Lesson video

- Welcome back to Animal Farm.

We are going to be exploring the theme of betrayal on the farm today.

So far, we have examined Napoleon and his leadership and the fact that he is a cruel dictator.

And now we turn to how he betrays the animals, but also in a twist, how Napoleon is betrayed by someone else as well.

He definitely gets what he deserves.

When you're ready, please make sure that you have found a quiet space or some way you can concentrate and something you can write with and you can write on and then we'll get started.

Here is another opportunity for you to make sure you are settled and comfortable.

If you need to become more settled and comfortable.

Please press pause and then play when you're ready.

If you're already ready, then we will get started.

We'll begin the lesson with our recap to make sure we're confident with what's going on.

And then we'll talk about trade on the farm and what's happening on Animal Farm.

Before looking at a new piece of vocabulary and then reading an extract and answering and writing down some answers to questions.

And then you'll finish off with your trusty exit quiz.

Your recap for today, what does Old Major say about humans? I'm asking you to think right back to the very beginning of our lessons together.

What did Old Major say about humans? There is more than one correct answer.

Did he say humans are the enemy? That animals should have no dealing with humans? That some humans are okay but most of them treat animals badly? Or that animals can never be completely free of humans? There is more than one correct answer.

Think really, really hard, stretch back in your mind palace all the way back to the beginning, press pause and then press play when you've got your answers ready.

Hopefully you went for options one and two.

Old Major did indeed say that humans are the enemy and that animals should have no dealings whatsoever with humans.

He certainly did not say option four, that animals can never be completely free.

Because Old Major's entire argument was that animals can survive without humans.

Your correct answers are option one and option two.

What's happening on the farm then? Previously in the story, Napoleon hired a human solicitor.

His name is Whymper.

We haven't come across him in our lessons together because we've had to just take extracts from the story.

But if you were to read the story from front to back you would have met Whymper, the human solicitor.

He was hired so that Animal Farm could start trading with humans.

Napoleon hired Whymper to make sure that the farm could trade with humans.

True or false, Whymper was hired to help Animal Farm trade with humans.

Nice and loud.

Very, very quick.

'Cause I've just given you the answer, true or false? That is true.

He was indeed hired to help Animal Farm trade with humans.

Here is your new piece of vocabulary today.

The new word is betrayal.

Many of you might already know this word.

I'm going to give you just a couple of examples.

Betrayal is the breaking of trust or the breaking of an agreement.

And an example of betrayal from one of my favourite stories is when Peter Pettigrew, in Harry Potter, betrays Lily and James, Harry's parents, when he tells Voldemort where they are.

He breaks their trust.

And he also breaks an agreement that he had with them.

Another example from Shakespeare, which some of you may have studied, is in Julius Caesar when Brutus betrays Caesar when he stabs him, even though they're best friends.

Brutus literally stabs Caesar in the back.

And that's where we get that phrase from today.

We get that from William Shakespeare when Brutus stabbed Caesar, therefore an act of betrayal.

Which of the following is a correct example of betrayal? Is it when you're confused about whether someone has lied to you? Is it when you steal from someone? Is it when you agree to do something and then don't do it? Or is it when you break someone's trust? Pause the video here, take your time and then press play when you're ready to find out the answer There are two correct examples here.

The correct example of betrayal would be if you break someone's trust, but also if you agree to do something and then you don't do it, you are betraying someone.

This is the situation on Animal Farm.

Pilkington and Frederick are the two nearby farmers.

Napoleon has a friendly relationship with Pilkington but the animals are concerned about a possible attack from Frederick.

Napoleon is friendly with Pilkington, possible attack from Frederick.

Feeling against Frederick continued to run high.

One Sunday morning, Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never, at any time, contemplated selling the pile of timber to Frederick.

He considered it beneath his dignity, he said, to have dealings with scoundrels of that description.

Two days later, the animals were called together for a special meeting in the barn.

They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick.

Tomorrow, Frederick's waggons would arrive and begin carting it away.

Throughout the whole period of his seeming friendship with Pilkington, Napoleon had really been in secret agreement with Frederick.

Interesting.

The animals are terrified of Frederick and Napoleon and Pilkington are friends.

And then all of a sudden, Napoleon says, "I've sold all of the timber to Frederick." And it seems that throughout the entire time he was friends with Pilkington, Napoleon was secretly making agreements and making deals with Frederick.

I would now like you to answer the following question.

Who has Napoleon betrayed? I've given you a short quotation at the top of the screen you can use to answer this question.

And I've also given you some vocabulary in a box to help you along as well.

If you feel confident to answer the question now, press pause.

If you would like some more support, don't press pause quite yet.

The support that is here for you, Napoleon has betrayed Pilkington because and you can complete that sentence.

You can then extend your answer and challenge yourself by adding on, however, Napoleon has also betrayed the animals because.

And think about why the animals have been betrayed as well as Pilkington.

Pause the video here, try your absolute best and then press play when you're ready for some feedback.

Here is an answer that you may have written.

Napoleon has betrayed Pilkington.

He has been deceitful by pretending to be in a friendship, but really planning a secret agreement to trade with Frederick.

Napoleon has also betrayed the animals because originally, the pigs said they would never trade with humans, but now Napoleon has decided to break that agreement.

There's two things going on here.

We have Napoleon betraying Pilkington because he's pretended to be friends but the whole time has been working with Frederick.

But Napoleon has also betrayed the animals because the pigs had said they would never ever trade with humans because Old Major had told them not to, but he's done it anyway.

Napoleon has betrayed Pilkington as well as the animals.

As long as you have that in your answer you can give yourself a big tick.

Let's have a look at the next extract.

The pigs were in ecstasies over Napoleon's cunning.

By seeming to be friendly with Pilkington, he had forced Frederick to raise his price by 12 pounds.

But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind, said Squealer, was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody, not even Frederick.

Frederick had wanted to pay for the timber with something called a check, which it seemed was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it.

But Napoleon was too clever for him.

He had demanded payment in real five-pound notes, which were to be handed over before the timber was removed.

Already, Frederick had paid up and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill.

Here, we have the pigs being very excited over Napoleon's cleverness.

And Napoleon has refused to accept a check.

And he said, no, I want cold, hard cash.

And the cash that they've been given is enough to pay for the windmill.

Now there's another question for you to have a go at.

Why do the animals celebrate Napoleon's actions? To help you with your answer, I've given you a quotation in the box at the top of the screen.

There's also a list of vocabulary in the box on the right-hand side of the screen.

If you feel confident to have a go, press pause and start your answer now.

If you'd like more support, keep listening.

Here is a sentence starter for you to use.

The animals celebrate Napoleon's actions, because, and then I want you to think about what the money is going to be used for and why that would make the animals happy.

Press pause here, have your best try.

Have a go and then press play when you're ready to find out how you've done.

Here is an example of an answer you might have written.

The animals celebrate the success of Napoleon's betrayal because they are naive and they can only see the benefit of having enough money to buy the machinery for the windmill.

In your answer, I'd like to see that you have included something about the animals being happy because now they have the machinery for the windmill.

But also something about that showing that they are naive.

Because even though they have the machinery for the windmill, that means they're going to have to do a lot of work.

And it also means that they very easily forget that Napoleon is trading with humans, which none of them ever thought was a good idea.

So yes, they are happy, but the fact that they are happy shows they are naive.

This is the last extract we'll read together.

Three days later, there was a terrible hullabaloo.

Whymper, his face deadly pale, came racing up the path on his bicycle, flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse.

The next moment, a choking roar of rage sounded from Napoleon's apartments.

The news of what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire.

The bank notes were forgeries.

Frederick had got the timber for nothing.

Napoleon called the animals together immediately and in a terrible voice, pronounced the death sentence upon Frederick.

Here we can see that Napoleon's plan hasn't quite worked out this time.

Frederick has paid Napoleon in fake bank notes and Napoleon has just found out.

I would now like you to answer this question, how does Napoleon react to the forged bank notes? I've given you two quotations from the extract in the box at the top.

And I've also given you some vocabulary in the box on the right.

As with the other questions, if you are confident and you want to have a go now, press pause and write an answer.

If you feel like you need more support, keep listening.

I've given you your first sentence, but I've left a gap because there is vocabulary on the screen for you to include there.

We know this because, and then you need to finish off that sentence.

Write down the first sentence filling in the gap and then complete the rest of the answer using the quotations at the top of your screen.

Press pause, try your best and then press play to get some feedback.

Good luck.

Here is a possible answer.

Napoleon is furious when he discovers the forgeries and places a death sentence upon Frederick.

We know from his choking roar of rage, that he is shocked that someone has betrayed him, which shows Napoleon is a hypocrite.

In your answer, as a minimum, I would expect you to have said that Napoleon is furious.

And I would expect you to have commented on the fact that he roared with rage.

I would then also expect you to comment on the fact that he's a hypocrite.

He is someone who says one thing but does another, because he's pronouncing the death sentence upon Frederick.

However, Napoleon has betrayed Pilkington and he's betrayed the animals and he doesn't see anything wrong in him doing it.

But when someone else does it, he gives them the death sentence.

He is a hypocrite.

Must include that he was furious.

Must include that you know that because he roared with rage.

And finally that he is a hypocrite.

Please check your answer and make sure you have those three things included.

And that is our lesson complete for today.

It's been a really interesting one because you've been able to do quite a lot of your own writing.

If you want to show that off, ask your parent or carer to share your work on Twitter.

They can tag us @OakNational and use our #LearnwithOak.

But if you do not share your work on social media, please still be really proud of everything you've achieved today.

I know I'm really proud of you.

Looking forward to working with you for the last three lessons.

And I will see you soon.

Well done.