My apologies for the lateness of these Class Notes. I usually send them out before the weekend is over, but it just didn't happen this week. Unlike my other classes that have a variety of types of assignments, the homework is pretty straightforward for this class: Read the assigned sections and come up with some thought-provoking discussion questions.
This past week we worked through the first part of the classic Beowulf. I've chosen a prose version of this story rather than the epic verse version because I thought the story would be easier to understand. If you are interested in reading a poetic version, Seamus Heaney has the best translation, and here is a link to a PDF version.
During or last class, we used the questions from the study guide for our discussions. These questions modeled the types of questions that I would like the students to write themselves. Simple questions that help us make sure we have the basics down (i.e. who, what, when, where), but I would like the students to go beyond comprehension questions, asking questions that start with "How" or "Why." (If you're interested, Bloom's Taxonomy describes the levels of thinking abilities that progress from basic to higher order critical thinking, and this website has a great chart that I've used in composing study guides.)
We've only had two weeks together, but I'm pleased with our discussions. Even with a small class, we've kept ourselves engaged up until the end of our time. Way to go, students! Below are some helpful and interesting short videos related to the story of Beowulf.
Assignments for Next Week:
-- Finish Beowulf
-- Write 3 Discussion Questions (These must be written out and ready to hand in)
Links for This Week:
Class Notes
Happy Reading & Stay Warm!
Mrs. Prichard
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