Name: ___________________
English 10H
Group Presentation Questions: Summer Reading
Below you will find discussion questions based on your summer reading assignment (Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451).
Each book is followed by a series of questions. You will be assigned to a group to answer the questions based on one
work. After thoroughly completing the questions, you will present your answers to the class in a group presentation
complete with visual aids. You will receive a grade for your group presentation based on the attached rubric. Be sure to
examine the rubric before you are finished with the presentation! Your presentation grade will count the same as an essay
or test. You are responsible for taking notes on both books during the presentations. You will be tested on both books
after the presentations.
GROUP #1
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. Describe the following characters, their traits, their motivations, and their conflicts: Napoleon, Snowball, Boxer,
Clover, Squealer, Old Major, Mollie, Moses, Benjamin, the sheep (as a group), the dogs (as a group). Use quotes to
support your explanations.
a.) From whose point of view is the story told?
b.) What is the significance of point of view in the novella?
2. The novella works as a children’s animal fable, a satire, and an allegory. A fable is a short, simple story, usually with
animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth. In a satire, the writer attacks a serious issue by presenting it in a
ridiculous light or otherwise poking fun at it through irony, satire, or ridicule. This usually involves both moral judgment
and a desire to help improve a custom, belief, or tradition. An allegory is a narrative that can be read on more than one
level, in which a character, idea, or event also stands for something else.
a.) How is Animal Farm a fable?
b.) How is Animal Farm a satire? What does it satirize?
c.) How is Animal Farm an allegory? (See question 3)
3. How do the various characters in the novel symbolize their counterparts in the Russian Revolution? Explain your
answers. NOTE: You may need to do research to answer this question.
4. As you know, a symbol is word or object that stands for something else in literature; character and place names can be
symbols as well as objects and events. Name at least four symbols in the book (in addition to the allegorical symbols
explained in question #3) and explain the significance of each.
5. Create a visual aid to support your answers to questions #1-4. This may be a Power Point or a series of posters. Your
visual aid should include important quotes (with page #s) in addition to visual images. Make sure your visual aid can be
easily seen/read by your classroom audience. Be prepared to discuss the meaning of the quotes and images you have
chosen.
GROUP #2
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. Name each of the commandments Major gives the animals.
a.) Can you think of ways each of them could be related to a vice?
b.) In what ways does Animalism mirror Socialism? What might Orwell be trying
to say by showing its failure on Animal Farm?
2. There are three types of irony in the play: dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the
audience knows more than a particular character or characters. Verbal irony is irony that is spoken. Situational irony is
irony that arises out of a particular situation. Give one or more examples of each type of irony in the play.
3. A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory, but actually makes sense. [Example: "Cowards die many times
before their deaths." –Julius Caesar] An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory
ideas. [Example: “jumbo shrimp”].
a.) Give an example of a paradox in the novella and explain why it is a paradox.
b.) BONUS: Find an oxymoron in the book, or create one that describes a character.
4. A motif is a recurring idea or image in a work of literature. Two important motifs in Animal Farm are education and
language.
a.) Discuss the importance of these motifs as they evolve during the course of the novella.
What is Orwell saying about each?
b.) Address the distinctions that may be made between education and indoctrination. What is the difference between
the two? How do we see this in the book?
c.) What other motifs can you identify in the work? Name at least two others.
5. A theme is a main idea or subject explored in a literary work. What themes can you identify in Animal Farm? Name
at least four and explain how each theme is developed. [Remember: A literary theme is a statement expressing the purpose
of a work, not just a single word or phrase. Example: Money does not buy happiness.]
6. Create a visual aid to support your answers to questions #1-5. This may be a Power Point or a series of posters. Your
visual aid should include important quotes (with page #s) in addition to visual images. Make sure your visual aid can be
easily seen/read by your classroom audience. Be prepared to discuss the meaning of the quotes and images you have
chosen.
GROUP #3
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1. Our identity is continually shaped, even as we grow older. Discuss the concept of identity in Fahrenheit 451.
Characterize Guy Montag, Millie, Clarisse, Faber, and Beatty. What factors shaped their identities? Are they dynamic or
static characters? What are their various motivations and conflicts? Use specific examples and quotations whenever
possible.
2. Science fiction is literature that explores technological and societal change. Science fiction is often based on scientific
principles and technology. It may make predictions about life in the future or comment on important issues in society.
a.) What elements make Fahrenheit 451 a science fiction novel? Name at least three.
3. Both verbal and situational irony are used in Fahrenheit 451. (See definitions above in Group #2, question #2.)
a.) Find examples of both.
b.) What is Bradbury’s purpose in employing irony?
4. In the fictional world where Montag lives, books, like education, are considered dangerous. Why? Use specific
examples and quotations to back up your answer.
5. Create a visual aid to support your answers to questions #1-4. This may be a Power Point or a series of posters. Your
visual aid should include important quotes (with page #s) in addition to visual images. Make sure your visual aid can be
easily seen/read by your classroom audience. Be prepared to discuss the meaning of the quotes and images you have
chosen.
GROUP #4
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1. What makes Montag rebel? Consider the quote on p.55, in which Montag says:
“Let you alone! That’s all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be alone.
We need to be really bothered once in awhile. How long is it since you were really bothered? About
something important, about something real?”
a.) What does Montag mean by this quote?
b.) Explain its relevance to the themes of the book.
c.) How does it relate the various quarter themes (Identity, Culture and Diversity, Perspectives, Journeys) we will
be exploring this year?
2. What is the meaning of (and symbolism behind) the various section titles: The Hearth and the Salamander, The Sieve
and the Sand, Burning Bright?
3. Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953, but remains very relevant today.
a.) What does Fahrenheit 451 suggest about the power of media and government?
b.) Do you think this kind of world is possible? To what extent is it happening today? Explain.
c.) BONUS: Find a contemporary example or recent news item that relates to Fahrenheit 451.
4. As you know, an allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, or thing. Discuss some of the many allusions made
in Fahrenheit 451. Why are they important in this novel? Name and explain at least three.
5. A theme is a main idea or subject explored in a literary work. What themes can you identify in Fahrenheit 451? Name
at least four and explain how each is developed. [Remember: A literary theme is a statement expressing the purpose of a
work, not just a single word. Example: Money does not buy happiness.]
6. Create a visual aid to support your answers to questions #1-5. This may be a Power Point or a series of posters. Your
visual aid should include important quotes (with page #s) in addition to visual images. Make sure your visual aid can be
easily seen/read by your classroom audience. Be prepared to discuss the meaning of the quotes and images you have
chosen.
Summer Reading Presentation Rubric
Group #: ________ Group Members:
Taskmaster: __________________________
Timekeeper: ____________________________
Visual Aid Organizer: ___________________ Note-taker: ____________________________
Quote Finder(s): ________________________________________________________________
Presentation Rubric
In-depth coverage of topic
Was the topic fully addressed in a thorough and
meaningful way?
Effective support of ideas through quotes and other
specific references
Were the group’s ideas supported through textual
examples?
Relevance and accuracy of information
Was the information accurate and relevant to the
discussion?
Planning of presentation
Was there evidence that the group spent time in planning
and preparing the presentation?
Group collaboration and effort
Did the group work effectively together during class time,
with each student playing a role?
Participation of all group members in presentation
Was everyone in the group involved in presenting the
materials to the class?
Clear and useful communication and visual aids
Did the visual aid(s) enhance the presentation in a
meaningful way?
Appropriate voice projection and eye contact
Did the presenters address the class effectively (without
reading notes or reciting memorized lines)?
FINAL GRADE: ____________________________
COMMENTS:
Excellent
90-100
Good
80-89
Fair
70-79
Poor
69 and
below