Starter quiz
- Which of the following countries are in Scandinavia?
- Spain
- Denmark ✓
- Sweden ✓
- the UK
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- Which of the following events happened after the Romans left Britain?
- the Anglo-Saxons occupied parts of England ✓
- the Vikings occupied parts of England ✓
- the Celts built hill forts
- Neolithic people built Stonehenge
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- Which of these is the best definition of a 'hero'?
- someone who loves to fight
- someone who has good qualities and helps and saves others ✓
- someone who is very famous
- someone who lives in a castle
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- In a story about a hero, which of these are we most likely to find?
- fighting ✓
- loyalty ✓
- romance
- courage ✓
- humour
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- What might the role of a monster be in a story involving a hero?
- to help the hero
- to cause trouble or danger for the hero ✓
- to make everyone laugh
- to solve a mystery
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- If a story is set in the 500s CE, which of the following will we not find in it?
- shields
- swords
- guns ✓
- spears
- boats
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Exit quiz
- Match the characters to their descriptions.
- Beowulf⇔a hero from Geatland ✓
- Hygelac⇔the king of Geatland ✓
- Hrothgar⇔the king of Denmark ✓
- Grendel⇔the monster terrorising Denmark ✓
- Why does Beowulf have a good impression of King Hrothgar?
- He has met him before.
- Hrothgar helped his father. ✓
- Hrothgar saved his mother's life.
- They are related.
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- Which of these are features of an epic poem?
- it is long ✓
- it tells a story ✓
- it includes a hero ✓
- it is short
- it just describes something
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- Where and when was 'Beowulf' originally written, and in which language?
- in England, in 1000 CE, in Old English ✓
- in Denmark, in 1000 CE, in Old English
- in Denmark, in 1000 CE, in Modern English
- in England, in 1000 CE, in Modern English
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- Where does Beowulf travel from and to at the start of 'Beowulf'?
- from Denmark to Geatland
- from Denmark to England
- from England to Denmark
- from Geatland to Denmark ✓
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- Which of the following are true of Grendel?
- He has killed Danish men, women and children. ✓
- He once killed thirty thanes in one night. ✓
- No-one has been able to do anything to stop him. ✓
- People are safe from him when they're in Heorot.
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- 'Beowulf' is an epic poem set in Denmark and Sweden during the 500s CE and written in England in around 1000 CE.
- The story follows the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf. It was written in Old English by an unknown author.
- In translation, the text still includes archaic language due to its historical context.
- Beowulf, a Geat, volunteers to travel to Denmark to defeat Grendel, a monster who has been terrorising the Danes.
- The author makes specific language choices in order to give us particular impressions of characters and events.
Common misconception
Pupils may find it challenging to understand archaic language.
Use your teacher assessments to inform how you have pupils read; you may wish to have the majority of the class reading in mixed-ability pairs while you read to a small group, having them say the next word when you pause to ensure engagement.
Keywords
Epic poem - a long, narrative poem telling the story of an extraordinary individual
Hero - a protagonist (main character) with noble qualities, often saving or helping others
Archaic language - old-fashioned language that is no longer widely used today
Historical context - the time period in which a text is set
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