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Year 10
AQA

Tracking important events and characters in 'Animal Farm'

I can track the main events and characters of 'Animal Farm' and link to Orwell’s purpose.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Tracking important events and characters in 'Animal Farm'

I can track the main events and characters of 'Animal Farm' and link to Orwell’s purpose.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Orwell uses key plot points in the novella to present his themes.
  2. Freytag’s pyramid is a useful tool to plot character arcs and key moments.
  3. The characters in 'Animal Farm' show the impact and development of totalitarian regimes and individuals’ involvement.

Keywords

  • Democracy - Democracy is a system of government in which power is in the hands of society as well as leaders.

  • Tyranny - Tyranny is a cruel and oppressive government or rule.

  • Satirise - To satirise is to mock or criticise something in order to highlight its flaws or shortcomings.

  • Cynicism - Cynicism is a distrustful, pessimistic outlook or attitude.

Common misconception

Orwell offers a solution to the problems he explores.

Explore the idea of "resolution" in terms of 'Animal Farm'. Does Orwell offer any resolutions? Does the story feel finished?

On completion of the diamond 9 in Task A, ask students to share and justify their answers. Key quotes could also be added too.
Teacher tip

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

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.
In 'Animal Farm', what word beginning with 'D' could describe Napoleon as a leader?
Correct Answer: Dictator, dictatorship, dictatorial
Q2.
In 'Animal Farm', what word beginning with 'T' describes the pigs' complete control over the animals' lives and the harsh regime they enforce?
Correct Answer: Totalitarianism , totalitarian
Q3.
In 'Animal Farm' which character can read, but refuses to. It says that he can "read as well as any pig".
Boxer
Muriel
Correct answer: Benjamin
Moses
Mollie
Q4.
In 'Animal Farm', what does Benjamin represent?
Revolutionary ideals
Wisdom and intelligence
Correct answer: Scepticism and cynicism
Loyalty and devotion
Q5.
Starting with the first, put the key events from 'Animal Farm' into chronological order.
1 - Mr. Jones is an irresponsible owner
2 - Old Major makes a speech
3 - After the rebellion the other farms are nervous so they attack Animal Farm
4 - Snowball is expelled from the farm and blamed for the collapsing of the windmill
5 - Napoleon executes a number of animals after forced confessions
6 - Boxer collapses trying to complete the windmill
7 - The animals change the commandment to "some animals are more equal than others"
Q6.
Match the characters from 'Animal Farm' to the correct quotes.
Correct Answer:Boxer,"Napoleon is always right"

"Napoleon is always right"

Correct Answer:Benjamin,"it was usually to make some cynical remark"

"it was usually to make some cynical remark"

Correct Answer:Snowball,"The only good human being is a dead one."

"The only good human being is a dead one."

Correct Answer:Clover,"Whatever happened she would remain faithful"

"Whatever happened she would remain faithful"

Correct Answer:Squealer,"skipping from side to side and whisking his tail"

"skipping from side to side and whisking his tail"

Correct Answer:Moses,"there it lies, Sugarcandy Mountain"

"there it lies, Sugarcandy Mountain"

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word beginning with 'D' describes a system of government in which power is in the hands of society as well as leaders?
Correct Answer: democracy, Democracy, democratic
Q2.
Which word beginning with 'T' describes a cruel and oppressive government or rule?
Correct Answer: Tyranny, tyranny, tyrannical
Q3.
Complete the sentence: __________ pyramid is a useful tool for plotting character arcs and key moments
Correct Answer: Freytag's, Freytag
Q4.
Starting with the first, put the sections from Freytag's pyramid in chronological order.
1 - Exposition
2 - Rising action
3 - Climax
4 - Falling action
5 - Denouement
Q5.
In 'Animal Farm', the moment when Benjamin realises the pigs have come to resemble the humans, is arguably the__________ of the story.
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Correct answer: Denouement
Q6.
Which character in 'Animal Farm' is characterised by intelligence, but remains aloof and detached?
Correct answer: Benjamin
Napoleon
Squealer
Snowball
Boxer