M3 L25

M3 L25

Chapter IX

Lesson Questions

• Essential Question What is the power of language?

• Focusing Question How and why is language dangerous? 

• Content Framing Question Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of theme reveal in Animal Farm? 

Learning Goals

Identify signs of the growing class divide on the farm, and analyze the ways that the pigs use language to obscure inequalities. (RL.7.2)

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✓ Complete Handout 27A.

Read Chapter IX (9) individually or with a partner.

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Jot down things about the social classes and the differences between animals. ​

Briefly summarize chapter IX

What has changed about Boxer, Benjamin, and the pigs?

Let's look at Squealer’s speech about Boxer (124–125)

What was his intent with this speech? Why?

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How do the other animals react? Why?

Communism was conceived as a way of creating a society without social classes. In the next activity, we will reflect on how well the reality of the animals’ farm is fulfilling this ideal.

​Small groups:

​We will work in small groups or partners on the Ideal vs. Reality of life on the farm. You will get 3 quotes and 3 questions to answer.

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Once we have answered these we will discuss our findings. ​

The rations for most of the animals, except the pigs and dogs, are reduced.

• What are the signs of a growing class divide on the farm?

The pigs are getting fatter, while the other animals are hungry.

• What does this mean for the pigs?

• For the other animals?

They use words to try to hide what is actually happening. Squealer says they had to adjust the rations: “Squealer always spoke of it as a ‘readjustment,’ never as a ‘reduction’” (112).

• How do the pigs try to hide or gloss over what they are doing?

Imagine you were one of the characters, how would you feel? How would you react? Why?

​What role did Benjamin play in Boxer’s fate?

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What message do Benjamin’s story and Niemoller’s poem convey?

How is the language in our story uplifting or controlling?

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Explain why using text evidence.