrs. Hawke,
I will be teaching Animal Farm shortly and would appreciate any resources you may have.
My school information is:
Woodbury Public Schools
Woodbury, NJ
http://WWW.woodburysch.com
Hi,
I teach Grade 9 English at a private high school in York Region (Ontario, Canada). My class will be finishing Animal Farm this week and I am giving them a final test next Monday. Would you mind sending me your quizes 1 – 5? I’m sure it will be most helpful.
Thank you. Kudos for putting up this site and sharing your resources.
Ronit Kutnowski
Lovely site! I’m a first year teacher at Fort LeBoeuf High School in Waterford, PA, and I’m always looking for good resources. We just finished our Animal Farm unit, but I’m looking for ideas for a final test and to use next semester.
Thanks for sharing!
M Soltesz
I would appreciate a copy of your quizzes! This is my first year teaching the book in my pre-ap world history class.
Thanks so much!
Lori Akin
Hoover, AL
Hi! I am a first year teacher in the Howell school district, teaching Animal Farm for the first time. I would LOVE a copy of your quizzes and tests, if possible.
Thanks so much,
Courtney Curtis
New Brunswick, NJ
Hi,
I am going to start teaching Animal Farm and then 1984 on Monday, March 9, 2009. I would be interested in any thing that would assist me with teaching the students in 12th grade, and making it a great experience with these two novels. I am in my first year of high school English 12th grade.
I am finding that I am not challenging my students enough as my previous experience has been in middle school.
We are on Trimesters in Traverse City, MI and 71 minute class periods. I find that I do not have enough for the students to do
and they finish assignments so much faster than I anticipate.
Any help and guidance would be appreciated.
Please send me any thing about Animal and 1984 that you think would
improve my experience with 12th graders.
Thank you.
Diane Kimmel
Your site is amazing! I have been teaching English for ninteen years and am so impressed by what you have here. I am updating my unit on Animal Farm for next fall and I would love to see your Animal Farm reading quizzes (please).
Minnia
My students are almost finish reading Animal Farm. I would appreciate looking at your quizzes for Animal Farm. i love the comments from other teachers.
Thank you in advance.
I am a teacher in Makerere College School in Kampala, Uganda. I am very interested in receiving your information on Animal Farm and Quizes that go along with it. I am currently teaching this novel to senior 2, a second class in our Ugandan ordinary level secondary school curriculum.
i will appreciate any activities or resources that enhance my learners’ appreciation of this great work.
thanks.
I’m trying to put together a plan covering Animal Farm with my 8th graders. I’d love it if you would share your quizzes. Thank you so much for sharing!
Betsy Venden
Richardson, TX