Old English Poetry Curriculum Web Teaching Guide

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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 meet these principles we have organized the passion curriculum section and web module in particular ways:

* The curriculum is organized around a theme that we trust is 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

Understand the sound, structure, and content of Old English poetry.

Gain a general, historically synchronic understanding of the technical and sociological characteristics of alliterative and aaccentual verse.

Improve collaborative learning skills