Introduction
What exactly is literature? That question is difficult to answer when you really think about it. It may seem as if literature is dusty and difficult, but have you ever wondered how people told stories hundreds of years ago? How did people think about love in the Middle Ages, or how did they make jokes in Shakespeare's time? Novels, poems, and plays are unique in showing us how people have developed over time, how they thought about things a long time ago, and when you do learn more about literature, you'll find that we haven't changed so much after all. In this WebQuest, you will learn more about English literature until 1620, shortly after Shakespeare died. In a group, you will have to look up background information and analyse a poem or text of your choice. The beauty of literature is that it is almost always open to interpretation, so find out for yourself what you can discover about literature!
Task
You want to know more about a certain period in literature. Not only do you want to learn more about this, you also want your classmates to learn more. In groups of 4 - 5, you will work on finding interesting information on a certain period in literature. You will look for background information and for a poem or excerpt of a text of this period to analyse. The end result will be that you have designed a poster to present to your classmates and to tell them more about your topic. Your teacher will assign you into groups and assign you a literary time period.
Process
How will you work?
We have 4 classes dedicated to this topic. In lesson 1, we already talked about the topic and about literature in general and your teacher explained the assignment. In lesson 2, you will do this WebQuest. In lesson 3, you can finish the WebQuest and work on your poster. In the last lesson, you will present your poster to the other groups.
For useful websites, look at the bottom of this page. However, always look further for other websites!
Lesson 2:
1. Your teacher will have assigned you in groups of 4 - 5 people and given each group a time period: Old English, Middle English, Renaissance, Shakespeare: Hamlet, or Shakespeare: General. You also have the option to focus on a theme in a time period, such as 'Love in Middle English Literature', for example.
2. You will have to find background information on your time period and also find either a poem or an excerpt of a text or play to analyse. When you have chosen a poem/excerpt, first ask your teacher if it's suitable. In you analysis of the text or discussion of the background information, you have to use at least two literary terms.
3. You will divide the tasks in your group: one or two people can look for background information, one person can look for a suitable text, and another person can look for literary terms. Be clear in who has to do what!
4. In class, you have time to look up information and summarise it. Hand in your findings after lesson 3 in a Word document sent on Magister or hand it in in print form. This is homework for the next lesson (3) but you can still use it during lesson 3.
Lesson 3:
1. If you do not have all the information you need, two people per group can look up extra information while the other two work on the poster. Your poster has to be concise and clear. Use bullet points and keywords, but make sure all of you have extra information to tell.
Lesson 4:
In lesson 4, we will present the posters to each other. Every group will hang their poster up in class. Then, two or three people per group can walk around and have a look at the other groups' posters, while the other two or three remain with their group's poster to tell classmates more about their topic. Halfway through we switch around, so everyone has a chance to learn more about the other time periods and everyone has to present.
By the end of lesson 4, we will discuss as a class what we have learned from the presentations and from the 4 lessons together.
Some useful websites:
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/ > a video and analysis of Hamlet
https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature > English Literature and Old English Literature
http://www.online-literature.com/periods/renaissance.php > Renaissance Literature
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/ > The Canterbury Tales (Middle English)
https://www.thoughtco.com/british-literary-periods-739034 > An overview of literary periods
https://literarydevices.net/ > Literary terms
Evaluation
How will you be assessed?
You will be assessed as a group. Each group will get a grade as a whole. The table shows how much each aspect counts.
| Group Work | Each member has done their part. As a group you have worked well together and divided the tasks equally. | 20% |
| Poster | The poster looks clear and attractive. It contains clear sections and bullet points. Images are a plus. | 20% |
| Knowledge | Each group member clearly knows sufficient about the topic. They can explain what kind of literature was produced in a time period, who were the most important writers, and they can name some specific themes or symbolism in texts. Analysis of the chosen text is also important. | 25% |
| Speaking Skills | You can formulate your ideas in sufficient English. You can clearly explain your ideas without using too simple English. | 20% |
| Presentation | You can concisely and clearly present your poster and give additional information to your audience that is easy to understand. You make good contact with your audience and have a good voice. | 15% |
Conclusion
After these 4 lessons, think about what you have learned. What have you learned about literature? But, also, what have you learned about presenting, gathering information, speaking and working in a group? Think about this for yourself for a minute and we will discuss this in class.
Teacher Page
Title: English Literature 700 - 1620
Subject: English Literature
School/class: VWO 5, The Netherlands
School subject: English
Number of students: 23
Allotted time: 4 lessons of 50 minutes
Result: Poster presentation, group grade
Extra materials needed: Laptops, A3 paper, markers
WebQuest maker: Hannah S.