Agenda:
- Quiz
- "Write Your Own Prologue" see attachment
See Assignment Below:
The Canterbury Tales: Write
Your Own Prologue
Introduction
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces
the reader to various groups of people. From laborers, to religious men and
women, to members of the aristocracy, his tales present an accurate description
of humanity – not only from the medieval period, but also from today.
During the medieval period of England’s
history, there were certain professions that emerged in every village. Based on
your skills and preferences, what would you have been well-suited to do in
Chaucer’s time? Which of his characters would you most likely have been?
The
Task
Most of Chaucer’s medieval
travelers are identified by career. Your task is to join these travelers and
introduce yourself by writing a section of the prologue about your character.
The
Process: Exploring the Web, Creating a Product
Using the information you will
gather below, role-play one of the characters in Chaucer’s group. Write an
introduction of yourself, what you do for a living, and indicate what has made
you take this pilgrimage. This writing assignment should take the form of a
16-line verse in Chaucerian style.
- Complete the personality and skills test at http://www.cmi-lmi.com/kingdomality.html to determine which profession fits your skills. In your notes, include three skills that this profession requires.
- Research the role of your profession in the medieval time period. Consider his/her clothing, responsibilities, and role in the community. Use the following websites for your research:
- Using your “Kingdomality” character and your research, prepare your prologue.
- Take a look at the sample on the back of the sheet for help.
Assessment
You
will be graded on your ability to represent your character effectively in a
stanza that:
- Includes at least 2 direct characterizations and 2 indirect characterizations (20 points)
- Accurately reflects the chosen occupation (15 points)
- Includes personal experiences, events, and physical descriptions (10 points)
- Uses rhyming couplets (pairs of lines that rhyme) (15 points) - A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.
- Is 16 (or more) lines (20 points)
The English
Hag
An ancient English teacher joined our band,
A crusty pen of red clutched in her hand
Each mile that we rode. Five feet in height,
Half-blind eyes ‘neath frizzled head of
white.
Her back a sloping hill made bent by books
In dozens, pounds of papers. Dour looks
Cut down each soul who dared to
mispronounce,
Mispunctuate or scoff at words. She’d pounce
On those who could not name a verb or noun,
So we ignored her every scold and frown.
So many plays and novels in her head
She struggled to recall all she had read.
But ask her of the ones she used to teach,
They numbered thousands, but she remembered
each.
This teacher said her name was Madalaine;
So facile with her words, she loved our
game.
