Hello, welcome.

Thank you for joining me today.

I'm Mrs. Butterworth and I'll be guiding you through the learning.

Now today's lesson is called "Writing Essays about Animal Farm." Now I'm sure some of you feel quite daunted by that idea.

However, this lesson will give you all of the steps and lots of strategies to make sure you can write a fantastic essay.

So, shall we get started? So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to write an extended and developed response to "Animal Farm." Before we delve in, there are a few key words we need to have a look at that will help with our understanding of the lesson and when you come to write your essays.

These are hypocritical, manipulative, hierarchy, and dependent.

Let's read the definitions.

You may want to pause the video so you have time to do this.

So the outline of our lesson today, writing an essay, looks like this.

We're going to start by approaching the question, so really looking at how we can use the keywords from a question to develop our argument.

Then we're going to look at how we can use single paragraph outlines to plan our excellent essays before moving on to writing an essay.

So let's start with that question.

So before writing an essay, it's really important to plan.

Now, I know some of you will be thinking, I don't have time to plan or planning is a waste of time, but I really cannot emphasise enough how good it is to get in the habit of planning.

Because the more you practise, the quicker it becomes and it becomes such an efficient, effective way to ensure that you have a well structured, well thought out response.

I promise.

So the first part in our planning process is to read our question and think about the key words.

So let's look at our practise question, is how does Orwell use Squealer to explore ideas around propaganda and manipulation? So you are now going to read the question again and then I would like you to discuss.

What are the key words and what are you being asked to do? Pause the video so you have time to discuss this or think about your ideas.

Excellent.

Well done.

I think lots of you picked out these keywords, how, Squealer, propaganda, manipulation.

But let's just look at these in a little bit more depth.

So, how.

How is our really important question word.

Because what this is telling us that we need to do is we need to refer to the writer's methods.

So we need to be able to analyse Orwell's language choices and comment on why he has made them.

So how has Orwell achieved what he has? And then we've obviously got Squealer, so this is our character focus.

So this is telling us who we need to write about, and it's also telling us that we should link to Squealer's key plot points and also how Orwell uses these to explore propaganda and manipulation.

And then, obviously, we've got these bigger themes, the propaganda and manipulation, and these are obviously linking to the wider themes of the novella.

Now what you should do in your response is you should use Squealer as a springboard to examine other characters in relation to this theme.

So, yes, you should absolutely start with Squealer as your primary focus, but then use him to then explore other characters in relation to propaganda and manipulation.

Now it's your turn to practise.

So this is your essay question and we will be working with this throughout the lesson.

So your essay question is, how does Orwell use the pigs to explore ideas about power and equality in "Animal Farm?" So I'd like you to pause the video and pick out those keywords.

Excellent.

Some of you were really quick then, so well done.

So let's just share what those keywords are just to check that everyone got the same.

So, first word is how, then we've got the pigs, so this question is asking you to focus on the pigs as your character focus, and then we've got those themes of power and equality.

So we can use the pigs as our primary focus to discuss those themes of power and equality, but then we can also bring in some other characters, too.

So, we now understand the question.

So now what we need to think about is our overarching argument.

So what are we going to be saying about this question? So we know that our question is how does Orwell use Squealer to explore ideas about propaganda or manipulation? So this is the question we're using just to practise.

So what I would like you to do is to mind map all of the ideas you have around Squealer and how he uses propaganda to increase inequality.

Think about points rather than the writer's methods.

Pause the video so you can practise doing this.

Excellent.

So many interesting points coming out there, so it's really great.

And I love the use of specific examples in those points.

So let's just go through and share what we have.

So the first thing I'm thinking about is one way that Orwell uses Squealer to show propaganda and manipulation is the way he reinvents history.

So he rewrites events to fit the pigs' narrative.

So this really links to that idea of propaganda, which then means he's able to use Snowball as a scapegoat.

So you can see here how I'm using the specific plot points from the novella to link to those ideas of propaganda and manipulation.

And then we have Squealer who manipulates those numbers and statistics.

We get those really inflated numbers of 100%, 200%.

And he does this obviously to see the animals.

And he exaggerates the success of the windmill, creating a false sense of prosperity.

And again, this really links to those key themes in the question about propaganda and manipulation.

My third point, and a way that Orwell shows that Squealer represents this propaganda and manipulation, is how they rewrite or how he rewrites the commandments.

And this shows him manipulating his language and the language of the farm to justify the pig's hypocritical behaviour.

And then, finally, we know that Squealer, in order to manipulate the animals, uses fear and ignorance.

So, again, another specific example is how he uses the threat of Jones and misinformation to create uncertainty and dependence.

So we've got that idea of dependence there, that the animals get so scared that they think that they cannot live without the pig 'cause they are dependent on them to feel safe.

True or false time.

I should mind map my ideas as part of the planning process.

True or false? Yes.

Well done to everyone that said true.

Starting to get on board with this idea of planning.

Excellent.

Now you need to justify your answer.

Excellent, correct.

Absolutely.

Mind mapping these key ideas will help you to organise your thoughts into a logical argument.

So we have reached our first practise task or the first stage in our planning for our essay.

So I'm just gonna remind you of the essay question that you are working on, and that is, how does Orwell use the pigs to explore ideas about power and equality in "Animal Farm?" So you have already considered the key words in this question earlier on in the lesson, so we looked at what those key words are.

So now what you need to do is you now need to mind map all of your ideas around the pigs, how they gain power, and what this does to equality on the farm.

So we've just practised this with that Squealer question.

So we just now need to think about adapting those idea to make it specific for your essay question.

And just remember to make points rather than commenting on the writer's methods.

So keep it specific to plot points.

And then what I would like you to do is I would like you to select your best three points and these will become the overarching argument of your essay.

Okay.

So, over to you now.

Pause the video and we'll share our responses in a moment.

Well done, everyone.

Excellent work.

I really loved hearing some of those ideas that were coming out there.

That's great.

So I'm going to pinch a few ideas that I've heard.

You may have something different, which is fine.

You may need to add some ideas.

So, again, this will help you.

But let's just read through.

So Napoleon uses fear and violence to terrorise the animals and this creates a hierarchy.

So, again, I've got that particular plot point, Napoleon using fear and violence, and the link to equality because that obviously creates a hierarchy.

It puts him above the animal, above the other animals.

And then the other example I've got is how the pigs control basic resources to make the animals dependent.

So this is how they gain their power.

And what this does in terms of equality is it means that the pigs always have more than the animals.

And then I've bought in Old Major here because I think he's also a very powerful character, a very powerful pig.

And he's powerful because of his use of rhetoric and the promise of equality to persuade the animals to rebel.

So Old Major actually linked to that idea of equality and that he uses it to inspire the animals.

And then, finally, this idea about how the pigs use their intelligence to manipulate language and disseminate propaganda.

And this really creates inequality amongst those that could read and those that can't.

So you can see here how all of these ideas give a specific method of how the characters gain control and then how this creates inequality.

And then, hopefully, you've picked your top three to take forward into your essay.

So we are now moving on to the second part of the lesson and we're going to use everything that we've just done with the question and then we're going to use it to start really focusing in on our planning and using those single paragraph outlines.

So thinking about the main part of our essay, we're going to use the single paragraph outline, which looks like this.

So we have our topic sentence, the supporting detail, and the concluding sentence.

So this is how we lay out our single paragraph outlines.

And you'll need two to three of these for a full essay.

So I would always try and aim for three, but some of you might find two is enough.

So, looking at this single paragraph outline, what is missing? Well done, everyone.

That's great.

Yeah, topic sentence.

Absolutely 'cause we've already got our supporting detail there and the concluding sentence.

So now I'm just going to model for you what a good single paragraph outline looks like and how we can use those ideas we thought about earlier and pop them into a single paragraph outline.

So let's focus on the topic sentence first.

So our topic sentence should use our mind maps, our initial ideas, to create those topic sentences.

So we should include key words from the question as well, which we will have done in those mind maps.

We also need to include a relevant example that allows for development.

Again, we've started to do that in our mind maps.

And you should try and include a discourse marker to logically organise your argument.

So things like initially, furthermore, however are really good discourse markers to use.

So here's my topic sentence.

I'm gonna use the Squealer question 'cause we're just practising for now.

So initially, Squealer uses propaganda to instil fear and uncertainty through the threat of Jones coming back.

So I've got my discourse marker there initially, I've got my character focus on Squealer, and then I refer to the propaganda that's in that question.

And my example is that fear and threat of Jones.

Now your supporting detail should only be in note form, so no full sentences required here.

You should try and put it in a logical sequence, so the way in which you are going to deal with each point.

You're going to include main and supporting quotes.

And what that means is your main quote should be something really juicy, so something that has lots to analyse and says lots about the character you're focusing on.

And then your supporting quotes will be maybe single words that back up those arguments.

You'll also need to identify any methods and underline any key words.

So let's look at what that looks like.

So I've got, you can see here, I've highlighted my supporting quotes.

So I've used my juicy quotes that he could turn black into white because, and again, I've identified the method, the metaphor, because I think this is a really juicy quote to show how Squealer uses propaganda and it says lots about that character.

And then I've also got my supporting quotes with those three short adjectives.

Twinkling, nimble, and brilliant.

And you can see here how I've identified that method in my supporting detail section.

I've also included some notes and short ideas around the quotes.

So these are there just to remind me when I start writing the essays that this is what I should focus on.

So I've written things like emphasise how charismatic and persuasive he is, what the descriptions do, they establish how powerful Squealer is in manipulating language from the outset.

So those notes around the quotes will just remind me when I come to write about what it is I'm actually saying.

And I can use those notes to create full sentences and full ideas.

Okay, let's look at our concluding sentence.

So the concluding sentence, have a go at using some conclusive discourse markers.

So things like consequently or fundamentally are really nice conclusive discourse markers.

You should try and refer to your topic sentence, so think about those key words.

And what the purpose of your concluding sentences is to really summarise everything you've said in that paragraph in a nice sentence, a nice, clear sentence.

So here's my example.

Here's my conclusive discourse marker.

Therefore, Orwell reveals the continued manipulation of the animals through Squealer's use of fear in keeping the animals complicit.

So you can see here how this links back to the topic sentence and summarises all those ideas in my paragraph.

Okay.

So, I've shown you an example.

So with that fresh in your mind, we're now moving on to our second practise task or the second part of our planning process for our essay.

So I'm just gonna remind you of the essay question, which is, how does Orwell use the pigs to explore ideas about power and equality in "Animal Farm?" So refer back to those mind maps and key points that you made in task A.

And now you will need to create your single paragraph outlines for your essay.

So in a moment, I will pop those single paragraph outlines on the screen and you can create those, you can create the single paragraph outlines for your own planning.

Okay, so it's over to you.

Here are your single paragraph outlines.

Pause the video so you have plenty of time to create these plans.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

Excellent work.

So I can really see how you're starting to use those single paragraph outlines to plan your response.

And I promise, it might seem slow at the moment, but it will get so much quicker the more you practise using these so that it means that your essays will get better, too.

So let's just check your single paragraph outlines.

Have you included topic sentences that clearly reference the question and introduce your main point? Does your supporting detail include main, those nice juicy quotes, and supporting quotes with methods identified? And do you have a concluding sentence that refers to the topic sentence, but most importantly, summarises your ideas? So we have reached the third part of our lesson, which is all about finally writing that essay.

So let's get on with this last section.

So your overall essay structure should look like this.

So, just as a reminder, you should have your introduction, so your three-part structure.

So moving from the general to the specific, and this should include your thesis statement as well.

You should then look to include your three points.

So these should have topic sentences, they should have supporting detail with methods identified and analysed, there should be links to context, and also that closing sentence.

And then, finally, you should finish your lovely essay with a conclusion.

And this, again, will be that three part structure.

And it will move from the specific to the general, it will summarise your main argument, and it will also leave a lovely impactful closing statement about the text as a whole.

So, quick question for you.

You should aim in your essay to have a minimum of how many points? Well done.

Three, we're aiming for three.

However, some of you might find that two is enough.

Okay.

So now it's time to think about finally writing your essay.

So before we do, let's just make sure we fully understand what makes a good essay.

So, pause the video and quickly discuss, what do we need to include to make our literature essays really good? Off you go.

Great.

There was some really lively quick discussions there and lots of you fully understanding what we need in our essay.

So let's have a look.

You might have said that it needs an introduction and a conclusion using our three-part structure, that it's gotta be well structured and perhaps uses discourse markers to ensure that the ideas are structured well, there's gonna be those well-selected quotes, there's also gonna be methods analysed using terminology and linked to our writer's purpose, in this case, Orwell, we're gonna include some contextual information, and then, finally, it's obviously going to be well-written and used some beautiful sophisticated phrases.

So, before we delve into the lesson, one final check, what is missing from the success criteria? Yes, of course, quotes.

You mustn't forget to include quotes in your literature essays.

So we have reached that time where we are on our final practise task, which is all about you writing your essay.

So you will need to use your planning tasks from earlier on in the lesson to write these.

And a reminder of the question, how does Orwell use the pigs to explore ideas about power and equality in "Animal Farm?" And remember, we know those keywords in the question.

We've mind mapped our ideas and we have those beautiful single paragraph outlines that we can then use to write this essay.

I will also give you some sentence starters to help you, which I will put here.

So you have everything that you need to write a fantastic essay about the pigs and power and equality.

So, it's finally over to you to write these essays.

So pause the video so you have plenty of time to get this done.

I really can't wait to see what you achieve.

Wow.

Well done, everyone.

I was so impressed with the level of concentration and hard work there.

Really fantastic stuff.

It's not always easy writing essays, but you should be really proud of yourself.

It's fantastic.

Right.

So one final thing to do with our essays is we need to just check it through quickly using our success criteria.

So have you included an introduction and conclusion and does it have that three-part structure? Is your argument well structured? Does it use discourse markers? Have you included those well-selected quotes? Have you made sure you've analysed those quotes using terminology to identify the method and link to writer's purpose? Have you included some contextual information in there? And have you used some sophisticated phrases? Again, another really well done to all you have achieved today, and hopefully you've started to see just how important that planning process is in writing really effective essays.

Again, I promise you it will get quicker and you will really see how it impacts those essays.

So really well done again.

So let's just go over everything that we've learned in those planning stages.

So we know that reading the question and picking out keywords is useful in order to understand its expectations, planning key points helps to create an overarching argument, single paragraph outlines are useful in creating a detailed plan for the main body of an essay, and using success criteria is an effective way to help write an essay.

Thank you again for all of your hard work today.

You've done brilliantly and I cannot wait to work with you again soon in another lesson.

So I'll see you then.