The English IV student will experience Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and create a Hero’s Journey map with competency.
The English IV student will read quotes about the universal hero attributed to J. Campbell and analyze their connection to Beowulf with competency.
The English IV student will explain and elaborate on the Hero’s Journey and Campbell’s theories in relation to Beowulf in a discussion with 80% proficiency.
Learning Targets:
I will read some quotes about the universal hero by Joseph Campbell and connect those quotes to the story of Beowulf.
I will actively participate in a discussion with my classmates where I must track the Hero’s Journey in Beowulf and discuss how Campbell’s theories either apply to Beowulf or how Beowulf is different by using correct and relevant references from the text.
Days 1-5: Read and Discuss chapters 24-41 in Beowulf 24 individually paraphrased 25-28 teacher summary 29-33 whole group reading 34--play by play dramatic representations 35-37 whole group reading 38-39 teacher summary 40-41 independently read
Continue reading the epic poem Beowulf in sections, using a the provided Guidebook 1.0 version of the poem. Other translations of Beowulf may be used for scaffolding purposes.
The Hero’s Journey: Throughout the reading of Beowulf, students will track the journey of the hero Beowulf. Suggested means for this include students’ personal graphic organizers; chart paper on the classroom walls; and small group or individual analysis through bellringers, active closure, and exit tickets.
Note-taking strategies: Students should use sticky notes or Cornell note-taking strategy to annotate the story, especially noting the use of alliteration, kennings, caesura, and Anglo-Saxon sentence structure as well as the different stages of the hero’s journey observed in the poem.
Reading techniques: Choral reading, volunteer reading, story-time, or audiobooks.
Literary Devices: Each week while Beowulf is being read, teacher will provide students opportunities to analyze the use of the following literary devices characteristic of Anglo-Saxon literature and the impact that they have on meaning and tone:
Alliteration
Kennings
Caesura
Synecdoche
Also consider the following: Sentence structure of Anglo-Saxon poetry, the epic hero,
Theme Analysis: pagan vs. christian, traditions and customs, good vs. evil, identity, and water (see Schmoop.com). Bell ringers could include paragraphs written to analyze different themes.
New vocabulary can be presented via a student generated vocabulary log or a teacher generated list. Suggested activities:
DICE Words
Student Presentations of Words
Graphic Organizers
Weekly or Bi-weekly vocabulary tests
Essay Annotations
Locate a credible source that pertains to the theme of the student’s research work
Form an Annotated Bibliography for the Beowulf thematic essay read in class.
Form an Annotated Bibliography for the credible source to be used in the student’s research paper.
Day 4 Learners will complete their unit graphic organizers and participate in class discussion (possibly Socratic Seminar) pertaining to Campbell’s theory of the Monomyth and how it applies to Beowulf. Day 5 Learners will view thematic essay example(s) analyzing the theme of Beowulf. The teacher will need to link this directly to their Senior Research Paper. Possible assignments: