Unit 2: Power, Propaganda & the Art of Persuasion

how propaganda shapes what people believe during times of political upheaval.

how rhetorical techniques and control of information can advance or undermine a revolution's ideals.

how revolutions can begin with powerful principles and still fall short of them, as Orwell explores through allegory.

how American and Russian revolutionary history offer parallel cases for analyzing power and persuasion.

how to identify persuasive techniques and evaluate the strength of an argument.

Analyze how Orwell uses allegory to represent the Russian Revolution, tracing cause-and-effect in power shifts and the corruption of ideals.

Evaluate the rhetorical and symbolic strategies used in propaganda—including repetition, fear, and symbol—and how they shape belief and behavior.

Compare the American and Russian revolutions to identify patterns in how revolutionary movements begin, evolve, and sometimes betray their original goals.

Write a structured argument with a clear claim, textual evidence, and reasoning to defend a position on power, persuasion, or revolution.

How do propaganda and rhetorical techniques—including repetition, fear, and symbol—shape what people believe and how they behave?

How does Orwell use Animal Farm's characters and language to show how propaganda operates within a system of power?

What caused the Russian Revolution—and how did its ideals shift as new leaders gained power?

How do the American and Russian revolutions compare, and what does Orwell suggest about how revolutions can go wrong?

Investigation 1: How do propaganda and rhetorical techniques influence what people believe and how they act?

Investigation 2: Why do revolutions rise, and why do some end up betraying their own ideals?