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Year 9

An exploration of Chapter 4 of 'Lord of the Flies'

I can explain and explore the key events in Chapter 4 of ‘Lord of the Flies’.

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Year 9

An exploration of Chapter 4 of 'Lord of the Flies'

I can explain and explore the key events in Chapter 4 of ‘Lord of the Flies’.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In Chapter 4, the boys’ behaviour changes as they become less and less respectful of their old values.
  2. The island’s climate seems hostile towards them.
  3. A ship was seen on the horizon but the hunters/the choir have let the signal fire go out.
  4. Jack and his hunters kill a pig and the boys feast on the meat.
  5. Ralph is angry that they missed the opportunity of being rescued and says they need to have a meeting.

Keywords

  • Morality - relating to the standards, not laws, of good or bad behaviour, fairness, honesty

  • To undermine - to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, often gradually

  • Sincere - not pretending or lying; honest

  • Accountable - responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it

  • To model - doing something in a way that can be used as an example

Common misconception

Students might think that Golding's reference to a world order in "ruins" refers to the damaged sandcastles and their ruined life on the island.

Remind students of Golding's wartime experiences and the events of WWII. Golding is referring to the world the boys left behind as well as the world on the island.


To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: An exploration of Chapter 4 of 'Lord of the Flies', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could encourage students to think about the significance of the colours used in Jack's mask: they are white, red and black.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to a copy of William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies'.

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The island in 'Lord of the Flies' has what type of climate?
arctic
Correct answer: tropical
temperate
Q2.
Which of these is the best synonym for the verb 'to adjust'?
to argue
to aggravate
Correct answer: to modify
to summon
Q3.
Why have the boys decided that it is important that the fire is never allowed to go out in 'Lord of the Flies'?
They need the fire to stay warm.
They need the fire to cook their food.
Correct answer: The need the fire to send smoke signals to ships.
They need the fire to keep the trees under control.
Q4.
In 'Lord of the Flies', Jack is obsessed with ...
playing.
Correct answer: hunting.
swimming.
singing.
Q5.
In 'Lord of the Flies', the smaller children are frightened of what they call the ...
piggy.
snakey.
Correct answer: beastie.
creepers.
baddy.
Q6.
In 'Lord of the Flies', what is the conch used for?
to summon the children and to make a sound to scare wild beasts away
to summon the children and organise the fire building
Correct answer: to regulate debate and summon the children to meetings
to send out a signal to passing ships and rescue them

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Another word for 'sincere' is ...
generous.
general.
Correct answer: genuine.
gesture.
Q2.
'To make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, often gradually', is to them.
Correct Answer: undermine, undermines, undermining, undermined
Q3.
If you set someone a good example, you might be said to be __________ proper behaviour.
hunting
organising
Correct answer: modelling
criticising
Q4.
Why does Jack call the choir away from the signal fire in 'Lord of the Flies'?
Correct answer: He needs them to make up the numbers for the hunt.
He wants to show them what he has found.
He wants to defy Ralph.
He thinks the fire is a waste of time.
Q5.
How does Jack get ready for the hunt in Chapter 4 of 'Lord of the Flies'?
Correct answer: He paints his face.
He gathers a pile of stones.
He talks himself into being brave.
He takes advice from Roger.
Q6.
In Chapter 4 of 'Lord of the Flies', even Piggy and Ralph - who are angry about the fire - want to eat the meat that Jack is cooking. Why?
Correct answer: They are hungry and have been living on fruit for weeks.
They want to show Jack that he has done one thing well.
Everyone else is eating meat and they don't want to feel left out.
They don't want the food to go to waste and rot, attracting wild animals.