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Text File | 1990-10-18 | 24KB | 793 lines

*************************************************************************** * * * * * * * * * * * ANIMAL FARM * * * * * * * * * * * *************************************************************************** Activities and Notes for Students Programme and Notes by Steve Herbert (p1) Table of Contents ================= Introduction to Animal Farm................................3 Introduction to the Programme..............................3 System Requirements........................................4 Installation...............................................4 How to get Started.........................................5 Using the Menus............................................5 The Main Menu..............................................6 Quizzes and Games Menu.....................................6 Notes Menu.................................................7 Instructions...............................................7 The Competition............................................8 Customising the Programme..................................9 About the Programme........................................10 Registration Form..........................................11 Entry Form.................................................12 (p2) INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL FARM =========================== 'Animal Farm' is one of George Orwell's most famous books, and possibly the most widely read. Because of the simple style in which it is written, it may be read by children as an entertaining story, as well as by adults searching for a deeper meaning. Written in 1945, this short novel is an expression of Orwell's disillusionment with Communism. It was the book which made him famous, although he consolidated his fame with his last book, '1984'. What is striking about the book is the way in which Orwell has so neatly captured several levels of meaning in straightforward prose. For many years banned in the USSR, it is a vicious satire of the Communist Revolution in Russia and the Stalinist years. On another level, it depicts the faults of any totalitarian system. However, the surface level of the animal fable has a certain charm of its own. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAMME ============================= The programme consists of a series of activities to assist high school students learning Orwell's novel 'Animal Farm'. The student can select the activity of his choice from a series of menus. Activities include several quizzes or games, notes on a wide variety of topics, graphics of the Farm and even a competition with the chance to win worthwhile prizes. The games are designed to be fun and at the same time to provide a fairly painless way to memorise quotations, learn important passages, and in general, to become familiar with the plot, characters and themes of the novel. (p3) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== The programme will run on IBM and Compatible computers with 512Kb of memory or more. CGA card is required, although it is not necessary to have a colour monitor. However, colour is recommended, especially for the games. The programme is normally supplied on two 5.25" floppy disks and the default set up is for the programme disk to be in Drive A and the data disk in Drive B. These defaults may be changed, however, from the SETUP option on the Main Menu, and the programme will also run from a single drive (of 720Kb or more) or from a hard disk. INSTALLATION ============ You are advised to use the DOS DISKCOPY command to back up your disks before you use them. If you intend to run the programme from the original disks, or from back- ups of the originals, no installation is required. If you want to run it from a hard disk or from a high capacity disk, just follow the simple steps below to install it successfully. 1. Create a new directory or subdirectory for the programme (if desired) using the DOS MKDIR or MD command (See your DOS manual). 2. Copy all the files from the Programme Disk and the Data Disk to the chosen directory or sub-directory using the COPY *.* command. You may copy the data files to a different directory from the programme files if you wish. N.B. The Programme Disk (Disk 1) is the one containing the main programme file AFARM.EXE 3. When you first run the programme, select SETUP from the Main Menu, and alter the Drive/Directory setting to the one where you copied the data files. You must do this before you attempt any of the activities which load data from the disk. (Most of them do!). 4. Please note that although the files from the data disk may be stored ina separate directory, ALL the files from the Programme Disk must be kept together in the same directory. (p4) HOW TO GET STARTED ================== A. Two 5.25" Floppy Disks Insert the Programme Disk in Drive A and the Data Disk in Drive B. Now turn on, or reboot your computer. N.B. You can reboot by pressing the Ctrl key,the Alt key and the Del key all at once, or by pressing the Reset Button if there is one. Alternatively, if your computer is already running and the DOS prompt is on the screen, insert the disks as above. Now change to Drive A if necessary by typing A: <<Enter>> To run the programme, type AUTOEXEC <<Enter>> B. One 3.5" disk Insert the disk in your drive and turn on, or reboot your computer. Alternatively, if your computer is already running and the DOS prompt is on the screen, make sure you are using the correct drive (Usually Drive A:),and then type AUTOEXEC <<Enter>> C. Hard Disk Make sure you have followed the instructions in the previous section to make a directory and copy the files to it. Now change to that directory.(e.g. If your Hard Disk is Drive C and you created a new directory called LITDISK, then type CD C:\LITDISK) <<Enter>>) Now type AUTOEXEC <<Enter>> USING THE MENUS =============== You find your way around the different parts of the programme by using a very simple system of menus. The choices offered at each level are shown on the screen, with the first one high-lighted. Use the arrow keys to move the high-light to the selection you want. Then press the <<Enter>> key to go to that selection.If your computer has a numeric key-pad, you may use those arrow keys as well, but remember to turn off the Num Lock function. To Find A Menu If a menu is not currently showing on the screen, you can almost always get to one by pressing the <<Esc>> key. This will halt the current activity,and display the active menu. (p5) THE MAIN MENU ============= The Main Menu Options are described briefly below. Introduction This is a welcome to the programme and a brief description of its features. Quizzes And Games Choose one of the quizzes and games available from a further menu. Notes This also leads to another menu, listing the different topics for which notes are available. Competition This reveals details of the competition, and gives the coded message which makes up Level 1 of the competition. The Farm This segment reveals a map of Animal Farm as it is described in the novel, with enlargements of certain key areas and associated notes. Set-Up Use this selection to change the colour of the text and the menus, or to alter the speed at which the programme runs; also to set the drive and directory in which the data files are stored. Quit Return to DOS QUIZZES AND GAMES MENU ====================== These are the options available on this menu. Quotation Quiz Tests your detailed knowledge of the book by asking you to choose the correct speaker of each quotation. Over 90 quotations to really test you.A good score here earns you a clue to the competition code. Missing Words Vital passages from the text can be learnt by heart, as you guess the words missing from the screen. Great revision value! Save Boxer An addictive word-guessing game. To save Boxer from the threatening situation, you must guess the mystery word in time. Boxer's life depends on you! Revolution A simulated board game in the Snakes and Ladders tradition. Become Napoleon as you follow his changing fortunes through the plot of the text. Try to beat your own record for completing this game! (p6) NOTES MENU ========== Major topics are: Plot Summaries This leads to another menu allowing you to select an overall summary or chapter summaries. Character Studies Another menu to select notes on any of the major characters Exam Questions A selection of notes on how to handle different exam questions. Themes Discusses the major ideas of the novel Background Brief notes on relevant points. Style A discussion of Orwell's language. The Author Notes about Orwell's life and a portrait. INSTRUCTIONS ============ The programme has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible. Most of the activities have on-screen help. Where more detailed instructions are necessary, this option has been included in the menu for that particular activity. Activities which include their own instructions are: Quotation Quiz (Games Menu) Missing Words (Games Menu) Save Boxer (Games Menu) Revolution (Games Menu) The Farm (Main Menu) In addition, you can receive help on any menu by pressing <H>. (p7) THE COMPETITION =============== One of the unique features of this programme is the on-disk competition. To take part in the competition, you must first solve a code. To see the coded message, select COMPETITION from the Main Menu. Once you have cracked the code, you will be able to confirm your success with part one of the competition, and this confirmation will be written onto the disk. This will gain you access to the next level of the competition, a treasure hunt on Animal Farm. Once the treasure is discovered, you will be able to answer a series of questions which make up Part Three of the competition. Write your solution to the coded message on the Entry Form (Included as page 12 of this manual), and also write the answers to the five Buried Treasure questions. Please note that you must be a registered user of the programme to be eligible to enter the competition. First prize is cash to the value of approximately US$50 plus computer products. Second prize US$15 plus computer products. Twenty consolation prizes of computer products. The value of the prizes may vary slightly from year to year, but should increase rather than decrease (assuming enough of you lovely people out there in Computer-land buy my programmes). The competition is an annual one closing at the end of November each year,and with the winning entries drawn at the beginning of December. All prize-winners will be notified by post, and all entrants in the competition will receive a list of results. (p8) CUSTOMIZING THE PROGRAMME ========================= With a modicum of knowledge and the ability to use a text processor, you should be able to customise some of the data used in the programme, if you so desire. The most obvious areas where this can be accomplished are as follows: QUOTATION QUIZ - The data for this quiz is contained in the text file AFQUOTES.QQZ on Disk 2. The first item in the file is the number of quotes currently in the file. Don't forget to update this if you add or delete quotes. Each question must contain the following items: The quotation itself, the correct answer, 3 incorrect answers, a sentence explaining the context of the quotation, the Chapter number, the page number. Use ordinary Arabic numerals for Chapter and page numbers, not Roman numerals. A quick look at the file should make it clear what to do if you are still confused. SAVE BOXER - This is my version of the Hangman game. You can easily add new words by altering the file SBOXER.DTA on Disk 2. The first item in the file is the number of words. Don't forget to update this if you add or delete words. Each word used in the game also has an accompanying definition; this must be included. NOTES - I don't recommend that you alter the notes, as my system for printing them to the screen is a little peculiar to say the least, but if you must experiment, then go ahead. Plot summaries can be identified by the file suffix .PLT , Character studies have .CHR , while other notes have the suffix .NTS The first item in each file is the number of screens or pages of data, then each 'page' has the number of data items on that page. Beginning an item with a * indicates that the item is to be high-lighted in the text. To print a blank line, include an item consisting of 4 or more spaces enclosed in quotation marks. You may need to experiment a little to find out just how much will fit on each page. MISSING WORDS - If you have a lot of time on your hands, and are by nature a patient and tolerant person like me, then you can try writing different PASSAGES for the Missing Words game. I'll leave you to figure out how it's done! Unfortunately, you won't be able to change the reference to the PASSAGE in the GAMES Menu. FAMILY FEUD - Not much you can change here, except for the True/False questions. These are contained in the file BORDATA.DTA Take care not to make the questions too long. I guess that's about all, unless you are one of those people who can't resist seeing what Orwell looks like wearing spectacles and a false nose. The pictures are all in BLOAD format. (p9) ABOUT THE PROGRAMME =================== This programme began its life as a set of quizzes I programmed for my own Literature students at a High School here in Singapore. Over the last two years, the programme has grown and developed and gone through a variety of versions, to become what it is today. It has been quite well-received by students here who face the Cambridge GCE O Level examinations. Originally, as the new owner of an Apple II clone, I programmed in Applesoft Basic. My first programme (Julius Caesar) fitted easily onto one 5.25" floppy disk,and consisted mainly of three games and a segment on the Globe Theatre. I believed then as I believe now, that people do not really want to sit and read pages of notes from a computer monitor. However, feedback from users indicated a desire for more notes, so the programme quickly grew. It also changed direction to become IBM-compatible to run on the computer of choice of 80% of the student population here in Singapore. So I put my prejudices aside and picked up a smattering of GWBasic. As the programme grew and became more sophisticated, I felt the need for something a little more powerful and faster than interpreted Basic, so Microsoft QuickBasic made its appearance. I still see room for improvements and additions to the programme, and each new version on each different text is a little more sophisticated than its predecessor. Who knows what the future will bring? Currently, available titles are: ANIMAL FARM MACBETH ROMEO AND JULIET LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding WALKABOUT by James Vance Marshall THE GHOST OF THOMAS KEMPE by Penelope Lively and next on my hit-list TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (p10) REGISTRATION FORM ================= To Steve Herbert 154 Sixth Ave. Avenue Park Singapore 1027 A. PERSONAL USE =============== Please enroll me as a registered user of your programme 'ANIMAL FARM'. I enclose payment in the form of: *Bank Draft in Singapore currency S$20 *Personal cheque in any currency to the equivalent of US$15 B. SITE LICENCE =============== Please register my application for a Site Licence for the use of your programme 'ANIMAL FARM'. I understand that the Licence permits the making of as many copies as desired of the above programme for use within the physical boundaries of any one school or other educational institution, in a classroom situation only. It does not permit copying and/or distribution of the programme for individual use outside the classroom. I enclose payment in the form of: *Bank Draft in Singapore currency S$100 *Personal cheque in any currency to the equivalent of US$60 *Delete one NAME............................................................. ADDRESS.................................................................... ................................................................... ................................................................... SCHOOL..................................................................... OCCUPATION ..............................AGE ............ PROGRAMME OBTAINED FROM ......................................... COMMENTS................................................................ ................................................................ ................................................................ ................................................................ ................................................................ (p11) ENTRY FORM ========== LEVEL ONE - CODE BREAKING Write the decoded message clearly and accurately on the lines below ........................................................................... ........................................................................... ........................................................................... ........................................................................... ........................................................................... ........................................................................... ........................................................................... LEVEL TWO - Buried Treasure and LEVEL THREE - Question Answers Write your answers to the five buried treasure questions clearly and accurately in the spaces below. 1. ........................................................................ ....................................................................... 2. ........................................................................ ....................................................................... 3. ........................................................................ ........................................................................ 4.......................................................................... ........................................................................ 5. ........................................................................ ........................................................................ NAME............................................................. ADDRESS.................................................................... ................................................................... ................................................................... (p12)