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Year 10
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'Animal Farm': reading Chapter 5 and Napoleon's rise to power

I can explain the events of Chapter 5 and Napoleon’s rise to power.

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Year 10
Eduqas

'Animal Farm': reading Chapter 5 and Napoleon's rise to power

I can explain the events of Chapter 5 and Napoleon’s rise to power.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Mollie leaves Animal Farm and is never spoken of again
  2. Snowball and Napoleon have different motivations
  3. Napoleon uses a range of strategies to gain power and control
  4. Snowball is used as a scapegoat and chased off the farm
  5. Squealer rewrites historical narratives to manipulate the animals and support Napoleon's rise to power

Keywords

  • Allegiance - To pledge allegiance is to show loyalty to a ruler, group or belief.

  • Collaboration - If you are in collaboration with someone you are working closely with them.

  • Deception - Deception is to mislead or trick someone into believing something that is not true or accurate.

  • Manipulation - Manipulation is the influence or control of someone, usually in an underhanded way.

  • Scapegoat - A scapegoat is a person or group of people who are unfairly blamed or singled out for problems, mistakes, or failures.

Common misconception

Napoleon's move towards autocracy is a sudden process.

It is gradual. Each chapter sees the spirit of the revolution and 'Animalism' further degraded by the actions of Napoleon and the pigs.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: 'Animal Farm': reading Chapter 5 and Napoleon's rise to power, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Explore historical leaders and how they have gained power. Looking at historical examples is a good way to make a connection between Orwell's purpose and what he is critiquing through his novella.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to a copy of 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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.
Match the character to the animal.
Correct Answer:Boxer, Clover, Mollie,Horse
tick

Horse

Correct Answer:Napoleon, Squealer, Snowball,Pig
tick

Pig

Correct Answer:Benjamin,Donkey
tick

Donkey

Correct Answer:Moses,Raven
tick

Raven

Q2.
In 'Animal Farm', which pig is being described: 'a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way.'
Correct Answer: Napoleon
Q3.
In 'Animal Farm', what did Mollie steal from the farmhouse?
Milk and apples
A lump of sugar
Correct answer: A blue ribbon belonging to Mrs. Jones
A glass of beer
Q4.
In 'Animal Farm', which political figure does Old Major allude to?
Correct answer: Karl Marx
Leon Trotsky
Vladimir Lenin
Adolf Hitler
Q5.
How do the events in Chapter 4 relate to the theme of propaganda and manipulation in 'Animal Farm'?
They demonstrate the animals' resistance to propaganda.
They show how the animals use propaganda against the humans.
Correct answer: They reveal the animals' growing vulnerability to propaganda.
They illustrate how propaganda benefits the humans.
Q6.
What is the definition of the word 'allegiance'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'She pledged her allegiance to the flag during the national anthem'.
Correct answer: to show loyalty to a ruler, group or belief
to show joy to a ruler, group or belief
to show opposition to a ruler, group or belief
to show indifference to a ruler, group or belief

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In Chapter 5 of 'Animal Farm', Snowball is blamed by Napoleon for many of the problems on the farm, as such he is made a ...
Correct answer: scapegoat.
martyr.
victim.
hero.
Q2.
In Chapter 5 of 'Animal Farm', what is Mollie seen to be doing by Clover?
Changing the commandments on the barn
Stealing clothes from the farmhouse
Correct answer: Allowing a neighbouring farmer to stroke her
Keeping some of the apple crop for herself
Q3.
In Chapter 5 of 'Animal Farm', Mollie is found to be keeping which of the following in her stall?
Correct answer: Ribbons
Correct answer: Lumps of sugar
Milk and apples
The medals of other animals
Q4.
Which of the below best describes Mollie from 'Animal Farm'?
Correct answer: A vain, materialistic horse that preferred the regime under Mr. Jones
A lazy, self-centred horse, unbothered by the revolution
A hard-working, determined horse, willing to work tirelessly for the farm
An ineffective, stupid horse, whose work does not add much to the farm
Q5.
Complete this quote from Chapter 5 of 'Animal Farm': 'The _____ of Old Major, now clean of flesh, had been disinterred from the orchard and set up on a stump at the foot of the flagstaff.'
Correct Answer: skull
Q6.
In Chapter 5 of 'Animal Farm', why is it strange that the dogs are now wearing collars?
Correct answer: Collars were seen as symbols of oppression; the animals are supposedly equal now
The dogs are one of the more intelligent animals so should know better.
It suggests that Jones may still have some influence on the farm.
The animals should only be wearing things that celebrate success e.g. ribbons.