Animal Farm Post-Reading Creative Writing Assignment: What Would Old Major say?

After reading Animal Farm, challenge your middle or high school students to imagine they are Old Major who returns to see the horrific aftermath of his rousing speech. Old Major Reacts: Animal Farm Creative Writing Assignment asks students to pretend Old Major has come back to life and gets to see the result of his vision for Animal Farm. Students have a choice of 5 creative writing products to compose, including a diary entry, editorial letter, conversation between animals, short story, or poem from Old Major's perspective. A detailed rubric is included to assess if students properly grasp Old Major's original vision and the ultimate corruption of that vision under Napoleon. This creative writing activity, available as an adaptable Google Doc, helps students reflect more deeply on the plot and themes. It can be easily assigned for distance learning or in the classroom. The resource develops critical thinking, creativity, and writing skills.