Beowulf Unit Complete Unit- 121 pages- Study Guide (Anglo-Saxons)

The 121 pages/slides of material in this unit are all you need to teach Beowulf- INCLUDES ANSWER KEYS!

The Study Questions were created with the McDougal Littell Literature British Literature textbook- translated by Burton Raffel. Included in the zip file are 13 separate files- Details below:

1. Pacing Guide (1 page)- a suggested 14-day calendar to save planning time- incorporates every source in this unit

2. Guided Notes (12 pages/includes keys)- these fill in the blank/ chart-style notes are designed to save students time while you present the background information on the unit. There are 2 sets of notes- one on the History of England and the other on Anglo-Saxon World View and Writing Characteristics

3. Anglo-Saxon Background PPT (37 slides)- a condensed history of England from the Iberians to the Norman Invasion (accompanies Guided Notes)

4. Anglo-Saxon World View and Themes (13 slides)- covers the A-S world view, themes of lof and comitatus, pagan and Christian ideals, characteristics of writing (kenning, caesura, etc), and characteristics of an epic (accompanies Guided Notes)

5. Epic Hero Checklist Hunt (4 pages)- an activity where you cut out the 8 characteristics of an epic hero, paste around the room, and students find and record them. Includes a graphic organizer to complete as you read Beowulf and find these characteristics in the epic.

6. Beowulf Study Questions (29 pages)- there are 2 sets of Study Questions here (54 questions each), dividing Beowulf into 8 sections. The sets are identical, except the first set has page and line numbers that align with the purple McDougal-Littel British Literature textbook. For the Battle with Grendel’s mother (Section 5), the students have a fill-in-the-blank comic strip where they fill in the events of the text and draw them below- this is always a big hit! ANSWER KEY INCLUDED!!

7. Anglo-Saxon Journal (8 pages)- One of the most important parts of making texts meaningful to students is having them connect them to their own lives and the world around them. This journal contains 8 prompts on the following topics: lof (fame), wyrd (fate), monsters, evil, heroes, weregild (revenge), comitatus (friendship), and tradition. The prompts define each concept, connect it to Beowulf, and then ask more probing questions to help students evaluate their own connections. At the bottom of each page is a place to write about class discussion- if they contributed and what someone else said.

8. Beowulf Vocabulary (4 pages)- a list of 10 vocabulary words with two practice worksheets and a quizlet link for students to practice and for you to use to print quizzes!

9. Beowulf Reading Quizzes (4 pages)- 2 reading comprehension quizzes- each with 10 questions- ANSWER KEY INCLUDED

10. Beowulf Letter (2 pages)- here is a creative writing/evidence-based writing/real-world writing opportunity for students. They are essentially prompted to write a cover letter for Beowulf, explaining to Hrothgar why he is the man for the Grendel-killing job. Students will use details from the text and Beowulf’s boast. There is a template for writing a business letter included, as well as a rubric for evaluating!

11. Beowulf Essay test (3 pages)- Instead of a traditional “what happened when” test for Beowulf, they are instructed to write an essay synthesizing the events and their implications. They can choose one of three prompts (lof and comitatus; pagan and Christian; or epic hero qualities). An outline is included to help them plan the essay. I have them write in class over 2 class periods. One of the most rewarding experiences! Rubric also included.

12 and 13- Two crossword puzzles (4 pages)- for review and for fun! One is on the Anglo-Saxon Background notes, and the other is one the plot and characters of Beowulf.

I hope that these resources can save you time and provide opportunity for meaningful learning in your classroom! If you find this unit helpful, please leave me feedback (it helps earn you credit towards future TPT purchases)! If there's anything I can do to help you, please feel free to contact me through "Ask a Question," and I will do my very best to make you happy!

Happy Teaching!