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Stacey
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 Lesson Plan One
1 UNDERSTANDING ALLEGORY
Step One [5 mins]
OBJECTIVES Start the lesson by reading the fable “The Tortoise and the Hare” to the class.
Understanding the allegorical
nature of Animal Farm is vital, Step Two [10 mins]
in order for students to be able Hold a class discussion to unpack the meaning of this fable. Use the following questions to help
to critically analyze the novel. guide the conversation, but note that there are no right or wrong answers expected: this should
Therefore, this lesson prepares just generate thought and discussion.
them for unpacking the deeper
symbolism of the text.
AA Who/what does the hare represent? And the tortoise?
AA Is this just a story for children? Why or why not?
AA What is the ‘moral’ of the story? (What, indeed, is a moral?)
CLASSROOM LAYOUT
AA Why tell a story such as this one? Why not just outline the moral to people?
AA Why use animals and not people?
Students seated
NOTE: Students may have differing opinions on the moral of the story; that’s fine. Really, you just want
individually
to stimulate discussion and get students thinking about how fables are allegorical.

Step Three [5 mins]

PRE-LESSON Teach students about ‘Allegory.’ Use the following to guide your teaching.
PLANNING
Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in
RR Make sure you have a copy a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The
of ‘The Tortoise and The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters
Hare’, and ‘The Fox and the are often personifications of abstract ideas, such as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an
Crow’ (they have both been
allegory is a story with two meanings; a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.
included).
RR Print copies of each of the Explain that many allegories use animals to represent human characters, vices, types of people or
following worksheets (one qualities of human nature.
per student):
►► Allegorical Meaning of Step Four [10 mins]
Animals Hand out the worksheet “The Allegorical Meaning of Animals” and instruct students to work
►► Unpacking Fables through it in pairs, filling it in as comprehensively as possible.
Once completed, hold a class discussion and discuss what the students have decided for the
animals. Some might have slightly different answers – this doesn’t matter, as long as they all
identify that there are human qualities often ascribed to animals (dog – loyalty, lion – bravery, owl
– wisdom etc.).

Step Five [10 mins]

Read the fable, “The Fox and the Crow” to students BUT don’t read the final line – get the
students to see if they can guess what the piece of advice was! Then discuss: If it is an allegory,
what is the literal meaning, and what is the symbolic meaning?
*Note: If you want to mix it up, you could play videos of these fables – just search YouTube; they are all there.

HOMEWORK
Step Six [20 mins]
Hand out the worksheet “Unpacking Fables,” and instruct students to work on this individually –
Complete the “Unpacking
this should help cement their understanding of the double meanings in allegorical stories.
Fables” worksheet.

© STACEY LLOYD 2018

Aesop’s FABLES Aesop (620 – 564 BCE) was a Greek
storyteller credited with a number of fables now
collectively known as Aesop's Fables. While no
original writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries. Many of the tales are
characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics.

[These stories accompany Lesson One]

The Tortoise & The Hare

Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing
tortoise for its slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: “Who do you think you are? There’s no
denying you’re swift, but even you can be beaten!” The hare squealed with laughter.
“Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there’s nobody in the world that can win against me, I’m so
speedy. Now, why don’t you try?”
Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn
they stood at the starting line. The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw
how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. “Take your time!” he said. “I’ll
have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute.”
The hare woke with a start from a fitful sleep and gazed round, looking for the tortoise. But the creature was only
a short distance away, having barely covered a third of the course. Breathing a sigh of relief, the hare decided he might
as well have breakfast too, and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy
meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he
decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post. And smiling at the thought of the look on the
tortoise’s face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily. The sun started to sink,
below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a
yard from the finish. At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and
away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and
he’d be first at the finish. But the hare’s last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post.

The Fox & the Crow

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.
“That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.
“Good day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your
eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you
that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.”
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of
cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.
“That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the
future: (pause reading here for learners to guess the advice!) “Do not trust flatterers.”

© STACEY LLOYD 2018

The ALLEGORICAL Meanings
See if you can determine the commonly accepted allegorical meanings of
the following animals. Fill in the table as comprehensively as possible.
of Animals
Animal Characteristic / Quality

Donkey

Pig

Fox

Owl

Bull

Crow

Cat

Lion

Wolf

Chicken

Dog

Eagle

Can you think

of any others?

© STACEY LLOYD 2018



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Donkey Often represents stubbornness or an inability to change. Can also symbolize laziness.

Pigs are often associated with unclean living quarters, and are thus often representative of
Pig a lack of manners . Similarly, due to their eating, they often symbolize gluttony.

Fox Symbolic of cleverness, but usually for mean, selfish purposes: cunning.

Owl In fables and stories, the owl often represents knowledge or wisdom.

Bull Due to its size and strength, the bull often represents virility or aggression.

The crow is often symbolic of misfortune or death: the sound that a crow makes is often
Crow heard as onimous, signifying bad news.

Cat A few different things possible: curiosity, cleverness, suspicion.

As often seen as the ‘king’ of the jungle, lions often represent nobility. They can also be
Lion symbolic of pride or valor.

Wolf Wolves are often seen as guardians, and thus can symbolize loyalty and protection.

In everyday language, people are often called a ‘chicken’ to indicate that they are
Chicken cowardly or that they lack courage.

Dog As man’s best friend, dogs are often seen as representing loyalty, or friendship.

Eagles are often seen as majestic, and this they have become symbolic of stateliness, or
Eagle pride.

Can you think

of any others?

© STACEY LLOYD 2018

 Can you understand the following ALLEGORIES? See if you can identify the literal and the
Unpacking FABLES symbolic meanings of these fables, all written by Aesop (6th Century BC).

The Wolf & Lamb

1. What/who does the lamb represent?
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what
should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“There's my supper,” thought he, “if only I can find some excuse to seize it.” Then he 2. Rewrite the moral in your own words:
called out to the Lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”
3. How can this moral be helpful to society today?
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”
“That cannot be,” said the Lamb; “I am only six months old.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“I don’t care,” snarled the Wolf; “if it was not you it was your father;” and with that he _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Any excuse will serve a tyrant.”

1. What is the moral of this story? The Dog & His Reflection
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and
2. Do you agree with the symbolic meaning of the story? Explain why or why not. saw himself reflected in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own.
If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a stupid Dog he had been.

The Fox & Grapes

1. What is the moral of this story?
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along
the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice and the Fox’s mouth _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
watered as he gazed longingly at them. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he 2. Describe a situation in society today in which you might see the same reaction as the fox.
jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.
Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
grapes that are not worth gaping for.” And off he walked very, very scornfully. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© STACEY LLOYD 2018

 SU
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The Wolf & Lamb
1. What/who does the lamb represent?
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what
should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The lamb may represent innocence, reason, or truth.
“There's my supper,” thought he, “if only I can find some excuse to seize it.” Then he 2. Rewrite the moral in your own words:
called out to the Lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This fable serves to show that when those in power wish to
“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
commit evil, they will find any justification: even lies.
cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”
3. How can this moral be helpful to society today?
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”
“That cannot be,” said the Lamb; “I am only six months old.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Student’s own opinion.]
“I don’t care,” snarled the Wolf; “if it was not you it was your father;” and with that he _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Any excuse will serve a tyrant.”

1. What is the moral of this story? The Dog & His Reflection
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We should not allow comparision to rob us of our joy or A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
satisfaction in life / We should be content with what we have. fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and
2. Do you agree with the symbolic meaning of the story? Explain why or why not. saw himself reflected in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Student’s own opinion.; however it must be fully explained saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own.
If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
and backed up with reasons] dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a stupid Dog he had been.

The Fox & Grapes

1. What is the moral of this story?
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along
the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice and the Fox’s mouth _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We often hate what we cannot have, and find reasons to
watered as he gazed longingly at them. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
justify our not obtaining, or going after, what we desire.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he 2. Describe a situation in society today in which you might see the same reaction as the fox.
jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Student’s own opinion.]
leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.
Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
grapes that are not worth gaping for.” And off he walked very, very scornfully. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© STACEY LLOYD 2018