1

Jennifer M Polk

LAE 4335 13 March 2008

Unit Lesson Plan for Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

From March 03, 2008 through March 31, 2008

Content

Area

Goals skills

Literature

& Reading LA.1112.1.6.2

LA.1112.1.6.10

LA.1112.1.7.1

LA.1112.1.7.3

Vocabulary Development

Reading comprehension

Listen to, read and discuss.

Determine meaning of words

using Dict. The. And other

digital tools

Pre-reading strategies,

previewing, discussing,

generating questions

Writing,

grammar

and

editing

Prewriting

Revising

Publishing

Grammar and editing

Organize by using various pre

writing strategies i.e. Outline, story

map, web, chunking, etc.

Developing ideas from pre-writing

plan

Evaluate the draft for development

of ideas and content

Prepare writing using technology,

Grammar, spelling,

Punctuation etc. Student will edit

and correct the draft for standard

language conventions

LA.1112.3.1.3

LA1112.3.2.1

LA1112.3.3.1

LA1112.3.5.1

LA1112.3.5.3

LA.1112.3.4.1-

5

Technolog

y LA1112.6.4.1

LA.1112.6.4.1

Ability to use computer i.e. word documents, publisher, graphics

etc…

Communica

tion LA.1112.5.

2.3

LA.1112.6.

3.3

Speaking and Listening skills The ability to work together in

groups, and also the ability to

share content before the class.

2

Academic

Week • Introduction of Sir Gawain and the

Green Knight and The Knight’s Tale by

Geoffrey Chaucer

TTThhheee QQQuuueeesssttt ooofff ttthhheee HHHeeerrrooo

UUUnnniiittt PPPlllaaannn

Learning Objectives

� Teach background knowledge

for the poem, � History, manuscript,

culture etc.

� Identify the bob-and-wheel

poetic form.

� Understand the symmetry

within the poem.

� Explore color symbolism

within the poem.

� Connect the cyclical shape

of the pentangle with other

cyclical aspects of the

poem, seasonal cycles, the

journey cycle etc.

� Explore the conflicts within

the poem

� Explore the quest of the

Hero

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March, 1st

Week

Pre-Reading Strategies

� Power Point on Medieval England during Sir Gawain’s time, explain societal, and cultural

trends. Some of those trends are knighthood, Codes of Chivalry, religious conventions, and

Courtly Love. Also some background on manuscript culture that pervaded England during

that time.

� Back ground on poem and its alliteration and its symmetrical structure, including the bob

and wheel device found at the end of each stanza. Hand out on the “bob and wheel.” Symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight — http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=601

� First students will learn about what alliteration is (lecture). Then students will recognize and identify

alliteration through seeing, reading and hearing it in poetry, and music. Then I will give the class an

assignment that uses alliteration. I will then give the class an exercise, or alternative assessment. The

students will write a sentence using alliteration. The Classroom will be broken up into groups of at

least three no more than four, and each group if possible will have a student who is strong in verbal

intelligence. I will write the instructions on the board in how this exercise will be done.

a) The goal to this assignment is to write the longest sentence possible using alliteration. By doing

this exercise the student will gain a better understanding on alliteration. This type of assignment

is closely related to tongue twisters. Each group will decide on a specific consonant that will be

used throughout the sentence i.e. L, M, and G etc.

b) The core letters will begin with this chosen letter, for a legible sentence there must be

conjunctions, prepositions, definite articles, and indefinite articles and pronouns.

c) I will write an example on the board of a core which consists of a noun, verb noun i.e. noun; cat, verb; count, and noun, coins. An example of an alliterative sentence would look like this, in this pattern I chose the consonant C; the curly coated calico carefully counts her clean copper coins and carefully casts them into a cobalt colored can, with the counting complete she climbs the cream coiled cord with her candied covered claws, and with cautious cunning she crunches candidly on her cod coated cracker while carelessly casting crumbs upon the crumb crusted couch…written by Jennifer Polk

� Alliteration exercise The students will have a take home (written) project that consists of finding at least 10 alliterative examples in newspapers, web sites, blogs, magazines, and phonebooks. A good

place to look at is headlines, advertisements, people’s names, and business names. Document what you

find and where you found it. The student will use the examples they find 10-15 line poem.

� Audio examples of alliteration; http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/alliteration.htm

� Visual example of SGGK; http://alliteration.net/Pearl.htm

� Color symbolism in SGGK; With Mandala Graphic, student chose five colors that represent

them selves

� Example of Mandala graphics

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March 1st

Week

� Six Elements of Story strategy/handout (Some Examples)

What is the historical background for the poem?

What physical descriptions are provided for the characters and their surroundings?

How is King Arthur described?

How is Gawain described?

How is the Green Knight described?

What is the main plot of the story

List themes that revolve around the plot

Point of view, who is speaking

Conflict, There is no journey without conflict

� Vocabulary word web; vocabulary words that will prepare the student for the poem.

� Quiz on what was discussed during the week

� Read the first and second Fit (section) of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for Monday. This poem consists of four fits, during your reading write down any vocabulary that can be

covered on Monday.

Final project (assessment) handout Sir Gawain Think-Tac-Toe (multiple intelligences) The student

picks any three assignments i.e. three across or three diagonally. Each square is dynamically

connected to the poem or novel.

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March 1st

Week

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

comic book project; Directions:

You and your group members (4 to

a group) are challenged to create a

comic book representation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. You will need to work as a group (4 to a

group), planning together and

delegating responsibilities among

all members. If you have a great

artist in the group, you may want

to draw your own illustrations. But,

you could decide on the use of

online images or even pictures

from magazines instead of

drawings. The illustrations are

only one aspect of your project.

You will need to write a story line

to accompany the illustrations.

These lines should be original

poetry in the style of the

alliterative tradition. That means

to employ alliteration for effect.

You will want to choose the key

events that you will illustrate. You

need not illustrate every

character or event, just a few.

Your text can help tell the story

as much as the pictures. Write an

explanation at the back of your

project which details how

everyone in your group

contributed. Use the following

rubric to guide your efforts. It

may be used to evaluate your work.

Write a 20 line poem

using alliteration of your

favorite hero. It can be

someone from the past, or

someone from today. Is

your hero a family

member, or is your hero

somebody you know at

school like a school

teacher. Remember to put

in your poem why the

person you chose is a hero.

Create a new cover for the poem Sir Gawain and the Green

Knight. Design a one page cover page newsletter with your cover

page and a two paragraph description of the poem. Make the

description encaging. The goal is to have the reader look beyond

the cover and into the book. Some examples of book covers are

shown below

Create a song or a rap that

represents the poem. Make

certain that you type out the

words and inform me what tune

you would use if you were to

perform it. Extra credit will be

given to those who perform it live

in front of the class

Reader’s Theater, using

the text as a script;

recreate your favorite

passage in the poem, at

least two pages in length.

You may pick up to two

other people for this

assignment. Each person

will receive credit for

completing this square.

Write two found poems of 10-12 lines each, one poem is about the

SGGK poem, and the second poem is about one of the characters in the SGGK poem. The lines of these poems consist of the lines (sentence or pithy phrase) that you found in the poem. These lines

should be recorded on numbered chart of 30 lines for easy

reference.

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Take the reader on a visual tour

of Sir Gawain’s travels. In this

assignment you need to create a

travel map of Gawain’s journey;

His starting point, his

intermediate layovers and his final

destination. Where does the

story begin? What type of

landscape do Gawain and his steed

Gringolet travel through? What

places does Gawain stop at, and

who does he meet etc…?

Remember, this is for someone

who hasn’t read the book yet. How

well will your map depict Gawain’s

difficult adventure?

Numbers and colors. Find

a situation in the poem

where either number

symbolism or color

symbolism is employed and

write your observations in

a (two page) newsletter

format. The newsletter is

a wonderful way to give

your critical views a voice.

Include all textual

references (remember

symmetry, some colors and

numbers are found

throughout the poem) and

explain why you picked the

color or number, and tell

why you picked it and what

you think it means within

the poems overall context.

Write a screenplay or play that focuses on a specific theme

found within the poem. There is the main plot; however, as we

discussed there are numerous themes that are skillfully woven

within the text. Think of situations, because situations deal with

specific themes. Think of the hunting scene, the wilderness scene,

Gawain’s temptation scene etc.

March, 2nd

Wk.

� Begin each class with “to do” worksheet, each to do

exercise will cover previous vocabulary.

� Discuss new vocabulary

� FCAT practice and preparation

� During Reading strategies, that deals with the first and

second sections of SGGK.

� Hand out Character Map, this chart will help students

note character and physical traits of each character in

the poem

� Hand out Mandala graphic, this time it will be used to

represent a character from the poem.

� Pop corn reading, this is where students take turns

reading designated text

� Questing and answering discussion using “think-pair

share. This encourages students to work together in

pairs. They are asked a question and they both think

about the answer and then share it with the rest of

the class

� Computer lab work on final project

� Post reading strategies handouts / quiz; After each

section of the poem, I will use post reading strategies

as a way to measure student reading comprehension.

Examples of post-reading strategies are “Hold your

Thinking” hand out.

� Read fit III of SGGK and The Knights Tale Before class Monday

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March, 2nd

Wk.

Hold Your Thinking activity Quiz Title of text:________ Name________

Author:___________

Chapter____________ Characters name One memorable Part

Five sentence Summary(retell what

you read)

Connections You Made-at least one

Text to text: How does this poem relate

to something else you have read

Text to Self: What situation in the poem

can you relate to on a personal level

Text to World: There are many things

taking place in our world today. What

modern situation can be connected with a

situation or character in the poem

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March, 3rd

Wk

� To do hand out each day (Vocabulary Word Map)

� review for except FCAT test

� FCAT

� Read/vocabulary

� Read fit IV in class

� During reading strategies, handout “Discussion Web”

� Post reading activity Sir Gawain “Quest” hand out

� Post reading activity, the Flyleaf, discussion web

� Post reading activity the magic square

� Quiz “similarities and differences” between Sir Gawain and Palamon from The Knight’ Tale.

Below are the various reading/writing strategies that will be used

Discussion Web

For

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Within your groups, discuss the question in the center of the web. Come up with reasons on both sides of the issue, using the text to back up

your assertions. Come to a group decision as to which side has the stronger argument—yes or no—and write down your group’s conclusion in

the spaces below the conclusion box.

No Yes

Was the Green Knight fair in the punishment he

dealt Sir Gawain?

Conclusion

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ain+and+the+green+knight+reading+strategies&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

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March, 3rd

Wk

Chain of Events

Post reading strategy The medieval quest is a circular process: the

knight goes out to perform a task, has a journey

and returns home an improved person. Bearing

this in mind, show the chain of events in the poem.

Write down the major milestones in Sir Gawain’s journey in each square as you read. This process will

show you how the medieval quest works. This exercise will help with the Think-tac-toe http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:3G2dnlAio88J:www.people.wallawalla.edu/student/mollli/Content%2520area%2520project.doc+sir+ga

wain+and+the+green+knight+reading+strategies&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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March, 3rd

Wk

Similarities and Differences

Another Post Reading strategy Geoffrey Chaucer describes a knight in the prologue of The Canterbury Tales who shares some similarities and some differences with the description of Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. While you read, In

the Venn diagram below, list the similarities where the circles overlap, and the differences for each in the

outer part of each circle.

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roject.doc+sir+gawain+and+the+green+knight+reading+strategies&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

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Flyleaf

For Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The Flyleaf. The flyleaf is a modified cloze passage. This post-reading strategy evaluates student’s use of

context and their reading ability. This particular cloze passage uses some of the words specific to the poem

and its style, which helps teach the proper use of these terms that they will encounter again.

The flyleaf is one of the first few pages of a book. To check your knowledge on your reading of Sir Gawain, you have an incomplete flyleaf to fill out. Choose the best word from the list below the flyleaf to fill in each

blank.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

An _________________ Poem

In the __________________________ style.

An Arthurian ________________

About _______________, temptation, __________________,

And ______________________.

The five _____________________ of knighthood are displayed

In the heroic _______________

Of Sir Gawain.

Written in the __________________ Ages,

the author of this poem is assumed to be

the author of The ___________________.

Middle

Epic

Chivalry

Virtues

Legend

Pearl

Quest

Bravery

Romantic

Cowardice

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:3G2dnlAio88J:www.people.wallawalla.edu/student/mollli/Content%2520area%2520project.doc+sir+ga

wain+and+the+green+knight+reading+strategies&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

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Magic Square. The magic square has been created to familiarize students with vocabulary. The vocabulary in

the poem can be unfamiliar and challenging, as it is not modern English. This post-reading activity will allow

students to search for meaning in the text, and use vocabulary to create meaning.

Select the definition for each vocabulary word from the numbered definitions. Put the number in the proper

space in the magic square box. If the total of the numbers are the same both across and down, you have

found the magic number!

A. Boon 1. Sharpened

B. Doughty 2. Reluctant

C. Lese-Majesty 3. Courageous

D. Loth 4. Prayer

E. Matins 5. Offense

F. Spurned 6. Scheme

G. Stratagem 7. Favor

H. Solicit 8. Persuade

I. Whetted 9. Rejected

A.

B. C.

D.

E. F.

G.

H. I.

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March, 4th

Wk

� The final week will be designated on the final

project

� Review of content

� Talk with individual students about their progress

and grades

� Quiz: Questioning the Poet

What is the author trying to tell you

Why is the Poet telling that?

Does the poet say it clearly?

How could the author have said things more clearly

What would you say instead

Computer Lab

The remaining of the week will be dedicated to final

project

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Below is the hand out for the Color symbolism and the mandala graphic

Color Symbolism for Mandala Graphic

Writers often use colors symbolically. If you study the list below, you will see that the same color can symbolize both • (positives and negatives.

Red Excitement, energy, passion, speed, strength, power, heat, love, marriage (in Eastern

cultures), aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence

Yellow Joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, gold, philosophy, dishonesty,

cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard

Blue Peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism,

security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, cold, technology, depression

Orange Energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrancy, expansiveness, flamboyance, demands for attention

Green Nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity,

jealousy, inexperience, envy

Purple Royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment,

cruelty, arrogance, mourning

. Gray Security, reliability, intelligence, modesty, dignity, maturity, solidity, conservatism, practicality, old age, sadness, boredom

Brown Earth, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity

White Reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth,

winter, snow, good, marriage (in Western cultures), death (in Eastern cultures), cold

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Black Power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, mourning, death (in Western cultures)