English 9
Name ________________________________
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 symbolize
actual historical figures and the plot events symbolize real historical events. The purpose of this web quest is to
research the historical figures and events so that you can understand the story underneath the story. Your task
is simple – visit each website, read the article on each site, come and get the Web Questions, and answer the
questions by reviewing the websites.
Part I: George Orwell
Read the two biographies of George Orwell to gain a deeper understanding of his life, environment, and writing.
Then, use the sites to answer the questions.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jorwell.htm
http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html
Part II: Nicholas II
Read the two biographies of Nicholas II and his reign as the last tsar of Russia. Then, use the sites to answer the
questions.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtsar.htm
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/AlexPalaceNRbio.html
Part III: Socialism, Communism, Karl Marx, and Leon Trotsky
Use the following websites to answer the questions about these men and their philosophies.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-socialism.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-communism.htm
http://www.whatquote.com/quotes/Karl-Marx/24493-Workers-of-the-world.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUmarx.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUStrotsky.htm
Part IV: Joseph Stalin
Use the following sites to learn about “one of the most powerful and murderous dictators in history.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stalin_joseph.shtml
http://www.johndclare.net/Russ12.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/secret.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/stalinism-the-use-of-propaganda-by-joseph-stalin.html
Part V: The Allegory
Use the following sites to fill in the allegory chart.
http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/articles/col-afcp.htm
http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/go-animal_farm.html