Unit of study: The Anglo-Saxon era and Beowulf
What makes a hero?
Assessments
TEKS
I can recognize information about the following topics and their place in Anglo-Saxon pre-history and history:
 Culture and how it affected the people
 Background
 Students will understand how the history and
and literature
quiz
culture influence the author’s work and can
support their opinion with evidence from the text.
 The Anglo-Saxon invasions (449 A.D.)
 Part of unit
test
 Anglo-Saxon values/ideas regarding the
following:
Leadership, wealth, generosity, character
(heroic and monstrous), fate and fatalism
 Anglo-Saxon literature
 Leaders/invasions influence on the land
and people
The epic and the epic hero: I can
 Define epic
 Short
 Students can relate characters, setting, and theme
answer
and
to historical and social ideas of the time.
 Identify the following epic hero traits
multiple
 Make and defend your ideas on the epic hero and
with specific textual evidence from
choice
Beowulf:
how it is developed in the story.
questions on
1. Superior in degree to other men and to
unit test.
his environment; virtuous
2. Although the epic’s action is larger than
life, the hero is decidedly human,
capable of error, vulnerable, and not
immune to death
3. Strives for honor and fame
4. Possesses Christian characteristics of
kindness, valor, loyalty, and gentleness
Beowulf and the media: I can
 Watch selection clips to connect epic hero
traits with modern day heroes.
 Class
discussion
and
reflection.
Beowulf and non-fiction: I can
 Read a selected poem and a piece of
modern non-fiction.
 Short
answer and
multiple
choice
questions on
unit test.
Key Terms: I can identify and recognize the following
 Alliteration
 Section on
unit test.
 Kennings (Metaphors)
 Epic
 Scop
Vocabulary: I can identify and recognize the following
 vexed
 Quiz
 hoard
 Section on
the unit test.
 solace
 skulked
 scruples
 Students can see how messages change
dependent on culture and evaluate the different
messages and their meaning.
 Student can compare and contrast similar themes
across multiple works.
 Student knows the meaning of the literary
devices and how their use affects the telling of
the story.
 Students can determine the meaning of words
using multiple sources.