Animal Farm: Study Guide
Animal Farm: Study Guide
Animal Farm: Study Guide
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
TEACHER NOTES
• Background
• Pacing Guide
• Social and Emotional Considerations
STUDY GUIDE
• Student Anticipation Guide
• Vocabulary Tracker
• Read and Respond with Discussion Questions
ASSESSMENTS
• Writing Prompts
• Creative Projects
• Book Test (Multiple Choice, Short Answer, and Essay)
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Go online to assign
this book test.
ANSWER KEY
teacher notes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork
Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950) was born to English is abolished for ever.” Soon Major dies, and two
parents in Bengal, India, then part of the British young boars, Snowball and Napoleon, with the aid
Empire. He took the pen name George Orwell in of a small pig named Squealer, rally the animals in
1933, when he published his first book. Orwell had a successful revolt against the farmer, Mr. Jones.
pursued a career with the Indian Imperial Police in On Animal Farm, the animals enjoy one summer
Burma, but by 1927 he had developed a change of of prosperity. Then Napoleon usurps control of the
heart. He disliked that he was regarded by Burmese farm and orders his dogs to chase away Snowball.
people as a symbol of British imperialism, and that With Squealer’s help, he gradually revises history
he was becoming unsympathetic toward them as a to paint Snowball as a cowardly traitor. Over
result; he also hated the corruption within the system. time, the pigs rewrite the Seven Commandments
He quit, and for the rest of his short life, he worked as a established at the beginning of the revolution. The
journalist, published several novels and many essays, other animals are exploited and work like slaves. By
and became an eloquent spokesman for democratic the end, the pigs have “transformed” into human
socialism. His two most successful works are political beings; the workers are no better off than they were
satires, Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949). He wrote under Mr. Jones’s control.
the latter while battling tuberculosis, succumbing to
the disease at age 46. KEY THEMES
Power Corrupts When the animals revolt
BACKGROUND against Mr. Jones, they agree to follow seven
Karl Marx believed that the overthrow of the rulers commandments that will ensure freedom and
by the workers was inevitable and would lead to equality for all. As Napoleon and his ruling class
an ideal classless society in which everyone would gain more power, however, they modify these
contribute to the common good and benefit equally. laws to benefit themselves. The final modification
PACING GUIDE
Book Choices &
Introduction Read & Respond to Animal Farm Book Test
DAY: 1 2 3 4 5 6–7
Note: Activities in the Study Guide are provided as options. You can customize instruction according to student
needs and time available.
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teacher notes • Animal Farm (continued)
Coercion and Napoleon uses the threat of being The surviving animals do not know whether they are
executions killed by his dogs to coerce false more upset by the betrayals of the confessors or by the
confessions from some animals. executions. Ask: What do the animals’ responses to the
Confessors are slain. Survivors are killings reveal about their vulnerabilities?
traumatized.
Harsh injustice for a Boxer has worked harder than any Boxer fails to kick his way out of the truck and is presumably
beloved character other animal on the farm and has slaughtered. Ask: Did you expect this to be Boxer’s fate?
blindly believed that Napoleon is Why or why not? What makes this outcome particularly
always right. He boards the glue poignant? What message might Orwell be conveying
factory truck with his usual trust, through Boxer’s life and death?
believing he will be taken to the
hospital. Only when he hears the
others screaming does he realize how
misplaced his trust was.
Mistreatment of There are several instances of animals The treatment of animals while Napoleon is in power is
animals being betrayed and mistreated. worse than the treatment they received while Mr. Jones
Descriptions of slaughter include Mr. ran the farm. Ask: What message about human nature
Jones drowning old dogs. Animals might Orwell be suggesting through the cruel treatment of
are whipped and starved. Hens die animals? What options do the animals have?
as a result of protesting the taking of
their eggs.
To prepare students to engage with the book’s themes and events, have them complete the following Student
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
After Reading When you have finished reading and discussing the book, mark your
responses to the items above in the “After” column. Then freewrite about one item. You
may choose to write about
• the same item you chose for your Before Reading freewriting
• an item about which your opinion changed
• an item about which your opinion grew much stronger
In the chart below, work with a partner to list revolutions that you know about, identify
what caused each one, and describe the outcome. You may include current or ongoing
revolutions. Discuss your work with the class.
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
VOCABULARY TRACKER
Use the chart below to record unfamiliar terms that you encounter while reading. Choose
words that you are likely to use in future reading, writing, and class discussions in this
and other classes. Page references will vary depending on the edition of the book you are
reading.
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. What main insight does Major share with the farm animals?
3. What does Squealer imply will happen if the animals don’t accept the pigs’
proclamations?
PICK A PASSAGE
Review the pages you have just read and choose a sentence or short passage that you find © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
important or thought-provoking, or one that you have a question about. Discuss it with a
partner or group.
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. Which animal relies most upon books to educate himself, and what does he learn?
2. What upsets Boxer after the Battle of the Cowshed, and how does Snowball
respond?
PICK A PASSAGE
Review the pages you have just read and choose a sentence or short passage that you find © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
important or thought-provoking, or one that you have a question about. Discuss it with a
partner or group.
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. What happens when the animals assemble in the yard on Napoleon’s order?
2. Why does Clover ask Muriel to read the Sixth Commandment to her, and what is
her reaction to what she hears?
3. What happens to Napoleon a few days after the Battle of the Windmill, and
what changes as a result?
Review the pages you have just read and choose a sentence or short passage that you find
important or thought-provoking, or one that you have a question about. Discuss it with a
partner or group.
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study guide
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1. What terrifying sight does Clover see in the yard, and how do the sheep respond?
2. What does Benjamin reveal about Boxer’s destination, and how does this affect
the animals?
3. By the story’s end, how has the Seventh Commandment been recast?
PICK A PASSAGE
Review the pages you have just read and choose a sentence or short passage that you find © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
important or thought-provoking, or one that you have a question about. Discuss it with a
partner or group.
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assessments
Animal Farm by George Orwell
CHOICES
ANALYZE
Choose one of the following three topics. Then write a well-organized and well-developed essay
supported by evidence from Animal Farm.
1. In the beginning of the novel, Major claims that “Man” is the animals’ “only real enemy.” Do you
agree? Who or what is the “real enemy” of the animals?
2. Choose an animal character from Animal Farm and explain how he or she is personified. Why
might Orwell have developed the character as he did, and what role does the character play in
the story? What kind of person might this character represent?
3. Analyze the way the Commandments change over the course of the novel. What would a
society of animals built around the original list be like? How would an animal society built
around the revised list be different?
CREATE
Choose one of the following three activities.
1. Propaganda PSA What is propaganda, and how do you identify it? Do we need to be
concerned with propaganda today? What questions might we ask ourselves to determine
whether a message is propaganda? Work with a small group to create a public-service
announcement (PSA) video about propaganda. Identify its purpose and the techniques it
uses to influence an audience—such as exaggerations, distortions, lies, or appeals to fear. Use
real examples of propaganda to support your points. Share your PSA with the class and invite
comments.
2. Annotated Timeline Animal Farm is an allegory of Russia’s political history from 1917 to
about 1943. Research the major political events that took place in Russia during that time,
including the key political figures who came into and fell out of power and the tactics Joseph
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Stalin used to make himself a powerful dictator. Create a timeline highlighting key moments.
Then annotate the timeline with notes in which you compare characters and events in Animal
Farm to people and events connected to the Russian Revolution. Display your timeline and
discuss it with classmates.
3. Laws for Humanity Review the Seven Commandments, the principles of Animalism that
were meant to form “unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever
after.” Then write seven “laws” for humanity, which should be applicable to all people across
the globe, be relevant for future generations, and reflect the values and ideas that you believe
are most important. Present your work in a small group and discuss any challenges you faced in
creating your laws.
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assessments
Animal Farm by George Orwell
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Read each question below. Then mark the letter of the answer you have chosen.
1. Who inspires the animals to rebel against 6. When does Animal Farm function at its
Mr. Jones? best?
A Major A when it is owned and run by Mr. Jones
B Snowball B after Snowball has been chased away
C Squealer C when the windmill is up and running
D Napoleon D the summer after the rebellion
2. Which of the following is one of the 7. What is one of the novel’s themes?
original Seven Commandments? A There will always be winners and
A Whatever goes upon four legs is an losers.
enemy. B Your work ethic defines you.
B No animal shall drink alcohol to C Blind devotion can lead to oppression.
excess. D If at first you don’t succeed, don’t
C No animal shall kill any other animal. give up.
D Animals are superior to human beings.
8. Napoleon makes sure that the outside
3. Napoleon trains the puppies to — world doesn’t know that —
A be fiercely loyal to him A animals on the farm are starving
B be defenders of Animalism B he is in charge
C rewrite the commandments C Major has died
D punish Mollie for leaving D some animals know how to read
5. The animals’ interactions with humans are 10. By the end of this allegory —
characterized by — A the animals have triumphed over
A fear and submissiveness human domination
B courtesy and kindness B there is no difference between the
C aggression and anger revolution’s leaders and the oppressors
D distrust and deception C the “lower animals” have all
recognized that they were foolish to
obey the pigs
D animals on other farms are hoping to
learn from the example of Animal Farm
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assessments
Animal Farm by George Orwell
SHORT ANSWER
Answer each of the following in complete sentences. Cite evidence from the novel to
support your answers.
11. An allegory is a story with both literal and symbolic levels of meaning. Characters, objects,
settings, or events in an allegory often represent abstract qualities or real people or places
in order to convey truths about life, to teach religious or moral lessons, or to criticize social
institutions. Identify how Animal Farm shows the characteristics of an allegory and what lesson
it attempts to teach.
12. Irony is a contrast between appearance and reality in which reality is typically the opposite
of what it seems to be. Situational irony is a contrast between what a reader or character
expects and what actually exists or happens. Identify one example of situational irony in Animal
Farm. What is the effect of this irony on Orwell’s message?
13. Personification refers to the giving of human qualities to an object, animal, or idea.
Choose one animal character from the novel, and explain how he or she exhibits human
characteristics. Why is this personification more effective at communicating a message than
using a human character with the same traits would be?
14. Propaganda is a form of biased, one-sided communication. Identify one use of propaganda in
the novel. What is its effect on the characters, and how does it contribute to Orwell’s message?
15. Foreshadowing is the use of hints to suggest plot events that will occur later in the
novel. What is an event or action that is foreshadowed in Major’s speech? How does this
foreshadowing affect the novel’s tone?
ESSAY
16. Write an essay that explains how the following quotation from Animal Farm relates to the
Essential Question. Include evidence from the novel to support your answer.
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. . . . Yet he is lord of
all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum
that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
? What are the sources of true power? 13
answer key
Animal Farm by George Orwell