Beowulf & Casey at the Bat

Standards: 8th Grade Language Arts
Reading-
1.0 Word analysis, fluency and systematic vocabulary development
1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context and show ability to verify those meanings by definition, restatement, example, comparison or contrast.
2.3 Find similarities and differences between texts in the treatment, scope, or organization of ideas.
2.4 Compare the original text to a summary to determine whether the summary accurately captures the main ideas, includes critical details, and conveys the underlying meaning.
3.1 Determine the relationship between the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry.
3.2 Evaluate plot.
3.3 Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of literary characters from different historical eras confronting similar situations or conflicts.
Writing-
1.2 Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through
effective transitions, parallel structures, and similar writing tech-
niques.
1.6 Revise writing for word choice, organization, consistent point of
view; and transitions between paragraphs, passages, and ideas.
Written and Oral English Language Conventions-
1.1 Use correct and varied sentence types and sentence openings
to present a lively and effective personal style.
1.2 Identify and use parallelism, including similar grammatical forms
in all written discourse to present items in a series and items
juxtaposed for emphasis.
1.5 Use correct punctuation and capitalization.
1.6 Use correct spelling conventions.

Lesson One

Objective: Students should build a strong foundation of the language and background of the text “Beowulf” before reading it on their own.

Materials: Middle English Presentation, Movie Clip, Audio CD, Teacher’s Edition Text

New Vocabulary: Epic, Mock-heroic

Anticipatory Set: The teacher will prompt the students with a quickwrite question in regards to modern sports heroes. The students’ responses will lead the teacher into the epic and epic heroes.

Teaching: The teacher will give a mini-lesson by PowerPoint. The lesson will include new vocabulary, an introduction to the epic, and Middle English versus modern English. After the mini-lesson the teacher will show a movie clip of “Beowulf”.

Guided Practice: The students will listen to the audio version of “Beowulf”.

Independent Practice: Students will complete a word choice activity (direct teaching B).

Additional Activities

Students will complete a Standards Plus Capitalization lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.
Students will complete a Standards Plus Vocabulary lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.


Lesson Two

Objective: Students should be able to find relevant details by looking back at the text.

Materials: Teacher’s Edition Text

Anticipatory Set: The students will look at a piece of art from same time period as “Beowulf” and answer an analysis question. A discussion will follow.

Teaching: The students will read the text popcorn style, with the teacher pausing for further clarification on important points or concepts.

Guided Practice: The students will work together in small groups to re-read the text and record the sequence of events. Time for sharing will follow.

Independent Practice: The students will answer reading check questions #1-2, and interpretations question #6 on page 433 in their text.

Additional Activities

Students will complete a Standards Plus Capitalization lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.
Students will complete a Standards Plus Vocabulary lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.



Lesson Three

Objective: Students should be able to compare and contrast an epic to a mock-heroic poem, and the motivations of each poem’s characters.

Materials: Graphic Organizer Worksheet, Baseball PowerPoint, Teacher’s Edition Text

New Vocabulary: Despair, Melancholy, Recoil, Haughty, Multitude

Anticipatory Set: The students will enjoy a brief baseball lesson on the fundamentals of the game, as well as a clip of a game in action.

Guided Practice: The students will hear a portion of the poem “Casey at the Bat” by audio version.

Teaching: The students will read the entire poem popcorn style. The teacher will pause for further clarification or to point out moments for emphasis.

Independent Practice: The students will complete a graphic organizer that asks them to compare the mock heroic, “Casey at the Bat”, to an epic, “Beowulf”.

Additional Activities

Students will complete a Standards Plus Capitalization lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.
Students will complete a Standards Plus Vocabulary lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.


Lesson Four

Objective: Students should be able to determine if a summary is an effective indication of the original text, as well as write an effective summary.

Materials: Movie review and headline, Teacher’s edition text

Anticipatory Set: The students will informally respond to three reading comprehension questions (page 433, reading check questions #3-5).

Guided Practice: The teacher will use a movie headline and a movie review to portray an accurate summary. Together, the teacher and students will create a comprehensive list of what should be included in a good summary.

Teaching: The teacher will give an overview of the difference between a detail and a critical detail, as well as the components of a good summary: main event, cause and effect, and theme. Two students will read Summary One and Summary Two, with pauses for direct teaching.

Independent Practice: The students will respond to reading check questions as well as complete Test Practice questions # 1-4 on page 436.

Additional Activities

Students will complete a Standards Plus Capitalization lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.
Students will complete a Standards Plus Vocabulary lesson as a start of the period warm-up activity.


Lesson Five

Objective: Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the poems “Beowulf” and “Casey at the Bat”, the poem’s similarities and differences as far as form and characterization, and new vocabulary.

Materials: Student Assessment, White paper, Markers/Colored Pencils

Assessment: Students will complete a written and multiple-choice assessment, followed by a completion of a story map for the poem of their choice.