Hello.

Welcome.

Thank you so much for joining me for today's lesson.

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

And today we're gonna be thinking about writing responses, and in particular focusing on those all important introductions and conclusions.

So shall we get started? So by the end of the lesson you will be able to write sophisticated introductions and conclusions about the theme of education in "Animal Farm." So before we delve into this lesson, there are a few keywords to be aware of that will just help with your understanding.

These are overarching, thesis, fable, timeless, and noun appositive.

In a moment, the definitions will appear on the screen.

You may wish to pause the video so you have plenty of time to read them and make sure you understand them.

So these are the definitions.

So the lesson outline for introductions and conclusions looks like this.

So we're gonna start with an introduction and we're gonna finish with a conclusion.

So we're gonna work through logically.

So with that in mind, let's start with our introductions.

We're going to begin thinking about the structure of our introductions.

Now, the best introductions follow a three-part structure and move from the general to specific ideas.

Now, the best way to think of this is like a triangle.

So we've got our big ideas at the top of that triangle, the general, which then move down into that point, making it more focused and more specific.

And the three sections that you should aim to include look like this.

So that at the top of this triangle, that general idea, is a sentence about the text as a whole.

You then want to start focusing.

So narrowing down your introduction by focusing on a theme or character.

So there will be one in the question to look out for.

So the question will always specify, your essay question will specify, whether it's a character or theme, and you should mention this in that middle section of your introduction.

And then finally, that point of the triangle, we're really narrowing down our introduction now, and we need to think about our thesis statement.

That sentence or two that really summarises your overarching argument.

So can you identify the sections of the three-part structure? Excellent, well done.

Some really quick responses there.

I was very impressed.

So yeah, we've got at the top of our triangle, those big ideas, a sentence above the whole text.

And then we're gonna narrow it down to that sentence focusing on the the theme or character as specified in the question.

And then finally, our thesis statement.

Well done, everyone.

So now let's look at an example of a three-part introduction.

So in a moment you will see an introduction, and you'll notice how it's been broken down into those three parts.

So the first part is our general, our sentence about the whole text.

And this says, "The novella 'Animal Farm' stands as a profound critique of totalitarian regimes, with a key focus on the dynamics of revolution." So we can see, "The novella 'Animal Farm' stands as." You can see that it's this big general statement about the text.

Now we're going to narrow down that focus.

So the next part is, "Boxer and his unwavering commitment show how education can be used as a powerful method of control." So even though I don't know the question to this introduction, that second sentence can give me clues.

So I'm thinking the question must have been about Boxer and/or education because that's what's in this second part of this introduction.

The introduction's really starting to narrow the focus down.

And then finally, our thesis statement, that point of the triangle, "Through the character of Boxer, Orwell highlights the role of education in maintaining hierarchies." So again, we can tell that the question is about Boxer.

It's going to be something to do with education.

And in this thesis statement, this really emphasises that this argument is going to be about education and hierarchies.

Question time.

Which one of the following statement is not true when writing effective introductions? So which of the following statements is not true when writing effective introductions? Well done to everyone that noticed it was b.

Yes.

So remember we're looking for not true.

So this statement says, "The second sentence should include a thesis statement to narrow your argument." So actually we don't put our thesis statement in until the third section of our introduction.

So that's the one that's not true.

A bit of a tricky question there wasn't it? Okay, so we're going to look at how to write the first two sentences of an introduction, so the general part of the introduction and then the focus on the character or theme.

So for this instruction, we're going to use the question how does Orwell use the character of Boxer to explore ideas about education in "Animal Farm?" So let's read through the introduction together first.

"'Animal Farm,' Orwell's satirical fable about revolution, illustrates not just the failures of the communist revolution in Russia, but also the difficulties of enacting social change in any society.

Boxer represents the proletariat within this allegory: he is a noble and hardworking figure who is exploited by the humans and the pigs in turn for his strength and labour.

Through the presentation of Boxer, Orwell demonstrates the importance of education as a way of empowering the working classes and preventing corruption." So as we have said, the first sentences should say something about the text as a whole.

So a general statement and information about the text.

So a really good habit to get into is to try using noun appositives, and use them in your first sentence 'cause it's a really great way to extend your first comment and add some extra information in.

So if we look here, "'Animal Farm,' Orwell's satirical fable about revolution," you can see here that I've expanded the noun "Animal Farm" to add in extra information.

So there's another example here.

So "'Animal Farm,' Orwell's treaties on language is an allegory of the Russian Revolution." So you can see by using that noun appositive, how you can add in more information.

And also what's interesting about these general sentences about the text is they can be adapted, and you don't have to come up with something brand new every single time you write an introduction.

So you can sort of adapt these introductory sentences to fit purpose, but try using that noun appositive to help you expand your noun.

So, "'Animal Farm,' Orwell's satirical fable about the revolution," or, "'Animal Farm,' Orwell's allegorical novel about the Russian Revolution." So you can see there how using that really extends the information you're presenting to your reader.

So here are some sentence starters to help you.

"'Animal Farm,' Orwell's 1945 satirical novella is essentially about." So again, that's a really adaptable sentence starter using that noun appositive.

And again, it could be used for a number of different essays.

So could this one.

"'Animal Farm,' Orwell's allegorical novel, explores.

." again, could be used for any number of essays.

"The novella "Animal Farm" is fundamentally about.

." So that one doesn't have a noun appositive, but again, it's a really good general statement about the text that you could use for a number of introductions.

So the second sentence is a bit trickier because this has to be specific to the question.

So you won't really know what to write until you see a question because it needs to narrow the focus.

So if you look here, I talk about how Boxer represents the proletariat because the question was about Boxer, so I have to mention him in that second sentence.

So we need to make sure that within that sentence we're using those key words, so, "Boxer represents the proletariat within this allegory." Okay, so you can see here how we are narrowing down these sentences.

Okay, so now we have thought about the first and second part of the introduction, we're going to focus on the third part, and this is the thesis statement.

So let's just remind ourselves of that question.

How does Orwell use the character of Boxer to explore ideas about education in "Animal farm?" So the thesis statement that I've got here is, "Through the presentation of Boxer," so again, I've linked that question.

So I know I'm gonna talk about Boxer, and I'm thinking about what Orwell does through that character.

So, "Orwell demonstrates the importance of education as a way of empowering the working classes and preventing corruption." So you can see here I've included words from the question, but I've made it a more specific argument.

So yes, I'm going to be talking about Boxer, yes, I'm going to be talking about how Orwell uses the character of Boxer, and I'm also going to be talking about how education, it can be used to empower working classes and prevent corruption.

So I'm gonna be focusing on those ideas of empowerment and corruption within my essay.

So just to clarify, the thesis statement should present your overarching argument.

So it's the key idea you want to explore in your essay, and it should also reference the writer's purpose.

So always think about what the question is asking you.

So why does Orwell present Boxer as unintelligent and hardworking, for example, and what issues does Orwell hint at? So sometimes thinking about the question and just asking some smaller questions around it can help you come up with a thesis statement, but a thesis statement is really your own reaction to the question and how you would answer that question.

So a good way to start your thesis statement is to use a complex sentence with a fronted subordinate clause.

Now, this sounds very complicated and wordy, but I promise you it really isn't.

So it's just using a subordinate clause at the start.

So things like, "Through the presentation of Boxer, Orwell warns his that," or, "Through Boxer, Orwell asks a crucial question," or, "Through this theme, Orwell illustrates that." So just using that phrase, "Through the," is using that fronted subordinate clause.

So yes, it sounds complicated, but it's just about opening up your sentence enables to develop it further.

So just, "Through the character of," or, "Through the theme of," really helps to add a level of sophistication to your writing.

Okay, true or false time.

Using a complex sentence with a fronted subordinate clause is a good way to start your thesis statement.

Let's see how much you remember.

Yeah, well done.

That's true.

It is a good way to start your thesis statement.

Now justify your answer.

Yes, great.

An example of this is: In the presentation of.

Now again, a complex sentence with a fronted subordinate clause sounds very complicated, but just using some of the examples will be helpful.

So here we've got, "In the presentation of," which is another example that we can use to start our thesis statements.

Okay, we have already reached our first practise task.

So what I would like you to do is I would like you to write your own introduction based on the following question.

How does Orwell use the character of Boxer to explore ideas about education in "Animal Farm?" So you will need to use the three-part structure that we have just explored, and there will also be some sentence starters to help you.

So over to you to write your own introduction.

I will put some sentence starters up to help you write this task.

Here they are, and the structure is there too.

So you've got everything that you will need to create a fantastic introduction.

So it's time to pause the video and time for you to get writing.

Off you go.

Really well done, everyone.

I loved hearing how some of you are already starting to use some of those phrases in your introductions, particularly those general phrases that use those noun appositives that can be applied to a number of different introductions.

So really great to start practising using those.

So let's just check through and check that you have included the following.

So does your introduction have a general sentence about the text as a whole? So have you included a noun appositive? So something like, "'Animal Farm,' Orwell's satirical novella suggests that.

." So just expanding on that noun to give some more information.

Does your second part in the introduction, is there a sentence in there focusing on the theme or character? So for this question, you would need to reference Boxer.

And then does it have that all important thesis statement, which demonstrates your overarching argument and does it link to Orwell's purpose? So for this question, you might explore ideas about how Orwell uses Boxer to demonstrate how access to education is controlled to prevent the proletariat from questioning corruption, something like that.

Okay, so we are on to the second part of our lesson, which is we've looked at the introductions, so now we are going to look at how we write our conclusions.

So now, a conclusion works in the opposite direction of an introduction.

So where as our introduction was from the general to the specific, our conclusion goes from the specific to the general, so the triangle looks a bit different this time.

So our point is at the top.

So our first sentence, our specific sentence, it just needs to summarise what you have said.

So think about your overarching argument, what you have argued in your essay, and just a sentence to kind of bring it all together and summarise what it is you have said.

Then your next sentence should think about making an evaluative comment.

So in a moment, we'll look at some phrases to help you do that.

And then finally, that third sentence, your general sentence in your conclusion, is a sentence about what the text teaches us or gets us to think about.

And again, we'll look at some ways we can do that in a moment.

But first, can you identify the sections of the three-part conclusion structure? Oh, well done.

That was really excellent.

So yeah, loads of you already have remembered that.

So yeah, that first sentence is about summarising what you have said, that second sentence is that evaluative comment, and then finally that ending sentence is all about what the text teaches us or gets us to think about.

So what does this look like? So we're gonna look at an example now so we can really get a sense of what this three-part conclusion looks like.

So our first specific sentence about summarising our response could look something like this.

"Ultimately, Boxer serve as a representation of how powerful education can be in the manipulation of societies." Then we have, "Orwell effectively employees Boxer to reveal the dangers of an uneducated working class and their unconscious complicity in the maintaining of power structures." So you've got that evaluative comment there in, "Orwell effectively employs." And then finally, "Therefore Orwell offers a timeless message about the power of education." So looking at this introduction here, can you identify and label the three parts of this conclusion? So for this, you may need to pause the video just to give yourself time to read through that conclusion and make sure you know which part is which.

Great, well done.

So it is actually in order.

So we've got that first sentence, which just summarises what you have said, so, "Consequently, the animals become." So we've got our summary sentence, then we've got our evaluative comments.

So some of you may have picked up on that, so, "Orwell cleverly uses." And then finally that sentence, that whole sentence, that gets us thinking about what we've just read.

So that word timeless is a great way to finish your conclusion.

So now let's look at how to write an effective conclusion in detail.

So before we get down to the nuts and bolts and those all important phrases, let's just read the conclusion together.

So, "Ultimately, within this 'fable,' the loyal and hardworking Boxer represents the proletariat, who like the horse in the story, were exploited by their communist leaders due to their lack of education.

Orwell effectively shows that despite Boxer's great physical strength, he is disempowered due to his poor literacy and a weak grasp of language.

Through this sympathetic character, Orwell leaves the reader with the universal message that the only way to empower the proletariat and to create a more equal society is through education." So let's look at the start.

So a really good way to start your conclusion and that first summary sentence is to have a go at using a conclusive discourse marker.

So you may have noticed in the other conclusions words like ultimately, consequently, or I really like fundamentally.

They are just a great way to signal to your reader this is my final section.

And then that second sentence is all about evaluating Orwell's purpose.

So using evaluative phrases like effectively, successfully, or cleverly, or undoubtedly really help you show that you are evaluating.

So things like, "Orwell effectively shows that despite Boxer's great physical strength," or, "Orwell cleverly reveals that the cycle of oppression is never ending." So using those evaluative phrases are a great way to get that second sentence written.

And then final, my favourite part of the conclusion, and actually the whole essay.

So the final sentence should be really impactful and comment on Orwell's overarching themes.

So I always like to use words like timeless and universal because they really help support the final comment, but it's also just really impactful for the reader, particularly if it's the last thing they're going to read.

So I love this sentence, so, "Through this sympathetic character, Orwell leaves the reader with the universal message that the only way to empower the proletariat and to create a more equal society is through education." So it's a really big sentence.

So yeah, try using timeless and universal.

The timeless message or the universal idea.

It just sounds really impactful.

So which one of these is not an evaluative phrase? Well done for everyone that noticed it's consequently.

So consequently is one of our conclusive discourse markers.

The other three words we can use for evaluative purposes.

Well done, everyone, you have worked so hard.

There's just a little bit more work to do, but we have reached our second and final practise task.

So this is all about conclusions.

So now it's your turn to write your own conclusion, and we're going to use the question that we used for our introduction.

So how does Orwell use the character of Boxer to explore ideas about education in "Animal Farm?" So in a moment, I will give you some sentence starters to help you and the three-part structure, but what I would say as well is look back to that introduction that we did in Task A and use that to inform what you are going to write in your conclusion so you can kind of imagine what you might be summarising.

Okay, so let's get these sentence starters ready to go.

Here they are, and that three-part conclusion.

Pause the video so you've got plenty of time to write that impactful conclusion.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone, and thank you so much for keeping that momentum up.

That last task can sometimes be quite hard to get finished, but you've really done well on it.

So just check through your conclusion.

Have you concluded? Have you concluded.

Have you included the following? A sentence that summarises your main ideas and uses conclusive discourse markers.

So look for those words fundamentally, finally, and consequently.

Have you used a sentence that makes an evaluative comment? So to check this, look for those evaluative phrases, so undoubtedly, effectively, and successfully.

And then have you got that wonderful impactful closing sentence? So that one that focuses on the text as a whole.

So you may have said something about a timeless or a universal message.

So is that in there, and does it comment on Orwell's overarching themes and purpose? If it doesn't, you know to do it for next time.

So well done, everyone, we have done it.

We have reached the end of our lesson, and I have been so impressed with your commitment to these introductions and conclusions and can't wait to see some of them in action in future essays.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything we have done this lesson.

So we know that an introduction and conclusion should follow a three-part structure.

An excellent introduction should start with a general statement about the text, then focus on the question, followed by a thesis.

A thesis statement should include a clear overarching argument referring to the writer's purpose.

A conclusion should summarise, evaluate, and consider the timeless nature of the text.

And a conclusion should include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the text in exploring the writer's purpose.

Phew, that was a packed lesson, so well done.

I really hope to see you in another lesson in the future, but until then, I will say goodbye.

Goodbye.