Animal Farm: Orwell’s structural and stylistic choices
I can explain why Orwell has made specific choices about structure and style.
Animal Farm: Orwell’s structural and stylistic choices
I can explain why Orwell has made specific choices about structure and style.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Orwell uses a simple and detached style to get his message across.
- Orwell uses and subverts the conventions of a fairy tale.
- Old Major’s speech foreshadows the events of the novel.
- Orwell uses the seasons to show the passing of time and the deterioration of the animals’ living conditions.
- 'Animal Farm' has a cyclical structure to reflect the cycle of oppression and the inevitability of hierarchy.
Keywords
Foreshadowing - When a writer gives subtle hints or clues about future events in the story.
Conventions - The features you would expect to find in a given genre.
Genre - This categorises texts based on conventions and themes.
Subvert - To defy or challenge typical conventions or expectations.
Omniscient - To know or see everything.
Common misconception
That Orwell offers a solution to the problems he highlights.
Focus on the cyclical structure and lack of resolution. How does this reflect Orwell's purpose? Is he just being critical and cynical?
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Animal Farm: Orwell’s structural and stylistic choices, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Animal Farm: Orwell’s structural and stylistic choices, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Animal Farm: the pigs and power unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended