Hello and welcome.

It's so lovely to see you all and thank you for joining me.

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

Now this lesson is focused on the importance of the windmill in "Animal Farm." Now I'm sure you are all aware of the windmill, but I want us to make sure we leave this lesson having a really good understanding of how important this symbol is throughout the novella and what it represents.

So let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain the importance of the windmill in "Animal Farm." Before we delve into the lesson, there are a few keywords you need to be aware of that will help with your understanding of the lesson.

These are futility, utopian, laborious, motif, and apathy.

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

You may wish to pause the video to give yourself plenty of time to read these, or you may even want to write them down.

Here come the definitions.

So the lesson outline looks like this.

First we're going to start by tracking the windmill.

So looking at the key points in the text where the windmill is referenced, and what this tells us.

And then we're going to move on to look at how we can write about the windmill in detail.

So let's start with tracking the windmill.

On the screen are two images that depict windmills in different styles.

And I really want us to think about what windmills look like, how they move, what they might represent in society, and start to think about linking this to "Animal Farm." So in a moment, I would like you to pause the video to discuss the following question.

Why is the windmill such an effective symbol for the cycle of corruption that Orwell exposes in "Animal Farm?" So now you'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to discuss this question or just think quietly to yourself.

Off you go.

Well done.

There was some really interesting discussions there about the imagery of windmills and how this might link to "Animal Farm." So well done.

Let's share some of those now.

So I noticed some of you making these sorts of motions for the rotations of the windmill, and we know that the windmill's rotations physically represent the cyclical nature of the novella.

So in the same way that Orwell is showing that cycles of oppression go round and round, windmill's blades also go round and round.

So it's a really strong image there.

Windmills, and we can see this in these two contrasting images, have continually evolved and signify industry and innovation.

So we've got got this old fashioned picture here where we've got the original use of mills for things like corn and grain, and then a more contemporary picture, which shows a wind turbine.

And we can see this kind of evolution, evolutionary process and this industry and innovation here.

And then finally, when we think about windmills, they really dominate a landscape.

You can see them for miles, and they really create a powerful presence.

And this is an interesting image when we consider the pigs' presence on the farm.

So very much like the windmills dominating the landscape, very much the pigs dominate the farm.

So there's some really interesting visual representations happening there.

So now you are going to do some reading.

So you'll need to find your "Animal Farm" texts.

So I would like you read to read chapter five from, "Within a few weeks Snowball's plans for the windmill," to, "and was seen no more." Pause the video so you have plenty of time to read this short extract.

Great.

So now you have read that extract.

I would like you to look at the following.

So in a moment you'll need to pause the video to discuss or make notes on the following questions.

So these are, why does Snowball want to build the windmill? Why does Napoleon initially resist the idea of the windmill? And finally, what does the windmill reveal about the different leadership styles of Snowball and Napoleon? So again, make sure you pause the video so you have time to discuss or make notes on these questions.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

I really like how some of you have started to use key words and phrases in your answers.

That's a really good habit to get into, and I'm going to share that in a moment in how to do that.

So well done.

So this first question, let's feedback our ideas.

Why does Snowball want to build the windmill? So he wants to build the windmill to save labour.

So you can see that quote there, and decrease the workload for the animals.

So his aim is all about this idea of the three day week.

And why does Napoleon initially resist the idea of the windmill? So he claims it will be a waste of time, and that food production needs to be increased.

And in true Napoleon style, he uses the threat of starvation to manipulate the animals.

So we see Napoleon doing this again and again throughout the novella.

And here he wants to resist the windmill, because he says if they don't start food production, everyone will starve.

And what does this reveal about the different leadership styles of Snowball and Napoleon? So it's interesting, isn't it? When we think about Snowball and his push for labour saving and the three day week, it really aligns with those ideals of Animalism and this aim for a better life and equality, whereas Napoleon already from this point seems committed to increasing the work of the animals through deceit.

So there really are contrasting leadership styles here.

So let's look at one more question.

So towards the end of the chapter, we read, "The animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all." What does this tell us about Napoleon's leadership? So pause the video so you have time to discuss or make notes on that question.

And we'll feed back in a moment.

Off you go.

Great, everyone.

That's really good.

So let's just share an answer.

So at this point of the novella, the windmill symbolises the power struggle between Napoleon and Snowball.

So the windmill is very much this political tool for the animals, well, Napoleon and Snowball, to use to gain the animals' favour and to gain power.

And what Orwell really emphasises, Napoleon's readiness to utilise propaganda and lies within his corrupt leadership.

So we see in this quote, his miraculous change of heart with the windmill.

And we see how Napoleon is ready to jump on board any idea that will benefit him and the pigs.

So let's do a quick question.

In chapter five, Napoleon is resistant to the idea of the windmill because he is campaigning for? Excellent.

I had lots of you shouting B, which is fantastic.

Yep, the full manger.

We also have the three day week there, which is Snowball's campaign.

So Snowball's slogan is "Vote for Snowball and the three day week." And Napoleon is in opposition to this.

"Vote for Napoleon and the full manger," which really shows their different leadership styles.

Okay, so we can see this line here, and what I want us to do, is I want us to look at some quotes throughout the novella, and we're going to think about what connects these quotes and what they reveal about the windmill.

So let's read the quotes together first.

So we have this first one here from chapter six.

"It was a slow laborious process.

Frequently, it took a whole day of exhausting effort to drag a single boulder to the top of the quarry.

And sometimes when it was pushed over the edge, it failed to break." So this quote here is describing how intensely hard it is to build or attempt to build this windmill.

Okay, the next quote in chapter seven.

"The solution as I see it, is to work harder.

From now onwards, I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings." And that comes from Boxer.

No surprise, really, when we consider his absolute dedication to hard work.

And you know, he's totally motivated by getting this windmill finished.

And the final quote from chapter nine, "Indeed all the animals worked like slaves that year.

Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear, but Boxer never faulted." So again, we see this description of the hard work that the animals are enduring, particularly Boxer, to try and get this windmill completed.

So now let's just think about what these say about the role of the windmill.

So first of all, in that quote, we get this, in the quote that describes the process of building the windmill, there's an interesting use of the word laborious.

And some of you will have noticed or picked up that this was also referenced by Old Major in chapter one.

So originally Old Major talks about the animals' laborious and short lives, and it's this that inspires them to rebel, because they don't want these lives.

And yet we see this language being used to describe the animals' lives, even under the pigs.

So nothing much has changed.

So this kind of laborious lifestyle they're living really emphasises the failed ideas of the rebellion.

And then we get this really strong image of these boulders failing to break.

And I think this is a really interesting thing when we think about the futility of the rebellion.

So this idea that they are spending all of this energy to push these boulders into the quarry for some of them to not even break, is a really interesting visual representation of the work they put in to overthrow Mr. Jones for absolutely nothing to change, and for the animals to continue to be exploited.

And then the windmill here becomes a symbol of corruption.

So the animals, particularly Boxer, work even harder under the pigs.

So the windmill and its motivation really become this symbol of corruption and show how far the pigs have come, and how far away the pigs are from those original ideals.

And then this final chapter, again, this quote also uses language from Old Major's speech.

And I'm sure some of you picked up on that simile, "worked life slaves." So here the windmill becomes a symbol of this continued cycle of oppression.

So the windmill is such a powerful symbol of this hard work, exploitation, corruption, all of those things that Orwell aims to reveal.

Now what connects these? Now some of you may have noticed that all of these quotes are linked to work and labour.

Initially Snowball planned the windmill as a means to reduce this.

So you remember he talked about the windmill being part of this three day week, part of being about this reduction of work for the animals and a better life.

But we can see how these ideals become corrupted and how the windmill absolutely represents this corruption and oppression that the pigs continue to drive.

True or false time.

The windmill becomes a symbol of power and corruption.

Well done, everyone, that shouted true.

That's absolutely true.

But now we need to justify that answer.

Well done, everyone, that answered A.

Yep.

Napoleon uses the windmill to exploit the animals' labour, which goes against the principles of Animalism.

Well done, everyone.

Let's keep going.

We are now going to look at an extract from chapter 10 together and really look at how the windmill changes from the beginning of the novella to the end.

So let's read the start of this extract and consider what is the windmill ultimately used for? So what is it used for at the end of the novella? So it says here, "Had not after all been used for generating electric power.

It was used for milling corn and bought in a handsome money profit." So this key thing here about the windmill being used to generate money profit rejects the principles on Animalism on so many levels.

So not only are the pigs engaged with humans by getting that money profit, but the animals' labour is being used to better the lives of the pigs.

Now I remember chapter one, we had this idea that actually animals shouldn't be exploited.

That the idea that humans are bad, because they consume without producing.

And here we see the windmill being used for exactly that purpose.

Now let's think about how this differs from Snowball's original promise, and it really does differ.

So let's read this section here.

So, "But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream, the stalls with electric lights and hot and cold water and the three day week were no longer talked about." Now, Snowball's promise was one of equality, and a better life for all.

And actually this is what Old Major talked about as well.

This is what inspired the rebellion, was all of this kind of stuff that Snowball is talking about.

But by the end of the novella, the windmill with its dreams of electricity and luxury has totally been redefined by Napoleon.

And the purpose of the windmill aligns with his own interests, making money, exploitation, corruption.

And then if we think about the animals' labour, is this why the animals worked like slaves to build it? Is this what they were aiming for? So we can see here that Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism.

"The truest happiness," he said, "lay in working hard and living frugally." So the animals worked diligently to build the windmill, because they believed in the vision that Snowball had initially presented to them.

They thought they were contributing to a better future for themselves.

But by chapter 10 we see that Napoleon has completely changed this around.

And what he is saying now is that all this idea of luxury is actually against Animalism, and actually that they should work really hard and live frugally.

So actually Napoleon has completely flipped the message of Animalism for his own gains.

And again, the discrepancy between the promised benefits and the actual use of the windmill underscores those themes of corruption and manipulation that we see throughout the novella.

Another quick question.

By chapter 10, the windmill is used.

Well done to everyone who said B.

It's used for milling corn to make a monetary profit, which we know goes against all of those original principles of Animalism.

So we're on to our first practise task.

So what I would like you to do, is I would like you to create a timeline tracking the role of the windmill throughout the novella.

So you may want to use your notes and the discussions from the lesson to help you.

You must include events.

So key plot points where the windmill is mentioned, quotations, characters, and themes.

So you may wish to lay it out like this.

So I've started with chapter five, 'cause this is where we first hear the windmill mentioned, and then I split it up into chapters so you can focus your attention on each chapter and how the windmill is referred to, key quotes, characters, themes.

So here's an example.

So in chapter five, we know that Snowball introduces the windmill plans and the hope of a three day week.

So I've got my quote there.

And what this represents is the power struggle.

So you will now need to pause the video.

So you've got loads of time to get that timeline done.

Off you go.

Okay, well done, everyone.

Really, really great stuff.

So that's a really good way to consolidate everything that you remember about the windmill, and have it presented in front of you on paper.

So that's really great.

Well done.

So what you'll need to do now is just check through your work.

So make sure that for each of those chapters, or for each of those section, that you've included a key plot point or event, you have a key quotation.

And this could be a word or a phrase that you've referenced a character, and that you have talked about the themes as well.

So we are already at the second part of our lesson.

Well done, everyone.

You were doing so well.

So now we're going to think about writing about the windmill.

So using everything that we have thought about so far, we're going to look at how we can really put those together to write about the windmill.

So you will see some images of some familiar animals on this slide.

So these are Benjamin, Snowball, Napoleon and Boxer.

And what I would like you to do, is I would like you to discuss how these characters' feelings differ towards the windmill.

So you'll need to pause the video so you have time to discuss, or just think about these ideas on your own.

Pause the video, off you go.

Excellent.

Well done.

I can see lots of you racking your brains to see what you can remember about each of those characters.

So now let's just share some of those ideas.

So Benjamin, as ever, is pessimistic and apathetic.

So this is exemplified in his view of the windmill, and he says that life will go on badly with or without the windmill.

So we know with Benjamin, he's very intelligent, and he understands what's going on.

And for him, he's just not gonna act either way.

He can see what the windmill is being used for, and he knows that it's just gonna end up badly.

So again, we see Benjamin's pessimistic and apathetic attitude, as always.

He's so cynical, isn't he, Benjamin? So Snowball.

Snowball is very progressive in the sense that he wants to make a better life for the animals, but perhaps his vision is a little bit idealistic, and maybe it could be described as utopian.

And it's really epitomised in these plans for the windmill.

So he is really idealistic, and we see that in his feelings towards the windmill.

And Napoleon.

So we know how politically astute Napoleon is, and we see him using the windmill as a political tool.

So this shows his understanding of leadership and power.

So he feels quite strongly towards the windmill, but not in the same way as perhaps Snowball and Benjamin do.

And then Boxer.

Now arguably, Boxer potentially feels the strongest about the windmill, because he is so committed to it, isn't he? And what this shows, poor Boxer, is it really represents the power of manipulation, and it shows how the windmill is such an effective tool in exploitation.

Boxer is completely motivated by this windmill and whatever it promises to be.

True or false time.

Napoleon and Snowball view the windmill in different ways.

Yes, well done to everyone that said true.

Of course they do.

They are always arguing from the outset, aren't they? So now you need to justify your answer.

Great.

Yeah, A.

Napoleon uses the windmill as a political tool, whereas Snowball's progressive plans are underpinned by the principles of Animalism.

So we can see these different styles of leadership and how the windmill is being used to underpin those.

So here is an essay question on the windmill, and we're going to look at this together and consider ways in which we can answer it.

So you may want to refer to your timelines from task A, just to think about what events, characters, and themes we could use to answer this question.

So let's read the question together.

What do you think the importance of the windmill is in "Animal Farm?" Write about how different characters respond to the windmill and how Orwell uses the windmill to explore ideas about society.

So as ever, let's think about what the key words are in the question.

So the first key word is the important.

So what makes the windmill important? Why is it important to Orwell's novella? And I've put here that Orwell uses the windmill as an important motif.

So it's a repeated idea throughout the novella.

And it explores his themes of power, exploitation, and corruption.

So we know that the windmill is an important symbol to convey Orwell's messages.

And then we get this bullet point here.

So how different characters respond to the windmill.

So what characters could we use to talk about this? Well, we could talk about how Napoleon and Snowball use the windmill to further their own agendas.

So we know that the windmill is initially introduced to symbolise their battle for power.

So in chapter five, we see this windmill being utilised as this political tool by both Snowball and Napoleon.

But we also understand that Benjamin and Boxer have different attitudes towards the windmill.

So this also reveals Orwell's messages around the exploitation of working classes and the manipulation of the uneducated.

So we can see that in Benjamin's response, he knows it's going to be bad.

Because he's educated and intelligent, he can make that assumption.

But poor Boxer, who is completely oblivious, is dragged along and exploited to build this windmill.

And then let's look at this second bullet point.

How does Orwell use the windmill to explore ideas about society? So things that we can think about is, how Orwell uses the powerful symbol to represent the continual cycles of oppression and society.

So at the start of the lesson, we thought about the very visual image of a windmill and what that looks like, and how that might support Orwell's messages.

And the windmill shows how progress and innovation can be corrupted to serve those in power.

Now, we could also argue that alongside this, that the windmill isn't all bad.

Like, initially it is a great idea.

You know, the idea, a progressive idea, the idea that the animals can power the farm themselves, that the animals can have luxuries in their own stalls.

But we can see that how these kind of progressive and innovative ideas can also be corrupted to serve individual needs.

So we've thought about our essay question, and we've thought about some ideas to go with that.

And what we're going to do is we're now going to think about planning, and we're going to use a single paragraph outline to plan our ideas to the question.

And that looks like this.

So we have our topic sentence, we have our supporting detail, and this should be a note form, it should be logically sequenced.

And we should also think about including main and supporting quotes.

So you want a really nice, juicy quote to support your topic sentence, and then some secondary supporting quotes that can be just words or phrases to really elevate your ideas.

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

And then finally, we have our concluding sentence in our single paragraph outline.

So let's just see what we remember.

What is missing from this single paragraph outline? Yeah, well done.

It's the concluding sentence.

So we've got our topic sentence there and the supporting detail, but we were missing our concluding sentence.

So here I have actually completed a single paragraph outline for the windmill question we just looked at.

So this'll give you an idea of not only how to fill out the single paragraph outline, but also how we can do it in relation to that specific question we just looked at.

So my topic sentence here reads, "The windmill becomes a powerful symbol of corruption, as the animals continue to be exploited for their labour." So you can see in my topic sentence, I'm talking about the symbolism of the windmill and what theme that links to.

Now what does my supporting detail look like? So I'm gonna use this quote to talk about that exploitation and labour.

So it was a slow laborious process.

And I'm just putting some notes here that how this references Old Major's speech, and what else it emphasises in terms of the failed ideas of the rebellion and how the windmill is a symbol of this.

And I'm also going to use this quote.

"Sometimes when it was pushed over the edge, it failed to break." I just really love that visual image of the unbroken boulders representing the futility of the rebellion.

And I think I could write lots about that, because again, this visual image really represents that continued exploitation of the animals, how they're in this cycle of work.

And then that simile that's so important, "All the animals worked like slaves that year." So we've got that simile there.

And the windmill becomes a symbol of corruption.

And the animals, particularly Boxer, work harder than ever under the pigs.

So you can see in my planning here, I've got lots of quotes and lots of notes to remind me what to write when I come to write this as an essay.

And then I have my concluding sentence, which just summarise and brings all of those ideas together.

So ultimately, Orwell uses the motif, so I've got my terminology there of the windmill to expose the ways in which exploitation can occur.

And you can see how that concluding sentence links back to that topic sentence.

So thinking about the success criteria for the textual detail, what is missing from this success criteria? So textual detail should.

And what is missing? Well done to everyone that noticed that it was missing this.

Include main and supporting quotes.

So we are already at our second practise task.

Well done, everyone.

I'm really impressed with your hard work so far.

So what I want us to do is, I want you to think and go back to your timelines from task A.

And I would like you to create your own single paragraph outline in response to the question.

So to remind you of the question, what do you think the importance of the windmill is in "Animal Farm?" So in particular, your single paragraph outline should identify your topic sentences, your supporting detail that follows the success criteria and a concluding sentence.

And you can see the outline there.

So use everything that we have created, thought about and discussed this lesson to create a really effective single paragraph outline.

I look forward to seeing what you produce.

So now it's time to pause the video so you can get on with the task.

Pause the video now.

Well done, everyone.

That was really great work.

I loved seeing how lots of you are going back to your timelines and picking out your favourite quotes, your favourite characters, and linking those to the themes and ideas.

So it's really, really great.

So here's another example of a single paragraph outline for you to compare your own work to.

Now you may have something completely different, which is absolutely fine, and you may feel that you can add to your single paragraph outline after looking at this.

But hopefully you should have something along the same lines.

So let's read it together.

So we have this topic sentence here.

Initially, the animals worked diligently to build the windmill because they believed in the vision that Snowball had initially presented to them.

However, the discrepancy between the promised benefits and the actual use of the windmill underscores the theme of corruption and manipulation.

So it's a very detailed topic sentence to introduce the main ideas of the paragraph.

And then you can see, I've got my quotes here.

"It was used for milling corn, and it brought in a handsome money profit." Because these adjectives, this kind of handsome profit, shows the pigs' wealth, and it goes against the ideals of Animalism.

The other quote I'm going to use is, "The luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream." So what we see here is Snowball is idealistic, and the goal is utopian.

But this also links to that theme of futility of revolution and the inevitability of hierarchy.

So we can see how the windmill is really important at linking to these themes.

And then my final quote is, "Denounce such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism," because I want to show how Napoleon has completely reversed the ideals of Animalism.

He's completely reversed the initial motivation for the windmill, and it really emphasises his manipulation and corruption.

Let's just look at that concluding sentence.

So the windmill's final use reflects the cyclical structure of the novella and the ongoing cycle of oppression and power that Orwell aims to portray.

We see how this is achieved through the corruption of ideals and manipulation.

So perhaps some of you also have that idea of a cyclical structure, or maybe you've chosen to focus on the visual representation of the windmill.

Well done, everyone.

You have reached the end of the lesson.

We have made it, and we have crammed a lot in.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything that we have been through.

So we looked at first the windmill signifies the battle for power between Snowball and Napoleon, how the windmill becomes a symbol of hope when it is viewed as the key to a three day week.

We also then see how the windmill becomes a symbol of corruption as the animals work harder than ever to rebuild it.

And we see how the windmill physically represents the cyclical nature of the novella.

So again, I cannot thank you enough for joining me in this lesson, and I've been so impressed with your hard work.

I really look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Until then, goodbye.