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Inquiries Filed Under:

Government Surveillance

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About the inquiry

Written for an English class reading 1984, this inquiry is meant to be investigated by students after reading the novel. This inquiry challenges students to evaluate Orwell’s description of surveillance and determine if it is becoming a reality.

Compelling Question

Is Orwell’s Vision of Surveillance Becoming a Reality?

Staging Question

Analyze Orwell’s 1984 book covers throughout the years by discussing in small groups: Which of these covers best captures the theme of surveillance? Discuss your answers as a class.

1
Supporting Question

What is Surveillance?

Formative Tasks

Create a wall of words that you associate with the ‘surveillance’. Create a class definition of ‘surveillance’ using the wall of words.

Sources

Source A: Definitions of Surveillance

2
Supporting Question

How does surveillance affect our reality?

Formative Tasks

Select an article (China, Iceland, US, North Korea) about surveillance in a specific country and write a list of ways the country surveils its citizens. Rank countries from most surveilled to least.

Sources

Source A: Surveillance in China, Excerpted article from NPR (7 Sept. 2022).
Source B: Surveillance in Iceland, Excepted article from Packetderm, LLC
Source C: Surveillance in US, Excepted article from NIH, (2022)
Source D: Surveillance in North Korea, Excerpted article from Stimson Center (2024, April 16).

3
Supporting Question

In what ways did Orwell correctly predict surveillance today?

Formative Tasks

Select a quote from 1984 that best supports the claim: Did Orwell correctly predict surveillance today and write a paragraph about why it best represents surveillance today.

Sources

Source A: Quote cards from Orwell’s 1984

4
Supporting Question

How did Orwell get surveillance wrong?

Formative Tasks

Select a quote from 1984 that best supports the claim: Orwell got surveillance wrong and write a paragraph about how he failed to predict surveillance today.

Sources

Source A: Quote cards from Orwell’s 1984

Summative Performance Task

Argument: Did Orwell get the future right? Construct an essay that compares Orwell’s predicted future to the world today using specific claims and relevant evidence, while acknowledging competing views.

Extension: Watch Garrett Langley’s TEDTalk about founding Flock cameras and the video timeline on the growth of Flock Cameras. Then, explore the Flock camera map. Considering 1984, the articles, and the sources explored today, write a new motto for the Oceania government if they existed today.

Taking Informed Action

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