Title
Skill
EBA Activity
Claims and/or
Warrants
Medieval Period Epic Hero Unit
Making a Basic Argument
Four Corners
You may use the following claims:
 “The most important part of being an epic hero is being of noble birth or high position,
and often of great historical or legendary importance.”
 “The most important part of being an epic hero is exhibiting character traits, or
qualities, that reflect important ideals of society.”
 “The most important part of being an epic hero is performing courageous, sometimes
superhuman, deeds that reflect the values of the era.”
 “The most important part of being an epic hero is performing actions that often
determine the fate of a nation or group of people.”
Procedure
This is a standard Four Corners activity, but it will be done four times, and it is suggested that
students will discuss their decisions with the people in their shared groups, as well as with
people in the other groups in the class. Unlike the original four corners, where the room is
divided into: strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree – the room will be divided
into the following four categories: 1) being of noble birth or high position, and often of great
historical or legendary importance; 2) exhibiting character traits, or qualities, that reflect
important ideals of society; 3) performing courageous, sometimes superhuman, deeds that
reflect the values of the era; 4) performing actions that often determine the fate of a nation or
group of people.
Timing/Pacing
1. This activity falls at the beginning of the unit and at the beginning of the year, but after
students have read selected parts of Beowulf (translation):
2. Students should also at this point be familiar with the four characteristics of an Epic
Hero: 1) being of noble birth or high position, and often of great historical or legendary
importance; 2) exhibiting character traits, or qualities, that reflect important ideals of
society; 3) performing courageous, sometimes superhuman, deeds that reflect the
values of the era; 4) performing actions that often determine the fate of a nation or
group of people.
3. This activity is also the first activity to help scaffold the writing process for an essay in
which students will be persuasively explaining which characteristics of an epic hero
best qualify Beowulf to be an epic hero.
4. This activity is between 20-30 minutes.
 Teacher may choose to shorten this activity by not completing all four claims.
 Teacher may also extend the activity by encouraging students to discuss with each other
why they chose their corner. Students can discuss with people in their shared group and/or
with people in the other groups in the class.
 This activity could also come prior to reading Beowulf, so as to develop a construct about
what it means to be an epic hero, from which they can then read Beowulf from- referring
back to these ideas as the text lends itself to discussion related to these characteristics.
 As a follow up writing activity have students choose 1 or 2 characteristics that they feel
are the most important characteristic of an epic hero and write why.
To include an oral activity, follow up with defeating counterargument class challenge.
Notes
Follow Up
Activities
Text
Beowulf: Chapters: Beowulf, Grendel, The Battle with Grendel
Boston Debate League © 2012
Name:_____________________________________ Class: __________ Date:______________
Four Corners
Background Information
Warrant- Reason for your stance.
Claim
“The most important part of being an epic hero is
being of noble birth or high position, and often of
great historical or legendary importance.”
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
“The most important part of being an epic hero is
exhibiting character traits, or qualities, that
reflect important ideals of society.”
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
“The most important part of being an epic hero is
performing courageous, sometimes superhuman,
deeds that reflect the values of the era.”
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
“The most important part of being an epic hero is
performing actions that often determine the fate
of a nation or group of people.”
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Speech Structure
“I _________________ with the claim
______________________________________________________________________.
My warrant for this stance is
______________________________________________________________________.”
Boston Debate League © 2012