Lesson 9: Animal Farm, Chapter V, Part 1

Students discuss how the events and characters’ interactions in Chapter V develop central ideas.

Turn and Talk

Have students take out their copies of Animal Farm and their homework from the previous lesson.

• Lesson 8 Homework: Students were instructed to read pp. 45–52 of Chapter V of Animal Farm and take notes on the following question:

  • How do the events and characters’ interactions in this excerpt of Chapter V develop central ideas?

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to discuss the prompt:

• What central ideas are developed in the excerpt you read from Chapter V of the novel?

• One central idea is that leaders use different types of persuasion to get their followers to act. For example, Snowball gives “brilliant speeches,” but Napoleon is better at talking to small groups of animals to get “support” for himself (p. 47). Another central idea is that the pigs are slowly and methodically taking more power for themselves because they are the more intelligent animals, showing that intelligence can often lead to a power grab. For example, the animals decide that “all questions of farm policy” should be considered first by the pigs and then voted on by the rest of the animals (p. 47).

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In Chapter V, we see the farm start to divide—not because of violence but through argument, persuasion, and influence. Today, you will analyze how Snowball and Napoleon use rhetoric to shape the animals’ beliefs.

Introduce New Words Using Syllables

Target Words: canvassing, factions

Decode

Present the word canvassing and pronounce it.

• Underline the vowel patterns that help you divide the word into syllables: canvassing

  • Ask: How many vowels are in this word? (three)

  • Say: There are three syllables in this word. Each syllable will have a vowel sound.

  • Ask: What are the three syllables in this word? (can-vass-ing)

• Say: Say the word by blending the parts together to form the word canvassing.

Meaning Focus

• Say: The word canvassing means talking to people in order to gain their support. In Chapter V, it is used to describe the act of talking to the other animals to get them to take either Snowball’s or Napoleon’s side in the debates.

• Say: Read the excerpt from the text:

  • “At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times” (p. 47).

Review

• Ask: Now that you understand the meaning of canvassing, what is Napoleon better at doing than Snowball?

  • He is better at talking to the animals individually outside of the speeches.

Decode

Present the word factions and pronounce it.

• Underline the single vowels or vowel-consonant combinations: factions

  • Ask: How many vowels are in this word? (three)

  • Ask: What vowel-consonant teams do you see? (“ion”)

  • Say: There are two syllables in this word. Each syllable will have a vowel sound.

  • Ask: What are the two syllables in this word? (fact-ions)

• Say: Say the word by blending the parts together to form the word factions.

Meaning Focus

• Say: The word factions means different groups of people. Often, these are groups of people with opposing qualities, opinions, or goals. In Chapter V, Napoleon and Snowball start developing different groups of supporters among the animals.

• Say: Read the excerpt from the text:

  • “The animals formed themselves into two factions under the slogan, ‘Vote for Snowball and the three-day week’ and ‘Vote for Napoleon and the full manger.’ Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction” (p. 50).

Review

• Ask: Now that you understand the meaning of factions, what is the difference between the two factions that begin forming in Chapter V?

  • One faction supports Snowball’s windmill, and the other faction supports Napoleon’s promises of more food.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that we know the language that Orwell used to talk about the divide among the animals, we will better understand what is driving them apart.

Part A: Analyzing Arguments Through Rhetorical Techniques (RL.8.3) (15 minutes)

Teach: Rhetorical Techniques

Remind students that they were first introduced to rhetorical techniques in Lesson 2.

• Say: In today’s lesson, we are going to focus on how Snowball and Napoleon appeal to, or try to persuade, the other animals about the windmill through their respective arguments. We are going to focus on emotional appeals, fear appeals, and logical appeals. First, we need to discuss what a logical appeal is.

• Say: Logical appeal is a rhetorical or persuasive technique that convinces an audience by using sound reasoning, facts, data, and evidence.

Explain to students that, instead of using emotion or fear, logical appeals use objective reasoning, facts, and data to persuade others.

• Say: Read the following excerpt from Chapter V of Animal Farm:

  • “According to Napoleon, what the animals must do was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them. According to Snowball, they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms. The one argued that if they could not defend themselves they were bound to be conquered, the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves” (p. 51).

Model for students how to analyze how logical, emotional, or fear appeals are being used in these two arguments.

Read the excerpt aloud again and highlight the phrase “if they could not defend themselves.”

• Say: This part of the sentence is an example of an appeal to the animals’ emotions and their fear. Napoleon makes this claim to scare the animals into wanting to arm themselves against possible future attacks by Jones and the other men.

Highlight the phrase “the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere, they would have no need to defend themselves.”

• Say: This part of the sentence shows how Snowball uses a logical appeal to the animals. He says that they wouldn’t need to use firearms if the rebellion were everywhere. They could uphold their ideals without violence because all the animals would have rebelled against their human owners.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: Independently reread the chapter excerpt about the windmill arguments from pp. 49–52 starting with the paragraph beginning “Within a few weeks Snowball’s plans for the windmill were fully” and ending at “But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. . . .” Annotate for the rhetorical appeals Snowball and Napoleon use in their arguments. Then talk with a partner about the following questions:

• What is Snowball’s main argument for the windmill? How does he use rhetorical appeals to try to persuade the animals?

  • Snowball uses logical and emotional appeals to argue for the building of the windmill. He explains his “reasons” and how the future of the farm might be when “labour would be saved” (p. 50). He uses logical appeal by acknowledging counterarguments—“that to build it would be a difficult business” (p. 50). He ultimately claims that after a year, “so much labor would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week.” He appeals to their reason and logic by explaining his plan in detail. He appeals to emotion by claiming they will no longer need to work every day.

• How does Napoleon oppose Snowball’s proposal? How does he use rhetorical appeals in his argument?

  • Napoleon claims “that the great need of the moment was to increase food production.” He claims “the animals would all starve to death” if they agreed with Snowball’s windmill idea (p. 50). He appeals to fear about possible starvation to convince the animals. Then, later, he just says that the animals should not vote for it with no appeal whatsoever.

• What are the problems with each argument? What is missing or needs to be considered in each argument?

  • Although Snowball’s argument includes a logical plan to be followed to build the windmill, there are still some questions about getting supplies and who would do the work; “(How these were to be procured, Snowball did not say”) (p. 50). And he states that the work can be “done in a year” but does not address Napoleon’s counterargument about the need to “increase food production” to avoid starvation during that time (p. 50) of building the windmill.

• How do Snowball’s and Napoleon’s arguments impact the future of the farm?

  • The arguments divide the farm animals into two “factions” (p. 50). Snowball’s detailed plans and persuasive speeches initially move the farm toward innovation and shared progress, but Napoleon’s refusal to even consider the windmill by choosing not to debate signals a shift toward control. Their opposing ideas create division among the animals, setting the stage for a power struggle.

After the partners engage in discussion, lead a whole-class discussion about the questions and student responses.

Part B: Determining Central Ideas from Argument (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) (15 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share

Students identify developing central ideas from Snowball’s and Napoleon’s arguments about the windmill.

Say these Directions: Snowball and Napoleon have different leadership styles. They appeal to the animals in different ways, but one way ends up winning the animals’ support. Think about the questions below in relation to your analysis of each argument and rhetorical appeals in Part A. Then share your thinking with a partner.

• What central idea(s) does Snowball’s argument develop?

  • One central idea is that leaders who think about the future and use logical appeals might have a better chance of winning their argument. This idea is demonstrated in the text when Snowball’s carefully detailed plan and ideas literally have the animals “carried” away (p. 52). His research and information win over the animals, as there is “no doubt as to which way the vote would go” (p. 52). Another central idea is that the animals and the farm need to be thinking about progress. Snowball explains that the windmill could essentially lift labor from the “animals’ backs” and that “Electricity” could help them run a more efficient farm (p. 52).

• What central idea(s) does Napoleon’s argument develop?

  • One central idea is that leaders need to be more concerned about their followers’ current needs rather than future ideas. Napoleon’s immediate concern is about how the farm will build a windmill when they might “starve to death” (p. 50). His rhetorical focus is more on the immediate “need of the moment” to “increase food production” rather than build a “nonsense” windmill (p. 52).

Lead a whole-class discussion after students have considered the questions independently and discussed them with a partner.

Quick Write

Transition students into reflecting on their learning from the lesson by completing a Quick Write response.

Say these Directions: Respond to the following prompt in two to three sentences. Use one quote to support your thinking, and include the words "canvassing or factions in your response.

• Which leader (Snowball or Napoleon) is more effective at influencing the animals during the windmill debate, and why?

  • During the windmill debate, Snowball is more effective in influencing the animals. The text says, “By the time he had finished speaking, there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go” (p. 52). This suggests that he had convinced the different factions before Napoleon had interrupted the vote with the dogs.

Instruct students to read pp. 52–58 of Chapter V of Animal Farm, beginning with the sentence “But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. . . .” Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• What changes happen in this part of the text, and what is the impact on Animal Farm?