Animal Farm Chapter 4 Press Release Assignment (Battle of the Cowshed)

Immerse students in the pivotal Battle of the Cowshed scene from Animal Farm with this engaging creative writing activity. Learners will take on the perspective of one of the animal factions to draft their own one-page press release detailing the clash between Snowball’s forces and Mr. Jones’ humans from their biased point of view. Developed to enrich study of perspective and propaganda in the novel, this assignment promotes analyzing author motive, crafting persuasive language, and recognizing unreliable narration. A rubric is included to set expectations for elements like voice, word choice, spin, and discussion of implications. Comparing press releases will reveal how complex events can be misrepresented to suit different agendas. This critical thinking exercise enables students to walk in the animals’ shoes while improving their persuasive writing abilities.