Knowledge Organiser Focus:

Animal Farm
I should already know:
• Difference between fiction/non-fiction
• Different genre types such as comedy
tragedy, fairy tales, adventures, crime,
horror, myth and legends and science
fiction.
• Extended metaphor.
Key
Keywords
Words
allegory – a story with two meanings. It has a literal meaning, which is what actually happens in the
story. But it also has a deeper meaning. The deeper meaning is often a moral. It teaches you a lesson
about life.
tyrant – someone who has total power and uses it in a cruel and unfair way. A tyranny is a situation in
which a leader or government has too much power and uses that power in a cruel and unfair way.

rebellion – a rebellion is a situation in which people fight against those who are in charge of them.
I will learn:
• What an allegory is; harvest – the time when crops are cut and collected from fields.
• About Orwell’s life and times; corrupt – when people use their power in a dishonest way order to make life better for themselves.
• The Russian Revolution;
• recurring imagery; propaganda – Information that is meant to make people think a certain way. The information may not
• irony and corruption.
Grammar:
be true.
Sentence Demarcation cult of personality – a cult of personality is where a leader convinces people to worship him or her, and
• What comma splice is treat them like a god.
• Correcting comma splice
Speech Punctuation treacherous – If you betray someone who trusts you, you could be described as treacherous.
• Punctuate the speech correctly
• Speech plus additional errors
Vocabulary I should already know:
Writing Practice Character, author, act, metaphor, connotations, authorial intent, Greater Depth Challenge
• Fantasy quests analytical paragraph, topic sentence, and quotation.
• Consolidation and choosing story type
Sentence Demarcation • What did Orwell try to
Grammar I should already know:
• Comma splice and list
Sentence Structure teach his readers with his
Apostrophes
• First, second and third person • Correcting fragments missing subject/ verb allegory?
• Irregular plural nouns • Correcting fragments missing main clause (incl. "but") • Why did Orwell use
Writing Practice • Correcting 'ing' fragments animals for his allegory?
• Consolidation and choosing story type
• Avoid mixing genres
• Correcting a mix of fragments
• Horror stories (Comeuppance structure) • Listing commas
Paragraphing
• New paragraph for time and place shift Further Reading
This will help in the future: Speech Punctuation BBC bitesize – Animal Farm
• Y9 study of poetry and modern Writing Practice https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z3
texts • Writing a story with one of four ideas provided kw2hv
• GCSE English Literature modern • Writing I - writing a story with no ideas or stimulus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z97b
wxs#
texts and poetry • How to structure a story
 The seven commandments Key words
‘Animal Farm’: Knowledge Organiser
1 Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. allegory – a story with two meanings. It has a
Chapter breakdown literal meaning, which is what actually happens
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings,
2 in the story. But it also has a deeper meaning.
The animals gather to listen to old Major. is a friend.
The deeper meaning is often a moral. It
1 He gives them a vision of a life without 3 No animal shall wear clothes. teaches you a lesson about life.
man.
4 No animal shall sleep in a bed. tyrant – someone who has total power and
The animals rebel and overthrow Jones. uses it in a cruel and unfair way. A tyranny is a
2 5 No animal shall drink alcohol.
The commandments are written. situation in which a leader or government has
The animals’ first harvest is a success. The 6 No animal shall kill any other animal. too much power and uses that power in a cruel
3 pigs keep the milk and apples to 7 All animals are equal. and unfair way.
themselves. Characters rebellion – a rebellion is a situation in which
The Battle of the Cowshed: Jones people fight against those who are in charge
4 Napoleon
attempts to reclaim the farm. of them.
‘a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar,
Snowball and Napoleon debate the the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a harvest – the time when crops are cut and
windmill. Napoleon uses dogs to chase talker, but with a reputation for getting his own collected from fields.
5
Snowball from the farm. Napoleon makes way.’ corrupt – when people use their power in a
himself leader. dishonest way order to make life better for
Snowball themselves.
Work begins on the windmill. The pigs ‘a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker
6 move into the farmhouse. Winds destroy in speech and more inventive, but was not propaganda – Information that is meant to
the windmill. considered to have the same depth of make people think a certain way. The
character.’ information may not be true.
Work on the windmill starts again.
Napoleon demands eggs from the hens. cult of personality – a cult of personality is
7 Squealer where a leader convinces people to worship
Napoleon slaughters animals at the show
‘with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble him or her, and treat them like a god.
trials.
movements, and a shrill voice. He was a brilliant
treacherous – If you betray someone who trusts
Napoleon betrays Mr. Pilkington and sells talker, and when he was arguing some difficult you, you could be described as treacherous.
timber to Mr. Frederick. Frederick pays point he had a way of skipping from side to side
with counterfeit money. Frederick attacks and whisking his tail which was somehow very Biographical information
8
the farm. The animals suffer losses in the persuasive. The others said of Squealer that he 1 ‘Animal Farm’ was written in 1945.
Battle of the Windmill. The windmill is could turn black into white.’ 2 It was written by George Orwell.
destroyed. 3 Orwell was born in 1903.
Boxer
9 Boxer is sold to the knacker’s yard. ‘an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands ‘Animal Farm’ was influenced by the events
4
The pigs are leaders on the farm. They high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses of World War II.
start walking on two legs and carrying put together… in fact he was not of first-rate Orwell wanted to write about the cruel
5
10 whips. There is no difference between the intelligence, but he was universally respected leaders of Europe during World War II.
pigs and the humans they sought to for his steadiness of character and tremendous ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory for the events of
overthrow at the start of the novel. powers of work.’ 6
the Russian Revolution.
 The seven commandments Key words
‘Animal Farm’: Knowledge Organiser
1 Whatever goes upon allegory –
Chapter breakdown Whatever goes upon
2
The animals gather to
1 3 No animal shall
4 No animal shall tyrant –
The animals rebel and
2 5 No animal shall
The animals’ first harvest is a 6 No animal shall
3 7 All animals
Characters Rebellion -
The Battle of the Cowshed:
4 Napoleon
‘a large,
Snowball and Napoleon debate the harvest –
windmill. Napoleon uses
5
corrupt –
Snowball
Work begins on the windmill. The pigs ‘a more
6 move propaganda –

Work on the windmill starts again.

Napoleon cult of personality –
7 Squealer
‘with very
treacherous –
Napoleon betrays Mr. Pilkington and sells
timber to
Biographical information
8 1 ‘Animal Farm’ was written in
2 It was written by
3 was born in
Boxer
9 Boxer is ‘an enormous ‘Animal Farm’ was influenced
4
The pigs are
Orwell wanted to write about
5
10
‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory for
6