Description
Explore themes of surveillance, control, and rebellion in 1984 using this song analysis lesson and activity! Practice annotating with the worksheets and graphic organizers provided. Suitable for distance learning with digital worksheets for Google Classroom®.
Included with this 1984 Themes Lesson:
- Analyzing Music Lyrics Slideshow Lesson – Google Slides®, Microsoft PowerPoint®, and PDF
- Explore themes in music and lyrics
- Define key terms related to poetry and lyricism
- Teach the annotation process to demonstrate how to analyze song lyrics
- Practice using the song “Uprising” by Muse
- Song Lyric Analysis Activity Instructions – Digital & Print
- Song Lyric Analysis Practice Activity – Digital & Print
- Song Lyric Analysis Graphic Organizer – Digital & Print
- Song Lyric Analysis Worksheets – Digital & Print
- Annotating Music Lyrics Bookmark – Digital & Print
- 1984 Extension Activities – Digital & Print
- Detailed Answer Keys
- Teacher Instructions for using these resources
How to use this George Orwell’s 1984 Themes Lesson:
Make connections between your language arts curriculum and your students’ personal interests with this lesson! Students will explore 1984 Themes by analyzing song lyrics related to surveillance, control, and rebellion. Music is a powerful medium for expressing resistance and exploring societal issues, making it an engaging way to help students connect Orwell’s dystopian vision to their own world. By drawing connections between literature and contemporary music, students can better understand how the 1984 Themes of oppression, state control, and ideological influence continue to manifest in modern society. This lesson not only deepens their literary analysis skills but also encourages them to think critically about the messages conveyed through popular culture.
You can begin this lesson with the Analyzing Music Lyrics Slideshow Lesson. This lesson explores the relationship between poetry and music and demonstrates how to annotate song lyrics in order to come to a deeper understanding of a song. Since poetry and song lyrics share similar literary devices—such as symbolism, repetition, and figurative language—this activity reinforces close reading skills in a way that feels relevant and engaging to students. To model the close reading and annotation process, students will practice using song lyrics for the song “Uprising” by Muse. This song serves as a perfect example of 1984 Themes, as it speaks to resistance against oppressive forces, the fight for freedom, and the power of collective uprising—ideas that closely mirror the struggles faced by Winston and other characters in Orwell’s novel.
Students will then practice annotating and analyzing the song lyrics to a song of their choice using the Song Lyric Analysis Activity. This hands-on approach allows students to take ownership of their learning by selecting a song that resonates with them while still drawing connections to 1984 Themes. The Song Lyric Analysis Graphic Organizer will help them structure their thoughts, encouraging them to identify literary devices, analyze the song’s deeper meaning, and link its message to Orwellian concepts. The Song Lyric Analysis Worksheets will also prompt students to summarize their analysis and explicitly connect their song’s themes to 1984 Themes such as propaganda, loss of individual freedoms, and rebellion against oppressive authority. By making these connections, students will see how Orwell’s warnings about totalitarianism continue to hold relevance today.
Students can use their Annotating Music Lyrics Bookmark as a personal anchor chart while they read, annotate, and write about music lyrics independently. This two-sided bookmark scaffolds the close reading process by offering step-by-step instructions to annotate lyrics, along with extension activities and guidance for writing a close reading response. Having this resource on hand empowers students to engage with 1984 Themes independently and at their own pace, fostering deeper analysis and personal reflection. The bookmark also reinforces essential skills in literary criticism, helping students break down complex texts and make meaningful connections to their everyday lives.
One fun way to consolidate this activity is to host a listening party! Students can then present their song and their analysis to their classmates. This interactive component brings the lesson to life, allowing students to share their insights and hear how others have interpreted similar 1984 Themes through music. To facilitate the listening party, you can have students create their own playlist using the Playlist Compilation Handout. This activity encourages collaboration and exposes students to a variety of musical interpretations of control, surveillance, and rebellion. There are also discussion prompts included in the Analysis Worksheets that can be used to further consolidate ideas and ensure that students engage in meaningful conversations about how 1984 Themes are reflected in modern music.
A variety of extension activities have been provided with this lesson. Students can write a Compare and Contrast paragraph, a Reflective Journal Entry, a Research Presentation, or their own Song Lyrics and Poetry to explore 1984 Themes of surveillance, control, and rebellion. These activities encourage students to think creatively while deepening their understanding of Orwell’s message. Writing their own lyrics or poetry, for example, allows them to step into the role of an artist responding to oppression, much like musicians who use their platforms to challenge authority. Through research presentations, they can investigate real-world examples of government control, propaganda, or mass surveillance, drawing direct connections to Orwell’s warnings. By offering multiple ways to engage with 1984 Themes, this lesson ensures that all students can find a meaningful and personal way to connect with the novel’s enduring relevance.
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⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
