Beowulf Web Quest & Wordle Poem
2XH
Please visit the websites below and follow the directions or answer the questions as applicable.
1.
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/beowulf/
The British Library houses the ONLY SURVIVING copy of Beowulf. Read the information on their website
about the manuscript and answer the questions that follow.
A. What is Old English?
B. What is Beowulf about?
C. View the embedded video: Julian Harrison, Curator of Medieval Manuscripts, explains
How was the Beowulf manuscript damaged?
What are some of the illustrations from the surviving Beowulf manuscript?
D. When was Beowulf composed?
E. How old is the manuscript?
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/anglo_saxons/
The people of Beowulf’s time period were known as the Anglo-Saxons. Read the information on the website
above from the BBC and answer the questions that follow.
A. Who were the Anglo-Saxons? Where did they come from?
B. How did the Romans view the Anglo-Saxons?
C. What does the story of Hengist and Horsa reveal about the lives of the Anglo-Saxons?
D. List three traits of Anglo-Saxon life.
1)
2)
3)
E. How were stories told during the Anglo-Saxon period?
F. Describe an Anglo-Saxon feast.
G. Describe Anglo-Saxon games and sports.
H. How was an Anglo-Saxon king buried?
I. What was the Anglo-Saxon code of ‘wergild’?
J. What was an Anglo-Saxon thane?
K. Who was Alfred the Great, and why was he so important?
L. How did England get its name?
M. Describe the Anglo-Saxon warrior code.
N. What was the role of women in Anglo-Saxon society?
O. What did early Anglo-Saxons believe? Where do we get the names for our days of the week?
P. When and how did Anglo-Saxons become Christianized?
Q. What is a monastery? What was the role of the monastery in Anglo-Saxon society?
R. Describe the Norman Conquest. What famous battle marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon period?
3. http://www.suttonhoo.org/
Sutton Hoo is a famous Anglo-Saxon burial ground. Explore the website to learn about this archeological
treasure.
A. Read the archeological section of the website and list five facts about the site.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
B. Take the virtual tour and view some of the images of the site. What about Sutton Hoo most interests
or intrigues you?
C. Click on the “Sound and Vision” tab and watch the short film Summer’s End.
When and how was Sutton Hoo discovered? Why was the timing of this discovery particularly
challenging?
4. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/oldenglish.htm
The Anglo-Saxons spoke English, but it was a form of English unrecognizable by today’s language. It is for
this reason we refer to Anglo-Saxon English as “Old English.” Visit the site above to learn more about
“Old English.”
A. What letters from the Runic alphabet look similar to our letters today?
B. Scroll down to view the excerpt from Beowulf in Old English. Are any words there recognizable to you
as English?
C. Go to YouTube and search for Beowulf being read in Old English… and take a listen!! This is where
your language all started!!!! Can you understand any of it???
Anglo-Saxon Wordle Poem
Construct a Wordle poem using the website www.Wordle.net
Your poem must consist of at least 20 words that relate to Anglo-Saxon culture and/or history. Once you are
satisfied with a particular Wordle design, print it on a separate document from the Web Quest.
On the back of your Wordle poem, include a TYPED paragraph that explains the relevance of at least five of
the words in your poem (should answer the question: How do these words relate to the Anglo-Saxon period?)
This paragraph should have a topic sentence and 6-8 sentences of explanation.
Your Wordle Poems will be put on display around the room during our study of Beowulf, so please consider
using color and/or graphics for display.
The following websites can provide you with more information on the Anglo-Saxons to help you with crafting
your Wordle poem:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/cultures/europe/anglo-saxon_england.aspx
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/resources/IOE/genintro.html
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/TheAngloSaxonkings/Overview.aspx
http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/anglo-saxon