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Year 9 - English

An exploration of Chapter 8 of 'Lord of the Flies'

'Lord of the Flies'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'The Lord of the Flies' by considering Golding's message about human nature. They first read the novel, before analysing the characters Ralph, Simon, Jack and Piggy. They then look at setting and symbolism before planning and writing an essay on human nature.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain and explore the key events in Chapter 8 of 'Lord of the Flies'.

Key Notes

  • Jack creates a breakaway group and some of the boys sneak away to join him.
  • Jack and what he now calls his "tribe" kill a pig and leave her head as a present for the beast.
  • Simon goes into the jungle alone and speaks with the head of the pig.
  • The head of the pig appears to him as the beast.
  • The beast tells him that he exists in all people and is the reason that everything is wrong.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • patronising: speaking to or behaving towards someone as if they are stupid or not important
  • misguided: unreasonable because of being based on bad judgement or on wrong information or beliefs
  • threatening: expressing a threat of something unpleasant or violent
  • to dismiss: to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering
  • to reveal: to make known something that is surprising or that was previously secret

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students may be confused about what is actually happening in the encounter between the beast and Simon.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Jack creates a breakaway group and some of the boys sneak away to join him. Jack and what he now calls his "tribe" kill a pig and leave her head as a present for the beast.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'patronising'

speaking to or behaving towards someone as if they are stupid or not important.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students may be confused about what is actually happening in the encounter between the beast and Simon. Correction: Remind them that Simon has a tendency to lose consciousness. They need to be able to interpret this encounter on multiple levels.

More Lessons In This Unit

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