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1st 6 weeks 1st Semester

Above: The type of poster the citizens of Oceania would never be able to escape from.  Just the mere thought that Big Brother was able to watch every move they made instilled enough fear to promote perfect behavior from all citizens.

Above: A military-like leader yells out to all the citizens of Oceania during hate week. Pictures of Emmanuel Goldstein, the traitor to the party would often flash on the screen, causing the crowd to go wild. Little do the citizens understand that they are being constantly brainwashed.

  Monday May 4th- Friday May 8th

(Week 2 of Senior speeches: make sure you're prepared!)

Due THIS lab day: Senior speeches. You should have read through page 185 in the novel 1984. Page due on Winston & Julia's relationship.

In-Class: We will begin with those people presenting their speeches first. There will also be a test on the pages assigned from your novel.  If there is time remaining, we will have a discussion on the novel in class for worth points, so be prepared to discuss!

Assignments: Continue preparing your senior speech, if you are due in the next 2 weeks. The list is once again, below. Please be sure you are here on the date assigned. Failure to show will result in an automatic loss of 25% of the grade. 

Continue reading the novel, 1984 up to page 245.  There may be a test on this info. next week. 

Links:  A break-down of events and characters in the novel, 1984. This may help in your understanding.

         George Orwell Resources

         Background that explains English Socialism

         Internet Links & Resources on 1984. 

Background Information: Taken from: www.cryingvoice.com/Endtimes/ Mark11.html
The government lets us believe that all surveillance and tracking is for "our benefit" and to protect us. We are also told that even if we don't like this system, there is nothing we can do against it. A free monthly Canadian computer & Internet newspaper, called Ottawa Computes!, published the following article in January 1997: Big Brother watches us all, by David Rosen.

In Orwell's dark satire, 1984, the population is watched constantly by an omniscient government... Couldn't happen here, right? Not so fast... 

Did you know that all credit-card companies track your every purchase on an hourly basis? The companies say they do this for two reasons: preventing fraud and target marketing to customers. 

If you live or travel in Ontario, you can try out the new ETR 407 Highway, "Canada's First Express Toll Route." Instead of dropping quarters into a basket, you can have the government monitor where you go along the highway and then automatically debit money from your bank account. Don't want to sign up? No problem, the highway has cameras trained on your license plate and happily snaps a picture of your car. In a few weeks, you get a bill in the mail. Not planning on driving on Highway 407? Don't worry. Other major streets and highways across Canada are being monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Welcome to the world of privacy, Orwell style. 

Been out walking in any mall, bank, subway station, or other "public" place recently? You've probably been caught on camera. Some Canadian cities, such as Hull, have surveillance cameras strung up on high poles to combat crime... 

Don't call your broker, banker, or anyone else in a large company, though. They often record all incoming calls "for training purposes."... If you're thinking about using a cell phone or even one of those fancy cordless models, you should know that any 13-year old kid with a $200 scanner from Radio Shack (and a bit of patience) can listen in on your phone call. 

Thinking about sending e-mail? Think again. Hackers can read any e-mail message they want. Also, don't forget that the courts have decided that your employer owns your work e-mail accounts and can snoop your files without telling you... 

So relax, Big Brother isn't just watching you. He's watching all of us.

Speech Schedule: