Independent Study: Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales
STEPS:
1. Read your tale and highlight important details about plot, character, morals, conflict, etc.
2. Complete the following assignments for your tale
ASSIGNMENTS: (NOTE: ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE PREPARED IN MLA STYLE)
1. Summarize the Tale – Checking for Understanding (Knowledge and Understanding)
Write a summary of your tale in your own words. You should include important quotes and/or paraphrasing so that
readers will be able to pick up the important details from the tale. Ensure that your summary is detailed, organized and
polished. Length: One typed page (min)
2. Pilgrim Description – Knowing the Character (Knowledge and Understanding)
Write a series of paragraphs describing everything you can about the pilgrim for whom your tale is named. Support your
descriptions with examples and evidence from the tale.
Length: One typed page (min)
3. Annotated Bibliography/Resource List – Sharing Your Planning (Communication)
Create a resource list for other students who may wish to study your chosen tale. Come up with five resources that refer
to your tale. For each, write a few lines explaining the usefulness of the resource. Sparknotes, About.com, and other
websites that summarize your tale are NOT critical resources! You must find sources that pose a thesis and interpret
your tale, NOT sources that merely SUMMARIZE your tale. See me if you are not sure whether your source is adequate.
Length: Variable
4. Morals, Lessons and the Point of the Story – The Essay (Thinking and Inquiry & Application)
Identify the point of your chosen tale. Does it both entertain and set forth a moral, as the Host suggests? Why might
have Chaucer included this tale in the collection? Write a literary essay identifying the point of your tale and what it
teaches. You will develop a thesis arguing the “heart of the story” and an essay supporting this thesis. Use evidence from
the text for support. Length: 750-1000 words (min)
5. Presentation – Telling Your Tale (Communication & Application)
Create a 5-10 minute presentation that informs other students in the class about your tale. Your presentation should
include more than just a summary of the tale but also information about the character(s), the moral lesson and what
you enjoyed and/or did not enjoy about the tale. You are encouraged to use a visual aid to make your presentation more
engaging.
Length: 10 minute oral pres
SCHEDULES AND TIMELINES
CLASS WORK: The week of October 27-31 is designated as an Independent Study Unit week.
PRESENTATIONS: Will be scheduled for the first week of November
ASSIGNMENTS: Final copies of assignments 1-4 will be due Friday, Oct. 31.