Year 8 English Animal Farm Task Booklet

Lesson 1- ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory & reading Chapter 1.

On a simple level, this story is just about race between a tortoise and a hare.

On a deeper, allegorical level, it has a deeper meaning: someone who works hard and takes their time often achieves better results than someone who is arrogant and does not dedicate time and effort.

‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory. On a simple level, it’s a story about farm animals who rise up against the cruel owner of their farm. The animals try to create a happy farm, where ‘all animals are equal’. On a deeper level, the story represents humankind and how people are treated by society and their governments. It is also about how intelligent and powerful people (like our politicians) can easily abuse their power and mistreat citizens.

Lesson 1 Tasks and Questions: 1. What is an allegory? 2. What are the three main features of an allegory? 3. What is the literal meaning of the ‘Tortoise and the Hare’? 4. What is the deeper, allegorical meaning of ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’? 5. Read Chapter 1 of the novel ‘Animal Farm’. 6. Write a summary of what happens in Chapter 1 of the novel.

Stretch: How are the animals treated by Mr Jones on the farm? Include two key quotations in your answer. Lesson 2- Chapter 1 comprehension and analysis Tasks and Questions: 1. Re-read Chapter 1.

2. Mr Jones is the human owner of a farm called Manor Farm. Describe what kind of personality Mr. Jones has, including two quotations to prove your point.

3. Old Major is an elderly pig who is very well respected by the other animals on the farm. Which quotation proves this?

4. Old Major describes what life is like for the animals who live on the farm under the rule of Mr Jones. What does he say about their life and what they have to endure (put up with)?

5. What is Old Major’s dream and hope for the future?

6. How do the animals feel when Old Major tells them his dream and sings his song of hope (‘Beasts of England’)?

7. How does Mr Jones respond to this?

8. Write two analytical paragraphs, which follow your class structure, which answer the following question: How does Orwell present the character of Mr Jones in Chapter 1?

Stretch: What does Old Major think that life will be like after the Rebellion?

Lesson 3- Chapter 2 comprehension and analysis Tasks and Questions: 1. Read Chapter 2 of ‘Animal Farm’

2. What happens to Old Major at the beginning of the chapter?

3. How does Old Major inspire a rebellion? What do the other animals do after Old Major dies and why do they do this?

4. Write a paragraph summarising: What happened during the Rebellion? What did the animals do to Mr Jones and his wife? Weave at least three quotations from the chapter into your summary as evidence.

5. Why did Snowball throw ribbons on the fire?

6. Write out the 7 commandments.

7. Do you think the animals will be able to stick to these commandments? Explain your answer in detail.

8. There are three main pigs emerging in the story. They have a lot of influence over the other animals. However, these three pigs have different personalities and behave in different ways. For each of the three main pigs (Squealer, Napoleon and Snowball), create a mind map, which describes their character.

9. How does the Orwell present Napoleon as controlling in the following extract?

"What is going to happen to all that milk?" said someone. "Jones used sometimes to mix some of it in our mash," said one of the hens.

"Never mind the milk, comrades!" cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. "That will be attended to. The harvest is more important. Comrade Snowball will lead the way. I shall follow in a few minutes. Forward, comrades! The hay is waiting." Write an analytical paragraph which answers the question above.

Stretch: Do you think the animals will be able to create a farm where ‘all animals are equal’? Explain your answer.

Lesson 4- Chapter 3 comprehension and analysis Tasks and Questions:

1. Read chapter 3.

2. Write a paragraph summarising: The work carried out on the farm that summer, any positive changes on the farm and the actions of the pigs in Chapter 3.

3. Write one paragraph which answer the following question. How has life on the farm changed for the better since The Rebellion and Jones was chased off the farm?

4. Read back over the extract below. "Comrades!" he cried. "You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"

Do you think this seems fair? Are the pigs being honest or are they lying? Why would they lie? Why don’t the other animals tell them this is unfair?

5. Write one analytical paragraph which answer the following question. How does Orwell want the reader to think about the pigs in Chapter 3?

6. Write two analytical paragraphs which answer the following question. How does Orwell want the reader to think about the other animals in Chapter 3? Use the following vocab list and plan to help you answer the question.

Key vocab to describe the ‘other animals’: Ignorant- uneducated, unaware Naïve- too trusting, easily tricked

Lesson 5- Allegory/Russian Revolution Tasks and Questions:

Read the below information about the Russian Revolution:

Answer the following questions in your English book:

Read the slide below:

Complete this worksheet based on the information above:

Answers:

Lesson 6- Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 comprehension and analysis Tasks and Questions:

1. Read chapter 4.

2. Write a summary of what happens in this chapter. Weave three important quotations from chapter 4 into your summary.

3. Read chapter 5.

4. What happens to Mollie in chapter 5?

5. Describe the winter at Animal Farm and the challenges the animals faced.

6. What was Snowball’s plan for the windmill?

7. What do the dogs do to Snowball? Why? Who has made this happen?

8. Write two analytical paragraphs answering the following question: How does Orwell present Napoleon in chapter 5? Refer to the extract below and Napoleon’s behaviour in the rest of the chapter.

‘But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball, uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before.

At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws.’

9. How has Napoleon made himself the leader of Animal Farm?

Stretch: Have the animals set out what they wanted to achieve on the farm? Are all animals really equal?