Lesson Plans > Literature and Language Arts > English Literature > From Beowulf to Virginia Woolf

	From Beowulf to Virginia Woolf (5)
		1. Ballads and Moor Monsters
			1c. Geoffrey Chaucer
				A 21st Century Pilgrimage to Canterbury • High School  1 week Are Chaucer's characters, so vividly depicted in The Canterbury Tales, relevant to and reflective of people we might recognize in today's society? Chaucer's creative descriptions and tales provide unique commentary on different professions and their social status in the 14th century. After reading Chaucer's "Prologue" and examining his pilgrims, students will decide which well-known characters today best mirror each of Chaucer's, then write or create visual depictions of each modern counterpart.
				Imitative Writing: Write in Geoffrey Chaucer's Style • High School  1-2 Weeks * After completing an in depth study of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, have your students write a poem in the style of Chaucer in order to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of an anachronistic character or celebrity, a character, that is, who did not live in Chaucer's world. Use this assignment to give students a creative way to emulate Chaucer in the culminating activity for a unit on Chaucer. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
			1d. The Canterbury Tales
				A 21st Century Pilgrimage to Canterbury • High School  1 week Are Chaucer's characters, so vividly depicted in The Canterbury Tales, relevant to and reflective of people we might recognize in today's society? Chaucer's creative descriptions and tales provide unique commentary on different professions and their social status in the 14th century. After reading Chaucer's "Prologue" and examining his pilgrims, students will decide which well-known characters today best mirror each of Chaucer's, then write or create visual depictions of each modern counterpart.
				Imitative Writing: Write in Geoffrey Chaucer's Style • High School  1-2 Weeks * After completing an in depth study of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, have your students write a poem in the style of Chaucer in order to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of an anachronistic character or celebrity, a character, that is, who did not live in Chaucer's world. Use this assignment to give students a creative way to emulate Chaucer in the culminating activity for a unit on Chaucer. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
			1i. Workshop: Alliteration
				Imitative Writing: Write in Geoffrey Chaucer's Style • High School  1-2 Weeks * After completing an in depth study of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, have your students write a poem in the style of Chaucer in order to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of an anachronistic character or celebrity, a character, that is, who did not live in Chaucer's world. Use this assignment to give students a creative way to emulate Chaucer in the culminating activity for a unit on Chaucer. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
		2. Renaissance, Reason, and Order
				Approaching Renaissance Poetry • High School  2-4 Weeks * For many students understanding poetry is as difficult as comprehending an unfamiliar language. Work with your students to prepare an oral report on the poetry of the English Renaissance. This lesson is designed to help students understand both the public and private histories of the writers' world and lives by grasping the era's social, cultural, and political milieu as well as understanding the relevant historical and biographical facts concerning the poetry they will read. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
				Virtual Field Trip: Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art • High School  1 class period Let Beyond Books transport you to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catch a glimpse of the gear worn by knights in shining armor during the age of Elizabeth and beyond. Use this portion of the site as a gateway to the rest of the Met collections that are available online.
			2d. Elizabeth I, Queen Who Shaped an Age
				Virtual Field Trip: Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art • High School  1 class period Let Beyond Books transport you to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catch a glimpse of the gear worn by knights in shining armor during the age of Elizabeth and beyond. Use this portion of the site as a gateway to the rest of the Met collections that are available online.
		3. Metaphysics and the Rising Middle Class: The 17th Century
				Approaching Renaissance Poetry • High School  2-4 Weeks * For many students understanding poetry is as difficult as comprehending an unfamiliar language. Work with your students to prepare an oral report on the poetry of the English Renaissance. This lesson is designed to help students understand both the public and private histories of the writers' world and lives by grasping the era's social, cultural, and political milieu as well as understanding the relevant historical and biographical facts concerning the poetry they will read. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
		5. Political and Social Revolution
				Approaching the Romantics • High School  2 - 4 weeks Facing a writing assignment about any literary era is a daunting challenge for high school students. In order for students to understand the literature of a historical period, it is imperative for them to grasp the era's social, cultural, and political milieu. In addition, it is helpful to know relevant biographical facts of the literary figures about whose work(s) the students will be reading, discussing, and writing. The purpose of the assignment is to familiarize students with the Romantic era writers and their critics and ultimately to enhance classroom discussion. Students will engage in pre-writing activities, work through composing and revising an essay, and publish the final work. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)
		6. The Romantic Poets
				Approaching the Romantics • High School  2 - 4 weeks Facing a writing assignment about any literary era is a daunting challenge for high school students. In order for students to understand the literature of a historical period, it is imperative for them to grasp the era's social, cultural, and political milieu. In addition, it is helpful to know relevant biographical facts of the literary figures about whose work(s) the students will be reading, discussing, and writing. The purpose of the assignment is to familiarize students with the Romantic era writers and their critics and ultimately to enhance classroom discussion. Students will engage in pre-writing activities, work through composing and revising an essay, and publish the final work. (Written by Jeffrey Conn, Homestead High School, Mequon, WI)