KG

Although she appears to be relaxed, only I am able to recognize just how uncomfortable my mother, Karyn, is. She instinctively runs her fingers through her hair and I watch as her cheeks grow to the color of a light crimson. Ah, now I see where I get it. My mother detests public speaking, even when the person she is speaking in front of is her daughter. Karyn reluctantly agreed to be interviewed shortly after my uncle declined. However, at the same time, I was expecting her hesitation because my grandfather, [|Harold], was a war veteran of WWII and recently died just two years ago. Karyn braced herself for the first question. In an attempt to look relaxed she swiftly crossed her legs and leaned into the office chair. Her foot bounced to the rhythm of the soft music playing behind her and her hands intertwined with one another. “Okay”, she looked at me dead on, “I’m ready.” Interested in the source of my mother’s anxiety, I questioned how her life was during the war. I wanted to start off with a straightforward, simple question to ease my mother’s nerves. It seemed they still had the best of her when she responded, “[|Vietnam] took place during most of my middle school and high school years. Some of my best friends in high school were constantly worried that their older brothers were going to be drafted. It seemed as if the war would never end and eventually my parents were worried my brothers would be drafted too.” She twisted a small piece of hair between her fingers. Karyn looked at me and began to chuckle. She went on to explain an ongoing joke her mother, Barbara, shared with the rest of the family: [|Canada]. "She always said that if this thing [the war] keeps going I swear we're moving up to Canada to hide them". But - with her father being the proud navy man he was - would never allow it. If any of the men from the family were [|drafted], not only were they expected to fight but they were expected to fight with pride. Harold was a [|WWII] veteran; days after graduation (lying about his age) he enlisted in the army. It did not come as a shock when Karyn described his attitude toward the war, more specifically, the treatment of the soldiers. media type="youtube" key="PejQcSQo0RI" height="349" width="425" My mother shook her head in disgust, obviously, agreeing with her father. “Poppy (as he was known to his grandchildren) couldn’t stand how the soldiers were treated when they came back from Vietnam.” Faint tears began to form in her eyes. “No respect, no honor, he found it sickening.” My grandfather had taken such pride in the fact he had fought for his country; he believed the soldiers of Vietnam shouldn’t have to be ashamed of the war they fought. They still fought for our country and they were still heroes. “The only way we knew how to support them was to buy a [|POW bracelet]”, Karyn went on to explain, “I was so young and felt so helpless and these bracelets were the only way I knew how to help”. POW stands for “prisoner of war” and the bracelets became very popular during Vietnam. The bracelet is a simple metal band engraved with the name of a soldier that had been captured. Of course, my mother remembered the name of her soldier, “Steven” she managed to say through a thick throat. “My siblings and I would check the paper everyday to see if our soldiers were still alive. Mine died, Steven died.” Karyn’s vivid memories even brought tears to my own eyes. The Vietnam War was a constant throughout her childhood and she was too young to form her own opinion. When asked about her beliefs during the war and now, my mother becomes slightly embarrassed and crosses her arms over her chest. “I was too naive to form my own opinion, opinions were floating all around me at school. I guess I had just decided to go along with whatever the older kids thought or said. Even though war coverage was on the TV constantly, it wasn’t a dinner table discussion and to be honest, I cared more about the [|Brady Bunch] than the war at that age.” Even though Karyn may not have known all the facts surrounding the war she was certainly emotionally connected to the soldiers and the situation. The fact that she remembers the soldier on her POW bracelet shows just how much my mother cared even when she felt powerless in such a situation. My grandfather’s immense pride for our country was shared throughout the family and translated directly through my mother.

=1984 Lesson Plans= = = =Book One=

**What the students understand afterwards:**

 * How the development of new technology can be beneficial or harmful.
 * Students are able to relate the new developments from today to the technology in the novel 1984.

**Main Standard:**

 * STANDARD 3.5 (Viewing and media literacy) All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts and resources.
 * STANDARD 3.4 (Listening) All students will listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations.

**Materials Needed and Technology Used:**

 * Laptop
 * Links (Blog and articles)
 * Wikispace
 * 1984 Sound Clip

**Opening Activity Description:**
http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/media/128k/1984-Morning.mp3
 * I will present the students with a sound clip from the movie 1984 (Wake up call-Good Morning, Oceania). This clip will introduce the technology in the novel and the invasion of privacy.

**Middle/Main Activity Description:**
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/02/does-the-techno.html (Technology from the book) http://www.mmdnewswire.com/new-spy-technology-llows-listening-your-cverstis-when-your-phe-is-switched-f-1948-3.html http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-tech-observer/2008/06/26/bar-codes-inventing-a-major-invasion-of-privacy (2 links: Technology today)
 * Students will compare the technology in 1984 used to spy on the peple to the new developments today. Is the new technology today essentially doing the same thing? Or is it different and if so how? Students will use the links to support their answers.

Closing Activity Description:

 * Together students will decide whether or not the technology in the novel 1984 and today are causing more bad than good.

=**Book Two**=

** What the students understand afterwards: **

 * Students listen and use the song about rebellion to relate it to that in 1984.
 * Decide in which ways Winston rebells against the government.


 * STANDARD 3.5 (Viewing and media literacy) All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts and resources.

** Materials Needed and Technology Used: **

 * Laptop
 * Song
 * Lyrics
 * Dictionary Link

** Opening Activity Description: **
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgwthh2z_4z6546n64&hl=en
 * Students will listen to the song while looking at the lyrics and discuss how it relates to 1984 and the protagonist.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebellion
 * Students will express their individual definition of rebellion. After forming their own ideas, together we will look at Webster Dictionary's definition of the term and questions will follow.
 * In what ways do Winston and Julia rebel against society?
 * Do you think they make any kind of impact, in their lives or others?

** Closing Activity Description: **

 * After having the chance to express their own ideas about rebellion and look up the world wide known definition, students will tie together the different interpretations of rebellion and connect it with the characters in 1984.

=****Book Three****=

**** What the students understand afterwards: ****

 * How the different reactions to fear can cause people to react.
 * Fear is universal and affects everyone


 * STANDARD 3.5 (Viewing and media literacy) All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts and resources.

**** Materials Needed and Technology Used: ****

 * Laptop
 * Wikispace
 * Links

**** Opening Activity Description: ****
http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/13/most-common-fears-forbeslife-cx_avd_1214commonfears.html
 * I will ask the students to write down what their biggest fear is. If they feel comfortable, they are welcome to share with everyone, what their fears are. After writing their own fears, students will guess what other common fears among people are.
 * Students will then go to the link.


 * After reading the article, students will answer questions:
 * How do people react when they are afraid? Does this justify Winston's decision to betray Julia?
 * How does this relate to Winston? To the others that have visited room 101 "the worst thing in the world"? And how does it connect them?
 * http://health.howstuffworks.com/fear2.htm
 * If you couldn't before, can you now see why Winston made that instinctive decision?

**** Closing Activity Description: ****

 * Together, students will be able to understand Winston's decision making due to their new-found knowledge of fear. A thought provoking question will be asked: If in Winston's situation, would you too betray a loved one?