KS3 ENGLISH

Animal Farm

YEAR 9 CYCLE 1- BOOKLET 1

Name : ________________________________
Class: _________________________________
Teacher: _______________________________
Knowledge Organiser Animal Farm

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Knowledge Organiser

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 Assessment

What will I learn?

In this unit you study the Literary Heritage text Animal Farm. You will build on the work you did
on Shakespeare by learning how we can integrate context further into our analysis and
understanding. You will learn about political ideologies of Capitalism, Communism and
Socialism, alongside understanding how Literature can help to convey political ideas. Alongside
this, you will continue to build your skills of analysis, exploring the language and structure of a
book, and then evaluate how this helps to create meaning. You will work on your essay writing
skills. You will learn how to construct a thesis, develop your analytical writing paragraphs so you
explore layers of meaning and how you can trace an argument through an essay.

Assessment Points:

Mid Assessment Point: Week 5

How does Orwell present fear as a way of control in the novel Animal Farm?

Final Assessment: Week 11

How does Orwell present corruption by the pigs in the novel Animal Farm?

Assessment Objectives:

A01 Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to:
maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response
use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate
interpretations.

A02 Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create
meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where
appropriate

A03 Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in
which they were written

A04 Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and
effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

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 Assessment

Assessment Mark Scheme

25-30 marks ● Critical, exploratory, conceptualised response to task and whole text
● Judicious use of precise references to support interpretation(s)
● Analysis of writer’s methods with subject terminology used judiciously
● Exploration of effects of writer’s methods to create meanings
● Exploration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by specific,
detailed links between context/text/task

21-25 marks ● Thoughtful, developed response to task and whole text

● Apt references integrated into interpretation(s)
● Examination of writer’s methods with subject terminology used effectively
to support consideration of methods
● Examination of effects of writer’s methods to create meanings
● Thoughtful consideration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown
by examination of detailed links between context/text/task

16-20 marks ● Clear, explained response to task and whole text

● Effective use of references to support explanation
● Clear explanation of writer’s methods with appropriate use of relevant
subject terminology
● Understanding of effects of writer’s methods to create meanings
● Clear understanding of ideas/perspectives/ contextual factors shown by
specific links between context/text/task

11-15 marks ● Some explained response to task and whole text

● References used to support a range of relevant comments
● Explained/relevant comments on writer’s methods with some relevant
use of subject terminology
● Identification of effects of writer’s methods to create meanings
● Some understanding of implicit ideas/ perspectives/contextual factors
shown by links between context/text/task

6- 10 marks ● Supported response to task and text

● Comments on references
● Identification of writers’ methods
● Some reference to subject terminology
● Some awareness of implicit ideas/contextual factors

1-5 marks ● Simple comments relevant to task and text

● Reference to relevant detail
● Awareness of writer making choices
● Possible reference to subject terminology
● Simple comment on explicit ideas/contextual factors

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 English: Strength and Target codes
Link your ideas clearly to the question and make sure you have answered the question. What
1 is the big idea you are exploring?

2 Look at your quotation. Have you chosen the most effective one for answering the question?

3 Use a wider range of quotations.

Make sure you have contextualised your quotation. Where is it happening in the book? What
4 is happening in the quotation?

Make sure you have said what the quotation suggests or implies. Don’t just repeat the
5 quotation.

6 Use subject terminology. Mention the word class, or the method the writer is using.

Go deeper and say more. Can you push what the word choices suggest further? Is there
7 another interpretation of the quotation?

8 Add in another quotation to reinforce the idea.

Add in context. Explain why the writer has done this. What did they want the reader to realise
9 or understand? What are they challenging about society?

Academic tone. Remember to embed quotations and use the best academic verbs.
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Feedback highlighters

Great Embed Add

GREEN PINK Re-think BLUE YELLOW
work! evidence detail

Marking for literacy

SPaG Key. You will see and use these codes to correct and improve SPaG in your written work.

Sp P // G
Spelling error Punctuation error New paragraph Grammatical error

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 Literature Essay Template
STEP ONE: The plan

Answer the question: Your response to the question should be the main thread that runs through
your essay. What does the writer do and WHY? What BIG IDEA does it link to?

Point 1 - Linked to question A range of textual evidence relevant to the question and your
point

Point 2 - Following on from A range of textual evidence relevant to the question and your
previous point and LTQ point

Point 3 - Developing on from A range of textual evidence relevant to the question and your
previous point and LTQ point

Point 4 - Extending or A range of textual evidence relevant to the question and your
challenging the previous point point
and LTQ

STEP TWO: The Thesis statement

Context Driven Opening Big idea being Writer’s intention: What is

Clause: Pick an explored: the bigger idea that the
important context fact writer wants us to think
that links with the about?
question.

Influenced by The writer In order challenge

Inspired by to… reveal
Prompted by ● presents… criticise
Motivated by ● explores… expose
Appalled by ● uses his/her argue
Driven by writing to
Due to a widespread challenge…
belief in ● reveals…
Reflecting
his belief
that…

Motivated by a desire to challenge both Capitalist and Communist ideologies, Orwell

presents the character of Napoleon as autocratic, corrupt and cruel in order to
subtly criticise the dictatorship of Stalin in the USSR. 7
STEP THREE: The main academic paragraph. You need to aim for at least three of these, each one
linking back to your thesis.

(Writer’s name) presents (topic) as (big idea) during the (moment in the story) when (what
happens and embed the quotation).

This suggests (inference) which reveals (something important about the topic).

In particular, (writer’s name)’s use of (method/ word class and example) has connotations
of/ highlights/illustrates…
Furthermore the writer also uses…

This is reinforced by (writer’s name)’s use of (quotation) which further implies (something
important about the topic).

Ultimately/ Arguably (writer) is aiming to present/criticise/ challenge (intention/link to

context), in order to (impact on reader).

STEP FOUR: Ultimately paragraph (one at the end to conclude your essay)

Ultimately, the writer conveys the Use the words in the question. What overall comment is
overall idea that… the writer making about society and humanity?

The audience/readership are left What does the writer want the reader to think about
with the lasting impression that … when they finish the story or when they leave the
theatre?

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 Topic Vocabulary
Key Terms Definition Red/ Amber
/ Green
Ostracise To exclude from a society or group.

Democracy A system of government where the people have a say in how the
country is run and who will lead them.

Dictatorship A government where the ruler has ultimate power and control over
the running of the country. (This can often be gained through force
and can include cruel or unfair treatment.)

Communism A classless state where the government owns everything and is

responsible for providing equally for all.

Socialism An ideology where the welfare of people is put above wealth. The
elected government controls the means of production (factories),
minimises the wealth of people through tax, and reinvests money back
into society.
Exploitation Taking advantage of others for personal gain.

Tyrannical Exercising absolute power through force, without the consent of the
people.

Bourgeoisie The middle class.

Allegory A story with a hidden meaning (often political or moral).

Society A large group of people who live alongside each other in an agreed and
organised way.

Ideology A set of beliefs or values that form the basis of how a society is run.

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 Topic Vocabulary
Key Terms Definition Red/ Amber
/ Green
Inference To assess evidence to draw conclusions. You make these decisions
based on the evidence rather than explicit statements.

Rhetoric The art of persuasive speaking or writing.

Propaganda Information, ideas or pictures that only show one side of a

situation. These are spread and discussed to influence people’s
opinions.

Microcosm A small group, society or place that have the same qualities as a
much larger one.

Hierarchy A system in which members of an organisation or society are

ranked according to relative status or authority.
Equality Where all members of a society have the same status, rights,
opportunities and responsibilities.

Anthropomorphism The attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god,

animal, or object.

Corruption Dishonest or illegal behaviour by those in power, or the process

with which a word or expression is changed from its original
meaning.

Ruthless To act cruelly and without thought or consideration of others.

Manipulation To control or influence (a person or situation) for your own gain,

often without people knowing it.
Utopia An imagined place or state of things where everything is perfect.

Dystopia An imagined state or society where there is great suffering and

injustice.

Paradox A contradictory statement or situation.

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 Knowledge Tracker

Lesson Question

1 What is socialism? What was the Russian Revolution? Who was George Orwell?

2 What are Political Ideologies? Capitalism, Communism and Socialism.

3 What do we find out in Chapter 1? How can I use inference to draw conclusions
about characters?

4 How does Old Major use rhetorical devices in his speech for effect?

5 How can I deepen my analysis of rhetorical devices and write effectively about
them?

6 Writing Academically. How does Orwell present Old Major as a powerful

rhetorical figure?

7 What happens in Chapter 2 of Animal Farm? How does Orwell construct the
characters to reflect historical events?

8 What happens in the rest of Chapter 2? Does Orwell present the pigs as
trustworthy?

9 What happens in Chapter 3? What is propaganda? How is propaganda used in

Animal Farm?

10 What happens in Chapter 3? How we can we apply the idea of hierarchy to

Animal Farm?

11 To what extent is Animal Farm a place of equality?

12 Extended writing: To what extent is Animal Farm a place of equality?

13 How can we improve our academic writing?

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 Knowledge Tracker

Lesson Question

14 What happens in Chapter 4? How is Orwell presenting the farm and wider
society?

15 How does Orwell present Snowball as a leader in the novel?

16 Extended writing: How does Orwell present Snowball as a leader on the farm?

17 What happens in Chapter 5 of Animal Farm? How do Snowball and Napoleon

develop as leaders?

18 How does Chapter 5 unfold? How does Napoleon assume leadership of the
farm?

19 Preparing for the midpoint assessment: How does Orwell present fear as a
way of control in Animal Farm?

20 Mid point assessment

21 How can we improve our academic writing?

22 What happens in Chapter 6? How is the corruption of Animalism achieved?

23 How does Orwell use irony? How does Orwell present the corruption of
animalism in Chapter 6?

24 What happens in Chapter 7? How do the lies in Animal Farm develop?

25 How has the farm changed by the end of Chapter 7? How could it be
described as a place ruled by tyranny?

26 How does Orwell present the farm as a place of fear and violence? How was
he inspired by real world events?

27 Extended writing: How does Orwell present the farm as a place of fear and
violence?

28 What happens in Chapter 8? How does Orwell present the importance of

Education?

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 Knowledge Tracker

Lesson Question

29 What parallels are there between Stalin and Napoleon? How does Napoleon
build a “cult of personality”?
30 What happens in Chapter 9?

31 What is the significance of the character of Boxer in the novel?

32 What kind of world is created at the end of the novella?

33 How can we read this text as a thinly veiled critique of the USSR?

34 What is the significance of the pigs in Animal Farm?

35 Preparing for your assessment: How does Orwell present corruption by the pigs
in the novel Animal Farm?

36 Preparing for our assessment: Revising academic writing.

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 Accountable Talk Page

Agree, disagree, or add on

Stating a new opinion:
• I agree with you because…
• I think/ believe that…
• That answer makes sense
• In my opinion…
because…
• From my perspective…
• I respectfully disagree with
• Based on…, it seems that…
you because…
• After reading… I conclude that…
• I have a different point of
• Overall, the evidence suggests…
view…
• On the one hand… on the other
• I would like to add on…
hand…
• To expand on what… said…
• This reminds me of…
• To piggyback on what… said…

Ask for clarification

• What do you mean by…?
• Why do you think that?
• Will you explain that again?
• I have a question about… Paraphrase or restate your opinion
• I don’t quite understand. Can you • So what you are saying is that…
explain it a little bit more? • In other words, you think…
• I noticed that…
• If I understand you correctly,
your opinion is that…

Building On
● Y mentioned that…
● Yes–and furthermore…
● The author’s claim that Z is
interesting because…
● Adding to what X said,…
● If we change Xs position just
a little, we can see that…

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Cultural Context What is the Cultural Context of this topic?

What British Values are covered in this topic?

1. Democracy
2. Rule of Law
3. Tolerance
4. Mutual Respect
5. Individual Respect

How will this topic link to the 9 protected characteristics?

The 9 protected characteristics are:

Age Gender reassignment Marriage / Civil Partnership

Pregnancy Disability Race

Religion or belief Sex Sexual Orientation

How will this topic support my How will this topic support my
cultural capital? disciplinary literacy?

How will this topic link to us being a How will this topic reflect our school
sustainable school? values?

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Topic Overview Why this? Why now?
Listen as your teacher gives an overview of the content you’ll be covering during this topic.
Complete notes on the topic content below when asked to do so.

Why this?

How does this topic lead on from and build upon your previous learning? Which work is it
linked to in previous cycles or years?

Why now?

How will this topic be built upon in future learning? Which topics will require a good
understanding of this work?

Why now?

Cross-curricular. How might the learning from this topic be linked to learning in your other
subjects across school?

Which careers might be linked to this topic?

Skills Builder: Which skills will we have the chance to develop during this topic?

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 What is socialism? What was the Russian Revolution? Who was George
LESSON 1 Orwell?

DO NOW: Knowledge Retrieval and explicit vocabulary

Definition: Etymology:

A large group of people who live alongside From Latin societas, from socius ‘companion’
each other in an agreed and organised way.

Society
Exploring the word- synonyms: Used in a sentence:
Group, culture, community We are lucky to live in a tolerant society.

Do Now: True or False True or False

1. We have a responsibility to look after everyone in society, not

just our family.

2. Currently, our society is equal.

3. In society, everyone has access to everything they need.

4. In society, some people will naturally be more powerful than

other people.

5.In a society, everyone should have a say in what happens in the

future.

6. It is dangerous when we stop challenging people who are

doing the wrong thing in society

Powerful knowledge: What do we mean by context?

• The word context means the circumstances surrounding a book that inform its
writing and meaning.
• When we look at the historical context of texts, we look at what life was like when
the book was written and how this may have influenced the text.
• We could also look at the life and personal opinions of the author to see if this may
have influenced the text.

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 Powerful knowledge: Socialism and Communism

Whilst there is no one main definition, socialism is an economic system where the welfare of
people is put above wealth. The elected government controls the means of production
(factories), minimises the wealth of people through tax, and reinvests money back into
society to ensure there is equality. It could be termed as “social ownership”.
What this means is:
● Wealthy people will be taxed more, therefore limiting their wealth.
● There is more equitable wealth. No one person can gain enormous wealth as the
government control what is made and earned by people.
● Services like education and healthcare are free. Everyone is entitled to them.
● There is a lack of hierarchy in society due to wealth or privilege.
● Society works together.
● Communism is an extreme form of socialism, where most property and economic
resources are owned and controlled by the state.

Think, Pair Share

How does the image below link to socialism?

Stating a new opinion:

• In my opinion…
• From my perspective…
• Based on…, it seems that…
• Overall, the evidence suggests…

Powerful knowledge: The context of Animal Farm

• ‘Animal Farm’ was written in three months from the end of 1943 to the start of 1944.
• However, Orwell couldn’t get anyone to publish it until 1945.
• The novella ‘Animal Farm’ was written during WW2 and a huge time of world-wide
political upheaval.
• It was a particularly turbulent political time in Russia. In his novel, Orwell bases many
of his characters and events on real aspects of Russian politics!
• Animal Farm is an allegory (a story with a hidden meaning) to the Russian Revolution
of 1917 and the events which led to the creation of the Soviet Union subsequently.
• We are now going to look at the events in the Soviet Union and explore why the
writer of Animal Farm was so interested in it.

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 Info & Task:
Looking at the images below, what do you predict the political views of the Soviet Union might have
been?
Answer: _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Front Loading:
Task: Watch the following video and then answer the questions about the formation of
the Soviet Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV9G1QUIm7w&t=6s (from 2.19- 6.19)

1. In 1917, what were women protesting about?

2. What did the protest transform in to?

3. What did Nicholas agree to do?

4. What did the people want to create?

5. What was the name of the new leader?

6. What did he demand and what was the new slogan?

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 Powerful Knowledge: What happened to the Soviet Union and who was
George Orwell?

• Orwell received his education at a series of private schools including Eton - an elite
school in England.
• His painful experiences with snobbishness and social elitism at Eton made him deeply
suspicious of the class system in English society.
• As a young man, Orwell became a socialist and spoke openly against the government.
• Unlike many British socialists in the 1930s and 1940s, Orwell was not hooked on the
Soviet Union and its policies, nor did he consider the Soviet Union a positive
representation of the possibilities of socialist society.
• He could not turn a blind eye to the cruelties of the Soviet Communist Party, which had
overturned the Tsars (Russian royalty) only to replace it with the dictatorial reign of
Joseph Stalin.
• Orwell became a sharp critic of both capitalism and communism, and is remembered
chiefly as an advocate of freedom and a committed opponent of communist
oppression.

Think, Pair, Share Stating a new

opinion:
• I think that…
What would Orwell have thought about the original Russian • Based on…, it
Revolution? seems that…
• Overall, the
evidence
suggests…
• On the one hand…
Now, record your answer. on the other
hand…

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 Now, write down as much as you can remember about the following topics:

The Russian
Revolution
and the
Soviet
Union

George
Orwell

The novella
Animal
Farm

Knowledge tracker RAG

What is socialism? What was the

Russian Revolution? Who was
George Orwell?

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LESSON 2 Understanding Political Ideologies: Capitalism, Communism and
Socialism

Definition: noun Etymology:

A set of beliefs or values that form the basis of From the Greek “idea” meaning pattern and
how a society is run. logos meaning discussion. The word ‘ideology’
literally means the science or study of ideas.
An ideology influences the political and
economic systems in a society.

Ideology
Exploring the word- synonyms: Used in a sentence:

Beliefs, ideals, values, principles, doctrine Politicians often have strong ideology to
promote.

Do Now:

First Write a sentence with ideology in it.

Then: Socialism is an ideology: True or False?

Next : When was Animal Farm written?

Retrieval

What happened in Russia in 1917?

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Summary Powerful Knowledge: Communism and Capitalism in more Vocabulary
detail.

Capitalism:
Capitalism is one of the dominant ideologies in many
societies. Capitalism is very much focused on the freedom
of the individual to make money. In a capitalist country,
individual citizens, not governments, own and run
companies. These companies compete with other
companies for business. They decide which goods and
services to provide. They also decide how much to charge
for the goods and services and where to sell them. It
means prices can go up and down. Critics of Capitalism
believe the focus on making money means that those
who are rich get richer, and those who are poor do not
get the help they need. Those who make money are not
necessarily expected to support others in society.

Communism and Socialism.

Communism is often viewed to have its origins within the
writings of Karl Marx - a 19th century German philosopher
and economist who influenced thinkers like Lenin.
Socialism and Communism are often used
interchangeably, but actually do have differences. Both
belief systems promote the sharing of public resources.
However, communism is stricter than socialism. It
promotes the idea that all resources are owned by the
government. This means the government control
everything. In socialism the emphasis is on democracy.
The government must be democratically elected and
people work together. In communism, this may not be
the case. The government is in complete control. Critics of
communism argue it creates a lack of freedom for people,
and can lead to the government depriving citizens of
resources and food.

For each image below, identify which is capitalist and which is communist:

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 Think, Pair, Share Stating a new
First, discuss with your partner what might be the opinion:
benefits and disadvantages of both Capitalism and • I think that…
• Based on…, it
Communism.
seems that…
• Overall, the
Then once we have discussed our ideas, fill out the evidence
table below. suggests…

Benefits Disadvantages

Capitalism

Communism

A recap, what did Orwell think?

• Animal Farm is an allegory to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the events which led to
the creation of the Soviet Union subsequently.
• The Soviet Union (a communist state), founded in 1922 after the Russian Revolution, arose
in Russia when workers and peasants rebelled against the wealthy/ powerful capitalists/
aristocrats.
• The Tsar abdicated and Lenin seized power.
• The new regime took land and industry from private control and put them under
government supervision.
• Despite being a socialist, George Orwell was not hooked on the Soviet Union, nor did he
consider the Soviet Union a positive representation of the possibilities of socialist society.
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 Class discussion
The importance of intention and context

Remember, when we are writing we always need to consider the author’s intentions and the
context. We need to consider two questions:
● What might have influenced the writer?
● What might the writer be trying to communicate to the reader about this?
Together, let’s mind map all the things we know about what influenced Orwell and what he was
trying to convey (show) to his reader.

Orwell’s Context

Now, in your own words, answer the question:

What motivated George Orwell to write Animal Farm and what messages did he
want to convey to his audience?

Knowledge tracker RAG

Understanding Political Ideologies: Capitalism,
Communism and Socialism 25
LESSON 3 What do we find out in Chapter 1? How can I use inference to draw
conclusions about characters?

Definition: noun Etymology:

To assess evidence to draw conclusions. You from Latin inferre ‘bring in, bring about’ (in
make these decisions based on the evidence medieval Latin ‘deduce’), from in- ‘into’ + ferre
rather than explicit statements. ‘bring’.

Inference
Exploring the word- synonyms: Used in a sentence:
Deduce, work out, conclude I could infer he was hot due to the beads of
sweat on his forehead.

Do Now:

First What might you infer about me if I am crying?

Then: ‘Most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state.’
Retrieval Which political belief does this definition describe?

Next : ‘All citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a democratically-

Retrieval elected government.’ Which political belief does this definition describe?

‘An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are
controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.’ Which political
belief does this definition describe?

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 Subject Knowledge

Anthropomorphism - the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or

object.

When we are reading a text (like Animal Farm) we can use a variety of different clues to support
our inferences.
Things like:
• Descriptions of a character
• Actions characters make
• Things characters say
can all be used to make inferences

Anthropomorphism is when you assign human characteristics or attributes to a non-human entity.

Orwell is very clever at using anthropomorphism to guide the reader in making an inference
about each character.

Comprehension questions:

1 What is the name of the farm that the animals live on?

2 How does old Major describe the animals’ lives?

3 Complete the phrase “whatever goes on two legs is an…”

4 What is the name of the song the animals sing at the end of the speech?

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 Now, list any characters who are named within the text and what type of animal they
are.

Subject knowledge: Understanding inference

Orwell is very clever at using anthropomorphism to guide the reader in making an inference about
each character. For example:
“Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life who had never quite got her figure back
after her fourth foal.”

Caring, parental, Pressured to look a certain way,

tendency to worry Has life experience, reinforces her motherly nature.
understands
‘the way of the world’

We do:

What inferences could we make about Old Major from this quotation?
“He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-looking pig,
with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut.”

12 years old

Majestic

Wise

Benevolent
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 Building understanding

What further inferences could we make about Old Major from this quotation?
“At one end of the big barn,
on a sort of raised platform,
Major was already ensconced*”

*Ensconced = established or settled in a comfortable, safe place.

Independent task

Track back through the Chapter we have just read and complete the tasks below:
1. Identify three characters from the opening chapter. Record a key quotation to describe
how they look, what they say or how they act.

2. Highlight or underline key words or phrases from the quotations you have found that you
think tells us something interesting about their character.

3. What can we infer about the character from how they are described, what they say or how
they act?
For example: Through Orwell’s use of the phrase ‘12 years old’ we can infer that Old Major is
one of the elder animals who must therefore have a lot of experience and knowledge.

Quotation 1 - Character: _______________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What can we infer about the character from how they are described, what they say or how they act?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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 Quotation 2 - Character: _______________________________

What can we infer about the character from how they are described, what they say or how they
act?

Quotation 3 - Character: _______________________________

What can we infer about the character from how they are described, what they say or how they
act?

Challenge: Can you link any of your inferences to the context we have studied so far?

Knowledge tracker RAG

What do we find out in Chapter 1? How
can I use inference to draw conclusions
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about characters?
LESSON 4 How does Old Major use rhetorical devices in his speech for
effect?

Definition: noun Etymology:

The art of persuasive speaking or writing. Middle English: from Old French rethorique, via
Latin from Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē) ‘(art) of
rhetoric’, from rhētōr ‘rhetor’.

Rhetoric
Exploring the word- synonyms: Used in a sentence:
Rhetoric is often associated with eloquence, Aristotle was a greek philosopher famous for
which means to speak well and shows a discussing how to make rhetoric effective.
command of language.

Do Now:

First Write a sentence with rhetoric in it.

Then: What type of animal is Old Major? Where is he sat when he makes his speech?

Next : What is the song Old Major teaches the animals?

Retrieval

What image does it paint of the future for the animals?

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 Think back to last year and your study of rhetoric. What can you remember about
1) The point of rhetoric. Why is it used?
2) What makes effective rhetoric?
3) What careers might you need to use rhetorical speech in?

Task: Match up the rhetorical device with the definition.

Rhetoric Device Definition Example

Rhetorical Question Words such as ‘we’, ’us’, and ‘ours’

which link speaker and audience.

Repetition The repetition of a letter or sound

at the start of words.

Hyperbole Three words or phrases that are

related in some way.

Emotive Language The same words or phrase used

near one another for effect.

Alliteration Something which is true and can

be proven.

Inclusive Pronouns A view of judgement that has been

formed about something.

Facts A question which does not require

an answer.

Opinions Deliberate exaggeration for effect.

List of Three Words or phrases which are used

to manipulate the audience to feel
a certain emotion.

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Summarise Let’s read and annotate Old Major’s speech Vocabulary

Old Major’s Speech

"Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let
us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We
are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the
breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it
are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the
very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we
are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England
knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year
old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is
misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.
But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because
this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life
to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand
times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good, it
is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously
greater number of animals than now inhabit it. This single
farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows,
hundreds of sheep--and all of them living in a comfort and a
dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why
then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because
nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from
us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all
our problems. It is summed up in a single word--Man. Man
is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the
scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is
abolished for ever.
Man is the only creature that consumes without producing.
He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak
to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch
rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to
work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will
prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for
himself. Our labour tills the soil, our dung fertilises it, and
yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin.
You cows that I see before me, how many thousands of
gallons of milk have you given during this last year? And
what has happened to that milk which should have been
breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop of it has gone down
the throats of our enemies. And you hens, how many eggs
have you laid in this last year, and how many of those eggs
ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to
market to bring in money for Jones and his men. And you,
Clover, where are those four foals you bore, who should
have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each
was sold at a year old--you will never see one of them again.
In return for your four confinements and all your labour in
33
the fields, what have you ever had except your bare rations
and a stall?
Summarise Vocabulary

You young porkers who are sitting in front of me, every one
of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year.
To that horror we all must come--cows, pigs, hens, sheep,
everyone. Even the horses and the dogs have no better fate.
You, Boxer, the very day that those great muscles of yours
lose their power, Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will
cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds. As for
the dogs, when they grow old and toothless, Jones ties a
brick round their necks and drowns them in the nearest
pond.
Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of
this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings?
Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be
our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free.
What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and
soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my
message to you, comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when
that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or in a
hundred years, but I know, as surely as I see this straw
beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will be done.
Fix your eyes on that, comrades, throughout the short
remainder of your lives! And above all, pass on this message
of mine to those who come after you, so that future
generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious.
And remember, comrades, your resolution must never
falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never listen when
they tell you that Man and the animals have a common
interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of
the others. It is all lies. Man serves the interests of
no creature except himself. And among us animals let there
be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All
men are enemies. All animals are comrades."

34
 Task

Bullet point all the key points of Old Major’s speech:

Then: Jot down any links to the previous context we’ve studied:

Read through the speech again and highlight any examples of the following language
techniques:
• Rhetorical questions
• Repetition
• Hyperbole
• Emotive language
• Rule of three
• Alliteration
• Directly addressing the audience
• Inclusive pronouns
• Short sentences
• Facts and opinions

Stating a new Agree, disagree,

opinion: or add on
• I think/ • I agree with
believe you because…
Which of Old Major’s rhetorical • I respectfully
devices do you find the most
that…
• From my disagree with
effective? Why? you because…
Overall, how effective do you perspective
• I have a
find his speech? • After different
reading… I point of
conclude view…
that… • I would like35 to

add on…
 Thinking further
Think, Pair, Share then record

Why does Old Major use the persuasive techniques he does? Why would he need the
animals to engage with him?

Knowledge tracker RAG

How does Old Major use rhetorical
devices in his speech for effect? 36
LESSON 5 How can I deepen my analysis of rhetorical devices and write
effectively about them?

Definition: noun Etymology:

A story with a hidden meaning (often political or From Old French allegorie (12c.), from Latin
moral). allegoria, from Greek allegoria

Allegory
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
Allegory uses the pre-fix al, which can mean An allegory is used by writers when they want to
beyond. So, the story has a meaning “beyond” convey a message without being too obvious.
what you see.

Synonyms- fable, parable, metaphor

Do Now:

First What is Animal Farm an allegory for?

Then: Who was Old Major?

Next : What are inclusive pronouns?

Retrieval

What is emotive language?

37
 Subject Knowledge

When we look at quotations and consider what they imply, we need to think about really
zooming in on specific choices the writer makes in terms of the words they pick. This is called
analysis. We can do lots of things when we analyse.

1) We can think about the connotations and associations of a word. Why have these words
been used?
Connotation - an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary
meaning.
Association - ideas linked to a word.

This is what it might look like:

Association = ideas linked to a word
Interestingly, the noun ‘comrades’ also has militaristic associations and is often used to refer to
an organisation or fellow socialist.
Connotation = an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or
primary meaning.
Interestingly, the noun phrase ‘order of nature’ has connotations of something that should be
naturally occurring and therefore inherent, fixed and unchangeable which has led the animals
to believe that their miserable existence is somehow normal and unquestionable.

2) We can think about the methods used and why they have been used.
Alongside looking at connotations and associations, we might also consider the effect of the
author’s choice of methods. Last lesson, we looked at methods when we looked at the
rhetorical devices in Old Major’s speech. We might ask ourselves why the writer has chosen
to do this.
When we think about why they have been used, we might want to think about the image they
create, the mood it creates or the tone it creates. Then we ask ourselves, why has this been
done?

I do: Quotation Analysis

What are the connotations

Why use the inclusive of this word?
pronoun?

Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious and short”

What mood is created and why? Why use this list of three?

38
 We do: Quotation Analysis

Why use this emotive language? What

What are the connotations of forced?
do we associate with this?

Forced to work to the last atom of our strength

Overall, why is this image being created?

You do: Quotation Analysis

I feel it is my duty to pass onto you such wisdom

You do: Quotation Analysis

Your own quotation from Old Major’s speech.

39
 Subject knowledge: Writing analytical paragraphs
I do.

Whenever you write formal responses to questions about what you have read, we want you to
use analytical paragraphs as part of your response.

To write an effective paragraph, we want you to go through these steps and use the sentence
stems we have provided at the front of this booklet.

State the big idea. Tell the reader where it happens, what the quotation is (embed it) and what
is happening in the quotation.
George Orwell presents Old Major as a powerfully persuasive character during his speech at the
beginning of Animal Farm when he asks the animals “but is this simply the order of nature?”
Explain what the quotation suggests.
This suggests that Old Major believes that the way the animals are living at the moment is not
something they should accept.
Analyse how the quotation works. Try to ensure you say as much as you can about it and use
the subject terms (like connotations and associations).
In particular, the noun phrase “order of nature” is typically associated with the correct way of
seeing the world, implying that Old Major believes the animals have been taught to see this way
of living by the humans. Furthermore, by phrasing it as a rhetorical question, Old Major is
challenging the animals to consider whether this is something that they should accept or is
perhaps encouraging them to question it.
Use another quotation to reinforce the idea. Explore this quotation.
This idea of Old Major inviting the animals to challenge their thinking is reinforced when he asks
“is it not crystal clear..that all evils..spring from the tyranny of man?”. At this point Old Major’s
rhetoric gets stronger. Orwell’s use of emotive language at this point conveys Old Major’s desire
to paint man as evil, dangerous and something the animals need to be free of.
Explain why the writer has done this. What were their intentions?
Ultimately, Orwell is aiming to present Old Major as a powerful persuasive figure in order to
reflect how powerful orators can present their ideas in such a manner that they gain huge
enthusiasm and support, and perhaps also to demonstrate to the reader how revolutions such as
the one in Russia can occur.

We do: Together, we are going to write a paragraph about one of our quotations
together.

Knowledge tracker RAG

How can I deepen my analysis of
rhetorical devices and write 40
effectively about them?
LESSON 6 Writing Academically. How does Orwell present Old Major as a
powerful rhetorical figure?

Definition: noun Etymology:

Early 19th century: from French socialisme, from
An economic system of co-operation where the social (see social).
government controls the means of production
(factories) and provides goods and services for a
population. It is about social ownership.

Socialism
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
Socialism promotes greater equality in society.
One way of remembering what socialism means .
is to remember it links to the word “society”,
which is a group of people. Socialism supports
society working together.

Do Now:

First Write a sentence about George Orwell with socialism in it.

Then: What ideology was similar to socialism but more extreme?

Next : What type of animals were Boxer and Clover?

Retrieval

What was the name of the farmer who owned the farm?

41
 Independent writing task: Exercise books

In your exercise books, you are going to answer the question:

“How is Old Major presented as a powerful persuasive figure at the start of Animal Farm?”

You should write about three of the quotations we have analysed. This means you should
have three analytical paragraphs.

You should use the framework we have given you for academic writing at the start of the
booklet.

We will live mark it according to the targets at the front of your booklet.

Knowledge tracker RAG

Writing Academically. How does
Orwell present Old Major as a 42
powerful rhetorical figure
LESSON 7 What happens in Chapter 2 of Animal Farm? How does Orwell
construct the characters to reflect historical events?

Definition: noun Etymology:

A government where the ruler has ultimate The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title
power and control over the running of the dictator, which in the Roman Republic
country. (This can often be gained through force designated a temporary magistrate who was
and can include cruel or unfair treatment.) granted extraordinary powers in order to deal
with state crises.

Dictatorship
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
Words we might associate with dictatorship North Korea is governed by a dictatorship.
include tyranny and autocracy which means total
rule.

Do Now:

First Write a sentence telling me what you think about the idea of dictatorship. You must use
the word dictatorship.

KO QUIZ 1. What is Animal Farm an allegory for?

Next :
Retrieval

2. What was Russia called after the revolution?

3. Complete the quotation “no animal in England is …”

43
 Write down everything you can remember about Communism and Capitalism.
Leave space so we can come back to it.

COMMUNISM CAPITALISM
Left-wing Right-wing
Society Individual

Task:
Front Loading:

Powerful knowledge.

• In chapter two we get introduced to a concept called Animalism.

• Whenever you see a word that has the suffix ‘ism’ it should give you a clue that the
word will refer to a practice, philosophy or political belief.
For example:
• Feminism is a philosophy and political belief that advocates equality.
• Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat.
• Communism and capitalism are political and economic theories. 44
 Read chapter 2 up to “Manor Farm was theirs”
Comprehension Questions: Write your answers in full sentences.

1. What is the name of the three pigs who created animalism?

2. What does Moses the raven keep talking about, and what does he say that
makes it sound attractive?

3 Which two characters seem most devoted to animalism?

4. Write down two things Mr Jones did that finally caused the rebellion.

Powerful Knowledge: Key vocab

Proletariat – Russian working class.

Bourgeoisie - The middle class, with reference to their perceived materialistic values.
Capitalism - An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are
controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the government.
Elite class - A select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities in comparison to
the rest of a group or society.

45
 We are now going to read some information about how these characters link
to the Russian revolution.
Once we have read the information, add the character to the correct side of
our Communism and Capitalism diagram.

Boxer and BOXER AND CLOVER:

Clover Boxer and Clover represent the proletariat (the Russian
working class). They work in difficult, challenging
conditions and never see the profit of their labour – it all
goes to Jones, the farmer, who represents the elite class
in Russia at this time.

TASK:
Would Boxer and Clover benefit most from a capitalist
or communist society and why? Add your ideas onto
the correct side of your scale.

Mollie MOLLIE:
Mollie is a different class – she would be considered the
bourgeoisie. She has many luxuries that the others don’t
have (sugar and ribbons). She represents the middle
class in the Russian Revolution. They supported the
Revolution – but only up until the point that they had to
give up their luxuries.
TASK:
Would Mollie benefit most from a capitalist or
communist society and why? Add your ideas onto the
correct side of your scale.

Napoleon, NAPOLEON, SQUEALER AND SNOWBALL:

Squealer Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball – the three pigs –
and represent the Bolsheviks, the Communist group who led
Snowball the Revolution. They were part of the educated class
who claimed to want to help the proletariat.

TASK:
Would the pigs benefit most from a capitalist or
communist society and why? Add your ideas onto the
correct side of your scale.

Now, return to your diagram on capitalism and communism and add

quotations to each animal which demonstrates the political side they seem to
be on, or exemplify the part of society they are from.

Knowledge tracker RAG

What happens in Chapter 2 of Animal
Farm? How does Orwell construct the 46
characters to reflect historical
events?
LESSON 8 What happens in the rest of Chapter 2? Does Orwell present the pigs as
trustworthy?

Definition: noun Etymology:

A system of government where the people have Late 15th century: from French démocratie, via
a say in how the country is run and who will lead late Latin from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos
them. ‘the people’ + -kratia ‘power, rule’

Democracy
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
A democracy is associated with freedom and We voted for our government in the election as
justice as, in theory, everyone has a voice. we live in a democracy.

Do Now:

First Write a sentence about Old Major with the word democracy in it:

Then: What type of creature was Mollie?

Next : What is the name of the system of thought created by the pigs?
Retrieval

What members of Russian society do the pigs represent?

47
 Powerful Knowledge

● Napoleon is a real historical figure who fought in

the French Revolution (when the French people
overthrew the royal family and took control of the
country).
● After this, Napoleon eventually took control of the
French army, declared himself Emperor, and tried
to take over the world!

Agree, disagree, or add on

• I agree with you
because…
• That answer makes
Think, Pair, Share
sense because…
What prediction might you make about Napoleon
• I respectfully disagree
based on this knowledge?
with you because…
• I have a different point
of view…

Last lesson we were given more insight into the three pigs.
For each quotation in your table, note down what inferences we can make about
each of their characters.
*Vivacious = attractively lively and animated.

Napoleon Snowball Squealer

‘rather fierce-looking’ ‘more vivacious*’ ‘twinkling eyes’

‘not much of a talker’ ‘quicker in speech’ ‘brilliant talker’

‘reputation for getting his ‘he could turn black into

‘more inventive’
own way’ white’

48
 Everybody Reads: Read to the end of chapter 2 from “Manor Farm was theirs”
Answer the comprehension questions.

What does Snowball burn and why?

2. What do the animals decide about the farmhouse after the walk around it?

3. What have the pigs learnt to do in the last three months?

4. Write down two of the seven commandments.

5. Who says “never mind the milk comrades”?

Think, Pair, Share Stating a new opinion:

• I think/ believe
How trustworthy are the pigs?
that…
• In my opinion…
• From my
Now, write a paragraph in your book explaining your perspective…
thoughts. • Based on…, it seems
that….
In Chapter two Orwell presents the pigs as • After reading… I
trustworthy/not trustworthy… This is best seen in the conclude that…
quotation “…” which suggests… • Overall, the
evidence suggests…
However, try to use our sentence stems from the • On the one hand…
on the other hand…
front to write a more developed paragraph.

Knowledge tracker RAG

What happens in the rest of Chapter 2? Does Orwell

49
present the pigs as trustworthy?
LESSON 9 What happens in Chapter 3? What is propaganda? How is
propaganda used in Animal Farm?

Definition: noun Etymology:

Information, ideas or pictures that only show The modern word "propaganda" is derived from
one side of a situation. These are spread and the Latin verb propagare, meaning to propagate,
discussed to influence people’s opinions. to disseminate, to spread.

Propaganda
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
Synonyms include promotion and advocacy. Propaganda was used heavily in World War 1.

Do Now:

First Look at the frayer model. When might propaganda have been used?

Then Which pig is described as fierce looking?

Finally Who are the two horses who support Animalism fully?

What is Animal Farm an allegory for?

50
 Powerful Knowledge

Propaganda can take many forms such as posters, adverts, leaflets, TV/radio broadcasts, songs,
speeches and so on.
• How this propaganda is communicated is usually through persuasive techniques, or as
we have called them, rhetorical techniques. We saw, in Chapter 1, how Old Major used
persuasive techniques to encourage the animals to share his dream.
• Propaganda can encourage feelings of hope that the current situation can be
improved or changed.
• A more negative aspect of propaganda is that fear is a common technique used to
effectively persuade people. It makes the audience scared that something terrible will
happen if they do not agree with the propagandist's idea, opinion or thought.
• Ultimately, the goal of propaganda is to influence the masses and encourage them to
agree with a certain political viewpoint and conjuring negative emotions can be very
persuasive.

Think, Pair. Share

Look at these images from World War 1. They are propaganda images.
1) Do they create fear or hope?
2) What rhetorical devices do they use?

Jot down your ideas around the images.

Look at the table on the next page. For each extract from Animal Farm, answer
the questions asked. 51
 Moses and Sugar Candy Mountain 1) Is it true?
“In Sugarcandy Mountain it was
Sunday seven days a week, clover
was in season all the year round, and
lump sugar and linseed cake grew on 1) What emotion is created? Hope or fear?
the hedges…the pigs had to argue
very hard to persuade them that
there was no such place.”
1) What rhetorical devices do you notice?
Annotate them.

1) How can it be considered propaganda?

Old Major’s speech 1) Is it true?

“You young porkers who are sitting
in front of me, every one of you will
scream your lives out at the block
within a year. To that horror we all
must come−cows, pigs, hens, sheep, 1) What emotion is created? Hope or fear?
everyone…Jones will sell you to the
knacker, who will cut your throat and
boil you down for the foxhounds.”
1) What rhetorical devices do you notice?
Annotate them.

1) How can it be considered propaganda?

Beasts of England songs 1) Is it true?

“Bright will shine the fields of
England,
Purer shall its waters be,
Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes 1) What emotion is created?
On the day that sets us free.

For that day we all must labour,

Though we die before it break; 1) What rhetorical devices do you notice?
Cows and horses, geese and turkeys, Annotate them.
All must toil for freedom's sake.”

1) How can it be considered propaganda?

52
 Everybody Reads.
Read Chapter 3, up to “never growing tired of it” then answer the
questions in full sentences.

1. What did the Pigs do as the other animals worked?

2 What did Benjamin say when people asked him if he was happy with the
outcome of the revolution?

3 What happened on Sundays?

4 What do Boxer and Clover manage to read?

5 What slogan do the sheep keep bleating?

Consolidation task

How could the slogan Snowball teaches the animals be considered propaganda?

Knowledge tracker RAG

What happens in Chapter 3? What is propaganda? How is

53
propaganda used in Animal Farm?
LESSON 10 What happens in Chapter 3? How can we apply the idea of
hierarchy to Animal Farm?

Definition: noun Etymology:

A system in which members of an organisation Late Middle English: via Old French and medieval
or society are ranked according to relative status Latin from Greek hierarkhia, from hierarkhēs
or authority. ‘sacred ruler’

Hierarchy
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
Other words for hierarchy include ranking, order, Each school has a hierarchy with the
social scale. Headteacher at the top.

Do Now:

First Write another sentence with the word hierarchy in:

Then Which animals could read and write?

Finally What letter could Boxer read up to?

What is propaganda?

54
Think, Pair, Share
Consider the animals so far. Do you think there is a hierarchy starting to
emerge? Why?
Once we have shared, write your answer here:

Based on what you know so far, plot the animals in order of power, showing
their place on the hierarchy.
1) First, write the type of animal/ their names.
2) Then add quotations for each.

MOST POWER

LEAST POWER

Everybody reads.
Let’s read to the end of Chapter 3.
As we read, consider what you are learning about the hierarchy.

55
 Class Annotation
As we read this extract we need to consider:
1) What are the pigs doing to suggest they are top of
the hierarchy?
2) How are they using language when speaking to the Language
other animals? What do we notice about what they and
Summarise say and how they say it? vocabulary

The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up.
It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. The early apples
were now ripening, and the grass of the orchard was littered
with windfalls. The animals had assumed as a matter of
course that these would be shared out equally; one day,
however, the order went forth that all the windfalls were to
be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of
the pigs. At this some of the other animals murmured, but it
was no use. All the pigs were in full agreement on this point,
even Snowball and Napoleon. Squealer was sent to make
the necessary explanations to the others.

"Comrades!" he cried. "You do not imagine, I hope, that we

pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?
Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them
myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve
our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by
Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary
to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The
whole management and organisation of this farm depend on
us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for
YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do
you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty?
Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back!
Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost pleadingly,
skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there
is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"

Now if there was one thing that the animals were

completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones
back. When it was put to them in this light, they had no
more to say. The importance of keeping the pigs in good
health was all too obvious. So it was agreed without further
argument that the milk and the windfall apples (and also the
main crop of apples when they ripened) should be reserved
for the pigs alone. 56
 Consolidation task
How does Orwell present the pigs as more powerful by the end of Chapter 3?
In your answer include:
- The ways they are more powerful
- An explanation of how they use language to gain power
- Some examples of quotations

Knowledge tracker RAG

What happens in Chapter 3? How can we apply the idea of

57
hierarchy to Animal Farm?
LESSON 11 To what extent does Orwell present Animal Farm as a place of
equality?

Definition: noun Etymology:

Where all members of a society have the same Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin
status, rights, opportunities and responsibilities. aequalitas, from aequalis (see equal)

Equality
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
When we are talking about society not being In the campaign for gender equality, the boys
equal, we talk about inequality. wore shorts to school.

Do Now:

First Write another sentence with the word equality in:

KO What does Communism mean?

Retrieval
questions

What version of the future does Old Major paint?

Complete this quotation:

All animals are…

58
 Everybody reads - recap

Socialism is a way of thinking that promotes a more equal society. Communism is a more
extreme version of socialism where the government own and control everything. The
philosophy of socialism and communism had origins with German philosopher Karl Marx.

Question
1) What political ideology did George Orwell support?
2) What did George Orwell believe about communism?

Think, Pair, Share

To what extent do you think Animal Farm is a place of equality? Put a mark on this
line after you have discussed it to show how equal you think this place is.

Not Equal Equal

Subject knowledge: Writing a thesis

We are going to write a developed answer to our lesson question: ‘To what extent do you
think that Animal Farm is a place of equality?’ There will be three analytical paragraphs (at
least).
When we write a Literature response to a question, we should start with a thesis statement.
To help you write a thesis, we have included a thesis builder at the start of this booklet. We
will look at it together. The approach you take is:

1) Write a context driven clause

2) Write the big ideas that link to the question
3) Say why the writer is doing this

We do: Together, let’s write a thesis statement:

59
 Now, we are going to annotate some quotations from chapter three that prove
our thesis. We are going to do two together, then you are going to find two
more and repeat the process:
1) How does the quotation link to our thesis?
2) How does the language in the quotation work to prove our thesis?

“The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others.”

“Nobody stole, nobody grumbled over his rations, the quarreling and biting and jealousy
which has been normal features of the old life had disappeared.”

Knowledge tracker RAG

To what extent does Orwell present Animal Farm as a place

60
of equality?
LESSON 12 Extended writing: To what extent is Animal Farm a place of
equality?

Definition: noun Etymology:

A government where the people have a say in Late 15th century: from French démocratie, via
how the country is run and who will lead them. late Latin from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos
‘the people’ + -kratia ‘power, rule’.

Democracy
Exploring the word: Used in a sentence:
A democracy is associated with freedom and We voted for our government in the election as
justice as, in theory, everyone has a voice. we live in a democracy.

Do Now:

First Do we live in a democracy? Explain why/why not.

Then: Write a sentence with the word democracy in it.

Next : What happened to the milk and why?

Retrieval

What is a thesis statement?

61
 Subject knowledge: Recap of analytical paragraph

State the big idea. Tell the reader where it happens, what the quotation is (embed it) and what
is happening in the quotation.
George Orwell presents Old Major as a powerfully persuasive character during his speech at the
beginning of Animal Farm when he asks the animals “but is this simply the order of nature?”
Explain what the quotation suggests.
This suggests that Old Major believes that the way the animals are living at the moment is not
something they should accept.
Analyse how the quotation works. Try to ensure you say as much as you can about it and use
subject terms (like connotations and associations).
In particular, the noun phrase “order of nature” is typically associated with the correct way of
seeing the world, implying that Old Major believes the animals have been taught to see this way
of living by the humans. Furthermore, by phrasing it as a rhetorical question, Old Major is
challenging the animals to consider whether this is something that they should accept, or is
perhaps encouraging them to question it.
Use another quotation to reinforce the idea. Explore this quotation.
This idea of Old Major inviting the animals to challenge their thinking is reinforced when he asks
“is it not crystal clear..that all evils..spring from the tyranny of man?”. At this point Old Major’s
rhetoric gets stronger. Orwell’s use of emotive language at this point conveys Old Major’s desire
to paint man as evil, dangerous and something the animals need to be free of.
Explain why the writer has done this. What were their intentions?
Ultimately, Orwell is aiming to present Old Major as a powerful persuasive figure in order to
reflect how powerful orators can present their ideas in such a manner that they gain huge
enthusiasm and support, and perhaps also to demonstrate to the reader how revolutions such as
the one in Russia can occur.

We do: Together, we are going to copy up our thesis and write a paragraph
about one of our quotations on equality together in our exercise books.

You do. You are going to write the rest up on your own. Remember to use the
sentence stems in your booklet.
I will come round and live mark your work, using the assessment target sheet on
the next page.

Knowledge tracker RAG

Extended writing: To what extent is
Animal Farm a place of equality? 62
 English: Strength and Target codes
Link your ideas clearly to the question and make sure you have answered the question. What
1 is the big idea you are exploring?

2 Look at your quotation. Have you chosen the most effective one for answering the question?

3 Use a wider range of quotations.

Make sure you have contextualised your quotation. Where is it happening in the book? What
4 is happening in the quotation?

Make sure you have said what the quotation suggests or implies. Don’t just repeat the
5 quotation.

6 Use subject terminology. Mention the word class, or the method the writer is using.

Go deeper and say more. Can you push what the word choices suggest further? Is there
7 another interpretation of the quotation?

8 Add in another quotation to reinforce the idea.

Add in context. Explain why the writer has done this. What did they want the reader to realise,
9 understand? What are they challenging about society?

Academic tone. Remember to embed quotations and use the best academic verbs.
10

Feedback highlighters

Great Embed Add

GREEN PINK Re-think BLUE YELLOW
work! evidence detail

Marking for literacy

SPaG Key. You will see and use these codes to correct and improve SPaG in your written work.

Sp P // G
Spelling error Punctuation error New paragraph Grammatical error

63
 Newton Abbot College Learning Journey: English
A level Literature
Cycle 2: ● Application of Critical Theory

Language and
Revision ● Critical evaluation and analysis
● The significant of context
Literature and GCSE
revision A level Language
● Revision of key
Exams ● Applications of methods of analysis
● Applications of critical theory
texts
● Writing academically and creatively
● Consolidation of
approaches to
Language and
Literature Cycle 1 :Viewpoint and Cycle 2: Poetry
● Consolidation of
Cycle 3: Romeo and Juliet
Perspectives and Language
both writing ● A study of Romeo and Juliet
● Identifying viewpoint Year ● Shakespearean tragedy and Shakespeare’s ● Understanding
academically and ● Summary how meaning is
creatively. ● Consolidation of analysis of non
fiction texts
11 world
● Consolidation of analysis of the writer's’ craft made across
● Consolidation of essay writing approaches Literary forms
● Consolidation of discursive writing ● The poem as a
mode of
expressing
writer's’ beliefs
Cycle 3: Social Commentary and ● Developing
Cycle 2: Cycle 1: A Christmas Carol comparison skills
An Inspector Calls ● A study of A Christmas Carol ● Writing: writing to
Revolution and
● Non fiction texts: interpreting and Year ● Literature as a tool for social develop a
Rebellion deconstructing viewpoint reform narrative or
● Literature of the
19th century
● Rhetoric: discursive writing
● A study of Inspector Calls
10 ● Analysis of language and
structure linked to writer’s intent
descriptive voice
● Developing careful
● Writing as a ● Academic writing: consolidation of ● Academic writing: forming a comparisons
reflection of societal thesis cogent and compelling argument
change
● Conventions of
Literary forms
● Developing Cycle 1:Animal Farm Cycle 3: Love in the Time of Cycle 2: Telling
comparisons ● Writing as a form of social
Shakespeare Stories
● Forming a thesis and commentary and political Year ● Writing as a
developing polemic ● Literary Heritage: the presentation of
reflection of
academic tone
● Fictional writing:
how to craft a voice
● Analysis of methods linked to
writer’s intent 9 love in the Elizabethan era
● Thematic approaches to texts
● Shakespeare’s language
context
● Making
● Forming a thesis and developing
● Academic writing: developing responses connections across
an argument
forms
● Developing an
authentic voice
through character
Cycle 2: The Cycle 3:The Bone Sparrow Cycle 1: Rhetoric and and setting
● Non Fiction: communicating viewpoints Voices of the people ● Writer’s craft:
Gothic Year analysis of methods
● Literary heritage ● The writer’s craft: developing our ● The writer's craft in nonfiction
understanding of how character and ● Academic writing:
● Transactional writing: writing
● Plays and stories
as social
constructs
setting are constructed
● The influence of context
8 for rhetorical impact
● Logos, ethos and pathos
developing detail in
analysis
● The writer’s craft: ● The writer’s craft: analysing methods ● Grammar for writing
presenting
character and
setting
● Inference and Cycle 1: Heroes and Monsters GCSE English Language is a requirement for
Analysis ● Diet and
postlifestyle
16 courses.
● Conventions in storytelling
● Academic writing: Year Courses
● Character and ● We areGCSE English
dinosaur Literature is highly regarded
hunters
introduction to as an excellent academic qualification.
characterisation ● We are evolving
the academic
writing structure. ●
●
Conscious crafting in writing
Writing for accuracy and
7 ● Let itItshine
Careers
is important for most careers but
● Electrifying
especially useful in: Journalism, Marketing,
Law, Teaching,
● Classifying critters Publishing and Writing.
impact
Critical thinking, oracy, written
Skills communication, analysis and evaluation.
Asking/answering questions about your
Real world.
World Understanding how communication is
created and why it is created.

64