Beowulf Layered Curriculum Unit
Name ______________________________ Period _________ Possible Points 100 Points Earned _______
Label all of your work and place it on separate pages on the Beowulf Wiki. Make sure that you link your main page to the classroom page.
Layer C: Choose three items from the following list: (15 points each) Create a separate Wiki page for each item.
1. Define fifteen new vocabulary words and create a graphic for each. You can draw or use a computer graphic. Write a sentence for each word.
2. Go onto Quizlet and create flashcards and a quiz for the vocabulary and literary terms in this unit.
3. Create an artistic timeline of the era in which Beowulf was written.
4. Create an epitaph for Beowulf or Grendel.
5. Write a storybook version of Beowulf for a small child.
6. Create a movie poster depicting a scene from Beowulf.
7. Write an original song or poem about either Beowulf’s or Grendel’s deeds. Perform it for the class.
8. Construct a card game or a board game based on the epic poem.
9. Create an ad campaign, complete with visual and auditory advertisements, promoting Beowulf as a monster slayer.
10. In a group, perform a five-to ten-minute skit of the epic poem. (This may be performed in front of the class or recorded on video.
11. In a group, perform a talk-show skit involving the characters of the epic poem.
12. Create a five-to-ten slide PowerPoint presentation about the history of England during the Anglo-Saxon Era.
Level B: Choose two items from this list: (15 points each) Create a separate Wikipage for each item.
1. Write a one-page character analysis of Beowulf, Grendel, or Grendel’s mother.
2. Compare and contrast the Christian and Pagan symbols found in Beowulf.
3. Choose one of the following episodes in the epic poem and write a one-page summary of that episode using a variety of vocabulary words from Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop Units One, Two or Three: The Wrath of Grendel, The Coming of Beowulf, The Battle with Grendel, The Monster’s Lair, The Battle with Grendel’s Mother, The Last Battle, The Spoils, The Farewell.
4. Frustrated pride may lead to spite, just as loyalty may lead to vengeance, and eagerness for glory may turn into greed. Explain how each creature that Beowulf battles represents an extreme and dangerous form of warrior values and behaviors.
5. Compare the way the epic commemorates Beowulf with the way our culture celebrates its heroes.
6. Take the Beowulf Open Book Test. See Mrs. Sullivan for this.
7. Write a Resume for Beowulf: Your resume should state Beowulf’s goal or objective. What did he hope to accomplish with his life? Include work experience. You may choose to list the three battles described in the text. I would also suggest listing King of Geats as one job experience. After experience, list education. Who do you imagined trained Beowulf to be a warrior? Finally, list Beowulf’s interests as displayed in text. Use the Odysseus resume as your guide for what yours should look like. Refer to the examples on my website at www.mrs-sullivan.com.
Level A: Choose one item from this list: (25 points each). Write your essay write on the Wiki Page that you created for the essay or copy and paste it from your Google Document.
1. The Role of Women in Beowulf: Examine the female characters in Beowulf. Do women play an important role in the poem? Is this consistent with women’s roles in today’s society?
2. Monsters in Beowulf: Consider the qualities of the three monsters. Why does the poet give Grendel and his mother human qualities? What do each of their homes say about them as foes for Beowulf?
3. Good vs. Evil: How are the concepts of good and evil presented in Beowulf? Does this reveal anything about Anglo-Saxon society?
4. Mortality: What role does the concept of mortality play in Beowulf?
5. Characteristics of an Epic Hero: Epic heroes have many common characteristics. How do Beowulf’s heroic qualities affect the story? Look at Beowulf in terms of the heroic quest. Does he undergo a change?
6. Jesus vs. Beowulf: Compare Beowulf’s actions to Jesus’ actions. What are the similarities? How are both heroes in nature?
7. Battles with Monsters: In Beowulf’s three fights with the three monsters, he uses different methods, techniques, and weapons and wins different “trophies” each time. Analyze these differences and explain what this says about his development as a hero.
8. Treasure: How does treasure function in Beowulf? How do the characters and the poet seem to feel about the element of gold as it appears throughout the poem? How does money affect society today? What connections can you make?
9. Revenge: In Beowulf, what are the consequences of seeking revenge? What other ways might problems be worked out. Write a plan of conflict resolution for the characters in Beowulf.
10. Symbols: Write an essay in which you analyze the importance of one of Beowulf’s symbols – Herot, Grendel (especially his claw and head), the lair of Grendel and his mother, or the dragon’s head.
11. Reputation: Write an essay describing the importance of reputation to the characters in Beowulf, using examples from the text. How does this view compare to or differ from society’s views regarding reputation in our own time and place?