When you have finished the webquest and are done with the closure activity, your next task is to read through my favorite short story of all time, George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant in Burma." You can use the PDF below, which has a lot of literary supports (words are defined, higher level thinking questions are asked), or you can use just the document below, which contains only text. As you read, please fill out the study guide below. Come to class ready to discuss this incredible short story!
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Semi-related: here's a fun picture of an elephant impaling a water buffalo. Now just imagine that thing clad in armor and spikes and charging at you... that's why people used war elephants. Once gunpowder came about, these elephants became less important in battle, but Indians still used them for transportation in warfare up until World War II. As a result of the widespread use of war elephants, many Indian forts constructed their entrance to be on top of a large slope, with a 90-or-so degree angle and tunnel the enemy fighters must turn down before getting to a large door with spikes. These were all there to deter the charging elephants - the animal would tire galloping up a steep slope, and would not be able to turn in time to effectively break down the fort doors.