Creative reasoning in the interactive classroom: experiential exercises for teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm."

Creative reasoning in the interactive classroom: experiential exercises for teaching George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Simplification is vexation VEXATION. The injury or damage which, is suffered in consequence of the tricks of another. , Work sheets are as bad; Then the oldennui just crushes me, And practice drives me mad! So give meargumentation! More give and take agrees, Helps me in my education, ThenOrwell seems a breeze. ("The Bald-headed Bard" 1996)Most of us enjoy a change now and then, whether to a different brandof ice cream or to a method by which we teach the "classic"works of literature. One older method, lecturing, has well-knownlimitations, especially for younger students and those not especiallymotivated to do close readings of literary texts. While lecturing worksin some places and for some students, those of us who teach literatureare always interested in alternative procedures to accomplish somefairly typical goals: we want our students to understand the textthrough close reading and real engagement with the printed page; we wantthem to have some grasp of the fictional work's historical andcultural contexts; and most of all, we want them to have some of theappropriate emotional responses through a process of their own discovery- the classic interactive processes among readers, texts, and fellowlearners first articulated by Louise Rosenblatt back in the 1930s(Literature; The Reader).(1)More recent research, employing several of Lev lev-,pref See levo-. . S. Vygotsky'sideas, has reiterated Rosenblatt's thinking and has suggested that"comprehension activity is simultaneously a collective,inter-mental process and an individual, intra-mental process."(2)Since individual students "rarely generate and revise theirknowledge based on propositional logic (logic) propositional logic - (or "propositional calculus") A system of symbolic logic using symbols to stand for whole propositions and logical connectives. Propositional logic only considers whether a proposition is true or false. ," merely "presentinginformation [lecturing] guaranteed to be correct by authorities is notsufficient for the construction of knowledge" even thoughindividuals possess knowledge structures" (Kobayashi 233-34).Rather, Kobayashi says, the active use of such knowledge structuresis highly dependent on social conditions - both immediate conditions,such as with whom a problem is solved, and remote conditions, such as asociety's educational system. As a result, comprehension activitycan be regarded as a progressive development rather than a complete orfinal product. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"put differently , individuals tend to seek provisionalconsistency [when constructing knowledge structures].For many teachers of literature, the most obvious social conditionfor increasing individual knowledge structures is whole-group classdiscussion (Cone 466); yet good discussions require class training forthis pedagogical ped��a��gog��ic? also ped��a��gog��i��caladj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy.2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. technique to succeed. And, in some of the better classconversations, students need to learn that consensus is not alwayspossible and that agreeing to disagree is oftentimes the best one canhope for. Hence, the most rewarding type of individual literary learningwithin a social matrix is often less about winning or losing an argumentand more about establishing the boundaries of dissent. The gamedescribed below not only helps students understand Orwell's novel,but provides both fun and an entry into the dynamics of good classroomconversations.Several scholars of classroom interaction distinguish between twokinds of whole group discussion: conversation, where the teacher asks(and also responds to) authentic questions, those without pre-specifiedanswers; and drill, where the teacher and class partake of astereotypical classroom exchange. In drill, the teacher asks a questionwhose answer she already knows, the student responds, seeking to givethe correct answer, and the teacher then evaluates the answer,pronouncing it acceptable or not. No matter how politely or indirectlythe teacher evaluates an incorrect answer, both she and the student knowin this context that the answer is "wrong."In most classrooms, whole-group discussion consists of a mix ofconversation and drill with the more experienced (or talented) teachersfocusing on the conversational elements whereas the novice teacher mayinitially confuse conversation and drill, wondering why in suchconfusion classroom discussions focused on drill just do not seem to"cook." Indeed, the novice's skill development inconducting successful whole-group question-and-answer sequences can bemarked by the relative movement from preponderately drill-type questionsto conversation. One way of developing both the teacher's skill inclassroom conversation and the students' interactive processes withthe material is to play an interactive game, in this instance a gamethat teaches the text by combining collaborative learning Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a variety of approaches in education that involve joint intellectual effort by students or students and teachers. Collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task in which each , conversation,drill, and the students' own life experiences.(3)For a range of students from high school to college, I haveexperimented with a classroom exercise I call "AnimalFarming," or, for an older group of students, "Animal FarmHegemony."(4) I employ the word hegemony as a deliberate echo ofthe board game, Monopoly, one most of my students have played from timeto time. The difference here is that Animal Farm Hegemony is aimed atthe acquisition of power as much as wealth; and, unlike Monopoly, thereal learning comes both during the exercise and after the game is over.At that point students begin to reflect upon and discuss as a class oneanother's ethical values and procedures as well as those issues inOrwell's political satire Political satire is a subgenre of general satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics, politicians, and public affairs. It has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political .(5)As part of a larger study of politically oriented literaturegenerally and political satire specifically, I want my students duringthis unit to: a) read Animal Farm and understand the political andsocial ideas and conditions the novel parodies: that is, they must feelhow some revolutions, like the great Soviet experiment, often destroythemselves from within despite their widespread initial idealism; b)understand the genre characteristics of Swiftian satire and Aesop'sbeast fables, particularly the parody of specific political figures,movements, and issues (such as totalitarianism, Stalinism, the RussianRevolution), and the figures of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and so on.To do this, students must learn to blend beast and human attributesalong the lines mentioned by Edwin Honig in the reading strategy hecalls the allegorical al��le��gor��i��cal? also al��le��gor��icadj.Of, characteristic of, or containing allegory: an allegorical painting of Victory leading an army. waver, the movement on a continuum from allegoryto realism. Thus the complexity of Orwell's text is not reduced tomere illustration of a specific historical process while,simultaneously, the historical process enriches their reading inconcrete ways.(6) In addition, I want them to see the thematic parallelsto historical phenomena,(7) including the social advantages of learningto read carefully with attention to nuance, just as the Pigs did.When the reading and the games are completed, my students willexpress their understanding through whole-group conversations as well asthrough a number of successful and hardly innovative types of feedback.These include such writing projects as essays, paragraphs, reflectivejournal entries, and sketches following such standard fare as smallgroup discussions, and even pop quizzes and tests. However, the key togetting all of this under way is the completion of the experientialexercises. Particularly with whole-group question-and-answer sequences,this game allows students to "figure out things they think theydon't know - and are not expected to know until the momentarises" (Haroutunian-Gordon 50).For a good experience, students should complete the exercise withinone to two class periods. The game ends, quite simply, when those whoremain free while enslaving others "win." Students must thenapply learning gained from these exercises by expressing themselves toall during subsequent whole-group discussions in later class periods, orin their writings to be read to the class. The key value to Animal FarmHegemony is the development of students' felt insights as well astheir reasoning into the mechanisms of totalitarianism and thedestruction of political idealism through discussion of and reflectionupon their own behavior during the game.Before we begin the game, I give a brief lecture on Thomas Hobbes andthe influence of Leviathan on Animal Farm (Appendix 1). What I do notsay directly is that playing the game requires them to understand someof Hobbes's political philosophy in order to comprehend and to feelthe dilemmas found in Orwell's novel. Such understanding will, Ihope, arise from the direct experience of the game as well as fromreading the novel and listening to my lecture.I begin, for example, by telling them that in Hobbes's view,human beings are less motivated by reason than by their desires andappetites. In a densely populated and competitive world, most peopleseek pleasure and avoid pain either through brute strength orcleverness. But, when they cannot out-muscle or out-wit their fellowhuman beings individually, many will agree to band together in groups,giving up their individual rights for the greater gains, glory, andprotection afforded them by belonging to a commonwealth. This collectiveis headed by a sovereign, one whose power is absolute, beinginstitutionalized by all as the peaceful alternative to the"perpetual war For the concept of a never-ending state of warfare, see Perpetual war. Perpetual War is the debut release by the Boston-based metalcore music group Diecast. of every man against his neighbor" (Hobbes2.18).As with every human action, however, individuals lose somethingthrough collective action as well. By giving up individual power totheir sovereign, they have made artificial chains, called civil laws,which bind them absolutely since they are themselves the creators of itscovenants. This is far better than the war of all against all, sincewhere there is no common power, there is no law; and where there is nolaw, there is no injustice anyway. Their allegiance to their sovereignshould be nearly absolute so long as he is able to defend them fromenemies; indeed, Hobbes says that "the end of obedience isprotection" (2.21).Although I do not then make explicit the connection between Hobbesand Animal Farm in the lecture, I do hope that my students will come tounderstand the limitations of Hobbesian thinking as dramatized in thenovel. Through the action of the game, students will feel the dangers oftrading protection for political acquiescence Conduct recognizing the existence of a transaction and intended to permit the transaction to be carried into effect; a tacit agreement; consent inferred from silence. . The animal's desirefor protection from Mr. Jones through the sovereignty of the pigs andparticularly through the collectivized col��lec��tiv��ize?tr.v. col��lec��tiv��ized, col��lec��tiv��iz��ing, col��lec��tiv��iz��esTo organize (an economy, industry, or enterprise) on the basis of collectivism. strength of Snowball and Napoleonwas only half of the tragic equation; the other half was that idealisticimpulse of the pigs that wanted to protect their fellow animals. Since,however, their idealism itself became infused with personalcompetitiveness, they gradually moved from motivations of comradelyprotectiveness to the kind of autocratic dismissiveness that sent Boxerto the knackers when he was no longer useful.In the same way, students playing the game become quickly aware ofclass differences and some may well be motivated to "protect"their less fortunate brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, after severalrounds of the game, the students' natural competitive urgesgenerally overwhelm their humanistic attitudes and most find themselvesunable to resist taking advantage of their relatively easily beatenopponents. Only after the game is over and I require the "lowerclasses" to explain in detail to the "winners" what theyfelt at the time will the dangers of trading sovereignty for protectionbecome emotionally clear to both losers and winners.In any event, during the delivery of the Hobbesian material, I do notindicate why such a lecture might be important. My assumption is thatstudents will react to the lecture as students do to many lectures onpolitical philosophy - with relatively modest attention. That is ok byme for now; indeed, one of the points of the game is learning thatinteresting ideas are not always immediately seen, and, even if theyare, sometimes take awhile to digest. In Appendix 1, I have reproducedthe brief lecture on the reasons for collectivization col��lec��tiv��ize?tr.v. col��lec��tiv��ized, col��lec��tiv��iz��ing, col��lec��tiv��iz��esTo organize (an economy, industry, or enterprise) on the basis of collectivism. that I use frompart of Leviathan.(8) Ultimately, during the pressure of the game, Iwant my students to return to the lecture and to the novel to find anynuggets of information they might use in pursuit of victory. Followingthe lecture, I read to them the rules of the game. Below are someguidelines for teachers to keep in mind.ANIMAL FARM HEGEMONY (not monopoly):(9)Information For The TeacherThere are two objectives to this game, the first announced by theteacher, the second unannounced: the first objective is for the wholeclass to learn as much as possible about Animal Farm specifically andpolitical satire generally; the second objective of the game is forstudents to experience the dangers of political action, where theprimary goal is ostensibly os��ten��si��ble?adj.Represented or appearing as such; ostensive: His ostensible purpose was charity, but his real goal was popularity. equality for all, in the absence of politicalbalancing structures in place to keep the all-too human desire for powerunder control. During the game, a student's desire to"win" (answer the most questions correctly) will conflictdirectly with her generally strong desire for everyone in the class tolearn as much as possible. This conflict often occurs even amongidealistic students.Students will quickly see that Napoleon, Snowball, and the other pigs(the ones) might try to "enslave en��slave?tr.v. en��slaved, en��slav��ing, en��slavesTo make into or as if into a slave.en��slavement n. " the rest of the animals bytaking their tokens (apples and milk) during the competition and leavingeveryone else weakened and hungry. Other animals must then resistwhenever and however they are able by keeping as many of their tokensand rental spaces as is possible. A single winner (or a winning teamwith one "ruler") must 1) remain "free;" and 2)"enslave" the others. Since all animals are equal, initially,their political equality begins with all students reading the same text(Animal Farm). The teacher's preparation, that is, his questionsfor whole-group discussion, now becomes material to use during the game.In Appendix 2, I have listed some sample questions, ranging from whatNystrand and Gamoran have elsewhere called report-type questions to theauthentic type where the teacher does not pre-specify answers.(10)The winner then gets The Hobbes, an award given to those who win thebattle of "all against all." After the award ceremony, theother students are allowed (indeed, required) to tell the winner indetail what they think of his or her award and methods of winning, bothorally and in writing (prefered). One of the crucial issues to beresolved during this de-briefing concerns the possibility ofameliorating human (or animal) suffering through political actionwithout betraying that initial idealistic impulse. The questions debatedduring the game and the de-briefing are the heart and soul of thestudents' learning.Each student in the class will assume a role during the game. Activeroles (for the several major characters) include the following (ideally,the game includes 10 to 15 students or roughly half to two-thirds of aclass):Teacher = Mr (or Ms or Mrs) Jones.Student A = old Major.Student B = Clover (one of the Threes).Student C = The Bank Representative (one of the Twos).Student D = Napoleon (one of the Ones).Student E = Snowball (initially an One), etc.The remainder of the 10 to 15 students in the game is divided intothree groups (the high (1), the middle (2), or the low (3), by randomlydrawing bits of paper marked with one (pigs), or two (horses, mules, anddogs) or three (everyone else); thereafter, each student must consultthe text to develop appropriate behavior, voice, values, and so on forhis or her character. At least two examples of every animal mentioned inthe novel (i.e., pigs, not just Napoleon; horses, not just Boxer) shouldbe included whenever possible in every exercise.Students in class who are not part of the game become members of theThought Police (question experts) and must "help" the teachereither by adjudicating answers among the active members of the game orby submitting written questions (on Animal Farm or Hobbes) to be askedas the game is in progress. Ideally, following a question initiallyposed by the teacher, the Thought Police would follow it up with an eventougher or more thought-provoking question. The goal here is graduallyto add yet another layer to the game and get the members of the audience(the rest of the class) trying to stump or outwit out��wit?tr.v. out��wit��ted, out��wit��ting, out��wits1. To surpass in cleverness or cunning; outsmart.2. Archaic To surpass in intelligence. the players.Students giving correct answers are rewarded for their hard work andgiven one or more tokens. Tokens are to be divided as follows:1) upper classes (approx. 15 - 16% of class) get 50% of tokens;2) middle classes (approx. 20 - 21% of class) get 25% of tokens;3) lower classes (the rest) get the remainder.Any animal with extra capital (tokens) may rent a "Free SpaceRental" (by using his or her accumulated tokens) and so avoidanswering one round of questions. Renters also may hire guards withtheir extra money to keep off trespassers or to raid other free spaces.Any action by the guards is done through questions only. That is, theguard may effect any action (protective or aggressive) by asking aquestion the guard's target cannot successfully answer. Anyguard's question must supersede To obliterate, replace, make void, or useless.Supersede means to take the place of, as by reason of superior worth or right. A recently enacted statute that repeals an older law is said to supersede the prior legislation. any question asked by the teacher.The Bank will lend money (tokens) to any good credit risk, providedthat the applicant shows "adequate" means of repayment. TheBank's representative may act as do Mr. Pilkington or Mr.Frederick.Spontaneous demonstrations may be risked at any time whenever somemembers of a group (usually the Threes) believe that rational argumentwill not work. These demonstrations may be stopped by the ones throughthe use of their guards' questions. One demonstrator dem��on��stra��tor?n.1. One that demonstrates, such as a participant in a public display of opinion.2. An article or product used in a demonstration.demonstratorNoun1. (only) isselected to suffer a Penalty: his or her tokens are removed anddeposited in the bank for the benefit of the one whose guard asked thequestion. The demonstrator is then sent to the knackers (is out of thegame) as an object lesson for all those who might consider flouting TheSeven Commandments See also: Seven Laws of NoahThe Seven Commandments in the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell were a list of rules or laws that were supposed to keep order and ensure elementary Animalism within Animal Farm. .DEFINITIONS (Handout for Students)1. Tokens are anything of local exchange value: candy bar bits,pennies, time segments, paper bits indicating work release, and so on.The total number of tokens amounts to three times the number of classmembers.2. A Character may be defined as any entity exhibiting one or more ofthe following:a) mimetic mimetic/mi��met��ic/ (mi-met��ik) pertaining to or exhibiting imitation or simulation, as of one disease for another. mi��met��icadj.1. Of or exhibiting mimicry.2. - real or potential human-like attributes (eg, Boxer ishardworking);b) thematic - attributes belonging to ideas, concepts, goals (Mollyrepresents the selfishness of the Nobility);c) synthetic - attributes belonging to the artifice ar��ti��fice?n.1. An artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem. See Synonyms at wile.2. Subtle but base deception; trickery.3. Cleverness or skill; ingenuity. of the story(Frederick and Pilkington are characters who set in motion the finalcorruption of the pigs).(11)3. The Point of View is the position from which either narrativevoice speaks or focalizer sees.(12)4. Proper vocabulary should be used at all times. Students should beencouraged to employ only the vocabulary used in the book, fromlectures, or in Hobbes when attempting to express concepts appropriateto Animal Farm's ideas and its characters.5. Key rules include no violence, touching, or loud verbal coercion.All players must follow The Seven Commandments, unless a powerful"ruler" changes the Commandments. Ideally, students will cometo feel what it is like to belong to the 1) higher; 2: middle; or 3)lower orders. As Mr. Pilkington choked out: "If you [Pigs] haveyour lower animals to contend with, ... we have our lower classes."The following are the procedures [rules] the teacher recites to thestudents while distributing tokens:1. I want game players to clear a space in the middle of the room.After successfully answering a question, the student must then walkslowly with book in hand to the left from 1) Rebellion Place, to 2)Cowshed Corner, to 3) Manor Mansion, to 4) Jones's Livingroom (seeFigure 1). Please, no one must move until after he or she hassuccessfully answered the question I will ask of the group generally.After each successfully answered question, the respondent will get thetoken(s) appropriate to one's class - that is, assuming the Bankerhas not been corrupted and is willing to pay the Threes as quickly asshe would the Ones. All animals must follow The Seven Commandmentsduring disputes. The teacher by law must not interfere with the AnimalFarm society; doing so would be in violation of the "primedirective The novelty of research or terms used in this article is disputed. ."2. Answers are judged correct by the teacher and the Thought Police;however, either may be overruled by a "popular vote" of thosewho point to evidence in either Animal Farm, in Leviathan, or in TheSeven Commandments. Animals given specific character designations(Boxer, Snowball, and so on) must stay in character and answer as thatcharacter probably would do so. Each character is, however, free toinvent a new attribute if doing so works to his or her advantage, butsaid attribute should be reasonably appropriate to that character.3. For each correct answer to the teacher's questions, Ones, ifsuccessful would get three (3) tokens; on the other hand, should a Twoanswer correctly, then he/she would get two (2) tokens; and Threes, ifsuccessful, would get one token. This "class" differential isbuilt into our Animal Farm society to insure stability, socialtranquility, and an orderly social fabric. The only way a member of thelower orders may receive a portion of tokens greater than that allottedto his class is by "proving" that the answer of a One waswrong. In such a case, the tokens go to the person who successfullycorrects the One.4. Starting with Rebellion Place, a student will walk to the nextarea after successfully answering the question I have asked (forexample, "Why did the Pigs bury the hams?"). One must answerby raising one's hand before another student raises his or hers. Ofcourse, the Ones always go first, Twos go second, and Threes go last.Incorrect answers are penalized in reverse order from Procedure 2 above;that is, Ones lose one token, Twos lose two tokens, and Threes losethree tokens for each incorrect answer. After two incorrect answers, anyindividual "goes to the Knackers," unless living in aprotected "rental" space.5. Any "animal" with extra tokens may "bribe"another to answer for him or her. Any animal may dislodge dis��lodge?v. dis��lodged, dis��lodg��ing, dis��lodg��esv.tr.To remove or force out from a position or dwelling previously occupied.v.intr. another bypaying the Bank more money for "rent," and so may live inseveral rental spaces at once. One who owns a rental space need notanswer a question while inside that space.6. The first animal to get around the circle once may then"let" spaces in the rental areas and "hire" guards(like "enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars") toprotect his or her investment. Such guards function only by askingquestions which the target cannot answer correctly. A correct answer toa guard's question indicates that the target need not obey theguard that time.7. The first animal to "control" enough of the others maychoose to rewrite any or all of The Seven Commandments; a "popularvote" decides passage of the new draft.8. The Game ends when all tokens are won, or by the end of one or twoclass periods.9. All disputes among students are to be settled by reference to theSeven Commandments or Animal Farm generally, or to the lecture onHobbes. All animals vote on disputes; the majority "wins."Remember, in most societies, members "negotiate" for whatthey want, whether long or short term, by collectivizing, byargumentation, by persuasion, and by propaganda. One is limited only byone's imagination and by the (current) Seven Commandments.FIGURE 1.All students are to begin by standing near Rebellion Place andrespond in orderly fashion to the teacher's (or ThoughtPolice's) questions according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Rule 4. After successfullyanswering a question, that student may move either to a Rental Space orthe next numbered part of the farm. Movement is continuous to end ofgame.1. REBELLION PLACERENTAL SPACE RENTAL SPACE2. COWSHED CORNER 4. JONES'S LIVINGROOMRENTAL SPACE RENTAL SPACE3. MANOR MANSIONAPPENDIX 1Introduction (Lecture material covered before exercise begins; seeexplanation above): to be read aloud as students follow from handout.Students must have a copy of the material below for future consultation.[from Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, "Of the Natural Conditionsof Mankind as Concerning Their Felicity and Misery."(Collier's Books, 1651; 1962)].1. Nature hath made men [and women] ... equal, in the faculties ofthe body, and the mind [so that] the weakest has strength enough to killthe strongest, either by secret machination, or by confederacy Confederacy,name commonly given to the Confederate States of America(1861–65), the government established by the Southern states of the United States after their secession from the Union. withothers that are in the same danger with himself. (98)2. From this equality of ability, ariseth equality of hope in theattaining of our ends. And therefore if any two men [or women] desirethe same thing, which they nevertheless cannot both enjoy, they becomeenemies, and in the way to their end, which is principally their ownconservation ... [they] endeavor to destroy or subdue sub��due?tr.v. sub��dued, sub��du��ing, sub��dues1. To conquer and subjugate; vanquish. See Synonyms at defeat.2. To quiet or bring under control by physical force or persuasion; make tractable.3. one another.3. [Hence, from this state of all against all] there is no way for a[person] to secure himself ... [except] by force or wiles to master thepersons of all men he can ... till he see no other power great enough toendanger him. . . .Also there be some that [take] pleasure incontemplating their own power in the acts of conquest, which they pursuefarther than their security requires.4. So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes ofquarrel: 1) competition (or gain), 2) diffidence dif��fi��dence?n.The quality or state of being diffident; timidity or shyness.Noun 1. diffidence - lack of self-confidenceself-distrust, self-doubt (or safety), 3) glory(or reputation)5. Out of civil states, there is always war of every one againstevery one. . .wherein men [and women] live without other security, thanwhat their own strength and their own invention shall furnish themwithal. In such a condition, there is no place for industry, ... noculture of the earth, no navigation, no commodious com��mo��di��ous?adj.1. Spacious; roomy. See Synonyms at spacious.2. Archaic Suitable; handy.[Middle English, convenient, from Medieval Latin building, noknowledge of the face of the earth, no account of time, no arts, noletters, no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear anddanger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty,brutish brut��ish?adj.1. Of or characteristic of a brute.2. Crude in feeling or manner.3. Sensual; carnal.4. , and short.6. In such a war, nothing is unjust... where there is no commonpower, there is no law: where no law, no injustice.7. The passions that incline men [and women] to peace: 1) fear ofdeath; 2) desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living;3) reason suggesteth convenient articles of peace.APPENDIX 2Sample Questions - Animal Farm Hegemony.131. Why do the characterizations of Boxer, Mollie mollieor molly,New World fish of the genus Mollienesia, in the same family as the guppy (see killifish). Mollies are found from the E and central United States to Argentina. , and Benjamin remainstable in these pages? (Analysis)2. Do you believe Squealer's explanation about the pigs and theapples? (Record)3. What might happen to Boxer if he doesn't learn how to readpast the letter "H." (Speculation)4. During the discussion leading up to the Battle of the Cowshed This article is about the fictional battle in the novel Animal Farm. It is not to be confused with the Battle of Cowpens in the American Revolution.The Battle of the Cowshed is a fictional battle from the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell. ,Orwell seems to undercut his own fictional illusion by making the humanbeings circulate stories about the animals rebelling against the"laws of nature." How does Orwell keep his human charactersfrom destroying the fictional representation the author has alreadybuilt up? (Analysis)5. Why is Boxer so upset at the thought of killing a human being?(Analysis)6. After the battle, why do all the animals sing, Beasts of Englandagain? (Analysis)7. What aspect of the Russian revolution specifically and humannature generally does Molly and her behavior represent? (Generalization)8. After Molly disappears, where is she last seen, and what is shedoing? (Report)Why is she allowing that to happen? (Analysis)9. Where did Molly get the ribbons and sugar cubes found by Clover?(Report)10. Why can't the animals make up their minds between thepolicies of Snowball and Napoleon? Which one is "right"?(Analysis)11. Is Snowball a "criminal"? If so, why did he fight sobravely at the Battle of the Cowshed? (Analysis)12. What does Napoleon do to Snowball's plans? (Report) Why doeshe do so? (Analysis)13. Of what larger issues is the hen's rebellion symptomatic?(Analysis)14. Is Napoleon right about his decision to sell the eggs to Whymper?(Analysis)15. Through whom does Napoleon issue most of his orders? (Report)Why? (Analysis)16. What is the last image of the "fairy story"? (Report)Why does Orwell end the work this way? (Analysis)ENDNOTES1 In both works, Rosenblatt is straightforward in rejecting not onlyNew Critical "objectivity," but the equally undesirable polaropposite that which is conspicuously different in most important respects.See also: Opposite : locating the literary experience in near-completesubjectivity. As she says in The Reader, the "transactional theoryexpounded here repudiates recent efforts to make the readerall-important" (xiii, 4). In Literature, she is very explicit:Though a free, uninhibited uninhibited/un��in��hib��it��ed/ (un?in-hib��i-ted) free from usual constraints; not subject to normal inhibitory mechanisms. emotional reaction to a work of art orliterature is an absolutely necessary condition of sound literaryjudgment, it is not, to use the logician's term, a sufficientcondition. Without a real impact between the book and the mind of thereader, there can be no process of judgment at all, but the honestrecognition of one's own reaction is not in itself sufficient toinsure sound critical opinion. (75)I would add to her sense of "real impact" the necessity ofinteractions among peers (other minds/readers) as well. The directionthe game here takes is to begin with individual student response andthen move to other, more literary and historical directions, bycombining ideas from the text and the immediate student experiences withthe game.2 Note that Vygotskian thinking emphasizes both inter- andintra-mental efforts at comprehending, in this instance, a literarytext, whereas many reader-response critics focus primarily on the second(intra) element. Understanding this bias is important because the schoolof reader-response oriented criticism has come to dominate much ofliterary education in North America North America,third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. as did its predecessor, the (old)New Criticism.3 Sorenson and Lunde, for example, emphasize that "collaborativeinstruction calls forth ... interpersonal skills "Interpersonal skills" refers to mental and communicative algorithms applied during social communications and interactions in order to reach certain effects or results. The term "interpersonal skills" is used often in business contexts to refer to the measure of a person's ability such as activelistening Active listening is an intent to "listen for meaning", in which the listener checks with the speaker to see that a statement has been correctly heard and understood. The goal of active listening is to improve mutual understanding. , questioning, explaining, paraphrasing, and summarizing"(23-24).4 See my basic explanatory essay on Animal Farm in "GeorgeOrwell." For a sense of Orwell's thinking about allegoricalfiction in his early writing, see my "Dance."5 This sense of self-reflection is crucial for students to understandthe real importance of the game. In the language of speech act theory,students become able, by virtue of playing the game, to distinguish"the propositional content [of the arguments in Animal Farm as wellas those of their colleagues] from the illocutionary force of [their]assertion[s]."6 Honig says that the "allegorical waver" is[an oscillating movement continually held in balance between twolevels of correspondence - one realistic, the other symbolic....Incontrast to analogical an��a��log��i��cal?adj.Of, expressing, composed of, or based on an analogy: the analogical use of a metaphor.an baiting, the allegorical waver serves tostabilize the allegory as a self-contained mystery. With all itsmeanings impacted in the narrative, the propriety of the story is suchthat by no extrinsic EVIDENCE, EXTRINSIC. External evidence, or that which is not contained in the body of an agreement, contract, and the like. 2. It is a general rule that extrinsic evidence cannot be admitted to contradict, explain, vary or change the terms of a contract or of a reference to logic, history, or dogma can one reachoutside the story to reassure oneself as to what has taken place andwhat has been evoked inside of it. Rather, the matter of what the storymeans is one that exists solely between the reader and the story; thereader takes it as he will or can, making of it what is possible to him.(129)7 John Rodden has discussed the former Soviet Union's ambivalentresponse to Orwell during the last fifty years. During that time period,one Soviet critic, citing Orwell's preface to the Ukrainian editionof Animal Farm, transforms Orwell's "exposing the Sovietmyth" to a diagnosis of the "syndrome of present-daycapitalism." Rodden charts such manipulations and outrightreversals of Orwell's ideas in Soviet literary publications -examples of modern day Squealer behavior in human form.8 Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan. N.Y.: Colliers, 1651/1962. Although Ihave focused on the Hobbesian reference early in the novel, one could,presumably pre��sum��a��ble?adj.That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. , take almost any of the historical/political references inAnimal Farm and use it in the game for its own effect. Another obviouschoice is the information found in Arendt.9 Although Animal Farm Hegemony is meant to be a "walking"game somewhat analogous to Monopoly, one could, with a littleimprovisation, make it into a paper and pencil or board game. Thatmight, however, take half the fun away from an exercise meant to getstudents up, and moving, and arguing. One influential study of this typeof argumentation, combining rhetoric and social psychology, isBillig's.10 According to Nystrand and Gamoran (1991), the extent to which thestudents have control over classroom discourse decides the type ofquestion: if the teacher asks test questions, the teacher already knowsthe answer, is looking for specific information, and will evaluate anyanswer accordingly. This type of question is contrasted to authenticquestions where the teacher has no pre-specified answers in mind and thestudents know that they are not expected to respond in any pre-specifiedway. Finally, the teacher may also ask quasi-authentic questions, thosewhose answers have several components, allowing the student to answeraccording to his or her own organizational plan; a quasi-authenticquestion may be responded to by at least two correct answers. See alsonote 13.11 Mimetic, thematic, and synthetic concepts are taken from Phelan.12 Briefly, I explain to my students that the narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. speaks whilethe focalizer sees. In this, I am following the work of Gerard Genetteand Mieke Bal as discussed in Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan.13 These questions were labeled according to their cognitive level, ascheme first discussed by the late James Britton James Britton, American painter (1878-1936), born in Hartford, Connecticut. Trained as a realist painter with noted Connecticut artist Charles Noel Flagg, he worked for a short period as staff artist for The Hartford Times, and then as an art critic for The Hartford Courant. and further developedby Nystrand and Gamoran.1. Record - a statement of the student's thinking at the moment.What is happening?2. Report - a statement of the student's past thinking, reading,or feeling. This is the most common type of response to a teacher'squestion in class. What happened?The next three cognitive levels are associated with authenticity -where the teacher asks questions to which answers are not preselected;although a question's authenticity does not necessarily determineits cognitive level, the following types of questions are regularlyassociated with higher order thinking, or the novel organization orapplication of prior knowledge.3. Generalization - the derivation or induction of a general conceptfrom particulars. What happens when...?4. Analysis - the determination of the nature and relationship ofparts in a whole entailing two or more concepts. Why does it happen?5. Speculation - theoretical generalizing beyond mere classificationby making such generalization the very topic of the discourse. Whatmight happen?WORKS CITEDArendt, Hannah Arendt, Hannah(hän`ä är`ənt), 1906–75, German-American political theorist, b. Hanover, Germany, B.A. Königsberg, 1924, Ph.D. Heidelberg, 1928. She emigrated (1941) to the United States and was naturalized in 1950. . On Violence. New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Harcourt, 1970.Bartholomae, David and Anthony Petrosky. Facts, Artifacts andCounterfacts: Theory and Method for a Reading and Writing Course.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986.Billig, Michael. Arguing and Thinking. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1987.Britton, James. The Development of Writing Abilities. London:Macmillan, 1975. 11-18.Carpay, Jacques. In the Footsteps of Lev Semionovich Vigotsky: AReader. Amsterdam: Free University, 1994.Cone, Jean Kernan. "Appearing Acts: Creating Readers in a HighSchool English Class." Harvard Educational Review The Harvard Educational Review is an interdisciplinary scholarly journal of opinion and research dealing with education, published by the Harvard Education Publishing Group. The journal was founded in 1930 with circulation to policymakers, researchers, administrators, and teachers. 64 (1994):450-473.Haroutunian-Gordon, Sophie. Turning the Soul: Teaching ThroughConversation in High School. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1991. 16-19.Haste, Helen. "The Thinker as Arguer: An Interview with MichaelBillig Michael Billig is one of the key individuals working in contemporary social psychology. He trained in Bristol with Henri Tajfel as an experimental psychologist and helped design the so called minimal group experiments which were foundational to the social identity approach. ". New Ideas in Psychology 12.2 (1994): 169-181.Hobbes, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas(hŏbz), 1588–1679, English philosopher, grad. Magdalen College, Oxford, 1608. For many years a tutor in the Cavendish family, Hobbes took great interest in mathematics, physics, and the contemporary rationalism. . Leviathan. 1651. New York: Colliers, 1962.Honig, Edwin. Dark Conceit conceit,in literature, fanciful or unusual image in which apparently dissimilar things are shown to have a relationship. The Elizabethan poets were fond of Petrarchan conceits, which were conventional comparisons, imitated from the love songs of Petrarch, in which : The Making of an Allegory. 1959. Hanover:UP of New England New England,name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. , 1982.Karolides, Nicholas J., ed. Reader Response in the Classroom: Evokingand Interpreting Meaning in Literature. White Plains, NY: Langman, 1992.Knapp, John V. "Classy Questions: Raising Student AchievementThrough Authentic Discourse." Illinois English Bulletin 78 (Winter1991): 42-55.-----. George Orwell Vol. 5. Critical Survey of Long Fiction. 8 vols.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem, 1983. 2055-2064.-----. "Dance to a Creepy Minuet: Orwell's Burmese Days Burmese Days is a novel by British writer George Orwell. Published in 1934 and based loosely on Orwell's five years as a policeman in the Indian Imperial Police force in Burma (now Myanmar), it is a caustic, fast-paced tale about the waning days of British imperialism before ,Precursor to Animal Farm." Modern Fiction Studies 21.1 (1975):11-29.Kobayashi, Yashikazu. "Conceptual Acquisition and Change ThroughSocial Interaction." Human Development 37 (1994): 233-241.Langer, Judith A. Literature Instruction: A Focus on StudentResponse. Urbana: N.C.T.E., 1992.Nystrand, Martin and Adam Gamoran Adam Gamoran is a professor of Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. He obtained his Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from the University of Chicago in 1984. . "Instructional Discourse,Student Engagement, and Literature Achievement." RTE (1) See runtime engine.(2) (Real-Time Executive) The operating system used in the HP 1000 series. See HP 1000. 25.3 (1991):261-290.Olsen, David R. and Janet Wilde Astington. "Thinking AboutThinking: Learning How To Take Statements and Hold Beliefs."Educational Psychologist 28 (1993): 7-23.Phelan, James Phelan, James (Duval)(1861–1930) mayor; born in San Francisco. He studied law at the University of California, but never became a lawyer. A three-term mayor of San Francisco (1896–1902), he attacked the board of supervisors and helped create a new city . Reading People, Reading Plots: Character, Progression,and the Interpretation of Narrative. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1989.Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics.London: Methuen, 1983.Rosenblatt, Louise. Literature as Exploration. 1938. New York: Nobleand Noble, 1976.-----. The Reader, The Text, The Poem. Carbondele: Southern IllinoisUP, 1978.Rodden, John. "Soviet Literary Policy, 1945-1989: The Case ofGeorge Orwell." Modern Age 32.2 (1988): 131-139.Schon, Donald. "Coaching Reflective Teaching." Reflectionsin Teacher Education. Ed. Peter P. Grimmett, Gaalen L. Erickson. NewYork: Teachers College, 1988. 19-29.Sorenson, R.C. and J.P. Lunde. "Self Rating of Students Engagedin Collaborative Learning." NACTA NACTA The National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents Journal 37 (1993).Vygotsky, Lev S. Mind in Society. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1978.Knapp is associate professor at Northern Illinois University Coordinates: andholds joint appointment in modern British literature British literature is literature from the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. By far the largest part of this literature is written in the English language, but there are also separate literatures in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, and Englisheducation. His most recent book is Striking at the Joints: ContemporaryPsychology and Literary Criticism.