EXCALIBUR: THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR (PART THREE)

Written by: Tony Lee

This lesson plan provides readers in Grades 7 - 12 with the opportunity to explore the classic story of King Arthur in graphic novel format. Part Threehas a focus on perspective with opportunities to continue developing work on vocabulary, the hero myth cycle, characters and settings.

Lesson Objectives:

To be able to read, comprehend and make sense of a classic myth using examples from the text to explore character perspectives

To be able to identify, explore and explain vocabulary related to story context

To be able to chronicle the hero myth story structure

Grade Level: 7 - 12

Common Core Connections:

Meaning: Determine explicit text meaning using information, evidence and text quotes

Structure: Integrate and evaluate visuals to understand incidents/characters/settings, both implied and explicit

Language Convention/Clarity: use words, phrases, clauses and syntax to make sense of text

Knowledge Demands: multiple character perspectives, historical perspective

Strategies:

  • Students will be able to read, comprehend and make sense of a classic myth told in graphic novel format using visuals, explicit and implied text evidence and information to explore character perspectives and changing perspectives
  • Students will be able to identify new vocabulary and generate word understandings
  • Students will be able tocontinue developing understanding of the hero myth story structure
  • Students will be able to continue developing understanding of the importance of relationships between characters and settings

Materials/Resources:

-EXCALIBUR: THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR (PART THREE) e-book on tumblebookcloud.com

-SMARTboard or other interactive white board (or projector/laptop)

-Laptops/iPads

-Dictionaries/online dictionaries

-Vocabulary organizer, Hero journey visual, character web, setting web

-Writing journals

Strategic Lesson Plan:

  • Display the graphic novel, EXCALIBUR: THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR (PART Three) on the Smartboard and engage students in discussing the story as previously experienced, their predictions and suggestions for the text, using questioning strategies to promote higher order thinking
  • Review their understandings of the hero myth cycle and display on Smartboard
  • Discuss with students how they are making sense of a very complex text with limited illustrations – share strategies with each other
  • Today students will be able to continue using their Vocabulary Tracking Organizer,their Hero Myth Cycle Organizer, their character and setting webs as they read/listen to the story
  • Discuss with students the many characters included in this story, referring back to their character webs to begin building deeper understandings of the relationships between characters
  • Ask students to continue noting the relationships between characters on a new page in their journals, as well as their setting maps
  • Discuss with students what ‘perspective’ is and why different characters might have conflicting perspectives
  • Once students have their fourorganizers available on their laptops/tablets or in their journals and are logged into tumblebookcloud.com, they can begin engaging with the text in groups or independently, completing charts as appropriate
  • Circulate while students are working, offering support as needed and encouraging students to provoke their thinking and understanding of the text
  • Encourage students to record evidence, quotes, vocabulary on their organizers and make note of characters and settings
  • When students are finished their reading/listening experience, provide opportunities to share ideas and understandings from the story using ‘turn and talk’ strategies (5 – 10 minutes)
  • As students share their questions and insights, encourage them to also share the data they are collecting on their organizers
  • Ask students to form informal groups of 3 – 4 and develop a short skit between characters that will illustrate some significant differences between them – be prepared to share with peers

Additional Information

Possible Characters/Settings:

Camelot

Land of Albion

King Uther Pendragon

Gorlois

Igraine

Morgana

Unseelie Court of Faerie (Unseelie Fae)

Seelie – the Light Side of Faerie – summer

Unseelie – the Dark side of Faerie - winter

Lord Ulric, King of the Britons

Cei

Sir Ector

Stone Hill

Morgana Le Fey

Guinevere

Lord Leodegrance

Avalon

Bran the Blessed

Bertilak the Green Knight

Balan and Balin

Vivianne, Lady of the Lake

Nimlie

Cameliard

Lancelot du Lac

Lady Elaine of Benwick

Arcadia

Maleagant