Old
English Poetry Curriculum Web Teaching Guide
Introduction
Aim
Rationale
Audience
Prerequisites
Subject-Matter
Goals and Objectives
Instructional Plan
Materials
Assessment and Evaluation
Appendices
Glossary
Introduction
This website
is designed to supplement high school curriculum units on Old
English (or, Anglos-Saxon) poetry. The activities here exploit
technical and sociological similarities between the vernacular
poetry of pre-Conquest England and Rap poetry and music styles
to help contemporary urban youth make personal connections
to Old English poetry.
Aim
Students will
study Old English poems and then adapt the content and imitate
technical features in their own poetic compositions. These
compositions will be posted to the WWW alongside translations
of the original works.
Rationale
This curriculum
web unit is organized as a passion curriculum. This means that
it is intended to meet four core principles:
* Honor learner
goals in all elements of the learning environment (the interest
principle)
* Locate all activities in meaningful work (the authenticity principle)
* Ensure a rich social context (the social context principle)
* Use many different motivational strategies to support interest (the rich
motivation principle)
In order
to apply these principles passion curriculums are orgnaized
in particular ways:
* The
curriculum is organized around a theme that is judged to be
of great interest to learners.
* The central activity of the curriculum is a project that is connected with
the specific interests of particular groups of participants.
* Participants earn meaningful certifications, with specific rights and responsibilities,
by demonstrating the skills they have learned.
* The curriculum is organized so that when things happen that might reduce
participant interest (for example, the work gets tough), other kinds of motives
(such as social goals, challenges& rewards) kick in. (Diana
Joseph 2003)
Audience
The unit is
designed for urban students in 11th grade using a British Literature
curriculum.
Prerequisites
Initial study
of Old English literature and culture. Basic web-browsing skills
(to access this curriculum web). Familiarity with rap music.
Subject-Matter
Using
the internet in concert with print media and oral performance
and media
Structure,
function, and content of accentual-alliterative verse forms
generally and, specifically, of Old English poetry and rap
music and poetry.
Poetry
performance.
Goals and
Objectives
Gain
a general, historically synchronic understanding of the technical
and sociological characteristics of alliterative and aaccentual
verse.
Improve
collaborative learning skills.
Produce
outcomes based upon authentic responses to material to meet clearly
specified assessment quidelines. |
