Beowulf Unit Study

Facing the Dragon
Our Beowulf Unit Study offers an exciting and
comprehensive guide to this enigmatic tale.



Beowulf: Faintly familiar but in a class of its own.
You will find our Beowulf Unit Study unlike others. It's numerous features help
reveal the hidden layers of mystery in an easy-to-use format.

Get the Beowulf Unit Study

Available in Paperback OR Printable Download
253 pages (Includes Student Pages, Teacher Key, References, Maps, Charts and More!)

Print It Now

$5.99 Your link to print will last for five days.
Ready-in-a-minute lesson plans can be used with any translation.
Easy-to-read summary for each section.

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Softcover Edition - Mailed to You

The same pages are in the softcover book and the printable file. Keep your papers bound together and use this book for years to come. It will be your go-to-guide for all things Beowulf!

17.95 Soft Cover Manual
Mailed to You

What is included in this unit study?

• Gray Summary Box: *Favorite Feature* - For every section we give a short summary. Regardless of the translation used, readers can follow the plot easily.
• Comprehensive questions (with hints) - This unit teaches, instead of quizzes.
• Charts, graphs, maps, galore - You will be able to keep up with all those royal families vying with each other (and themselves.)
• History of the Teutonic tribes and Anglo-Saxon England - Make sure you can differentiate between them!
• Easy primer on Old English - It's extra, but it's fun. Learn three letters that have been dropped in our alphabet, and try writing our letters the way the Anglo-Saxons did.
• Time-line of the manuscript - The story and the story-of-the-story become intertwined.
• The Provenance - Where, exactly, did this tale come from? Analyze the on-going debate.

Follow the Three Threads in Beowulf

Beowulf - Folktale Hero

The gray summary box above shows our summary. Students keep up with the action and multiple threads.

History of the Geats, Swedes, Danes (and other Tribes)

There's a lot of confusing history intertwining itself around Beowulf's exploits. Our activities will keep students on top of the action.

Culture and Change

It was a time of dramatic cultural shifts: paganism and the new-found Christian faith, the comitatus, the mead hall, the constant wars. Students compare changing value systems as the Teutonic Tribes entered the Anglo-Saxon era.

Literary & Poetic Analysis of Beowulf

It may look unfamiliar to us, but Beowulf was written in a common format of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Our "Anatomy of a Poem" teaches students how to read these unique lines:

• The second half-line begins the sentences.
• Poetry used alliteration rather than rhyme.
• Kennings are word-pictures are sprinkled everywhere.
• Numerous literary styles enhance the plot.

Trace Anglo-Saxon History

The culture and history of Anglo-Saxon England permeates Beowulf (at least in the only version that survived.) Learn who the Anglos and Saxons were and how they affected the old story of Beowulf.

Recognize Old English Words and Letters

It looks like a foreign language! At first students think they will NEVER be able to read it. But with a little help, the seeds of our language become recognizable.

Learn the three letters that have disappeared from our language (because they still crop up now and then.)

Assess the Significance of the Only Surviving Manuscript

There is only one copy, but it's one of the most famous manuscripts in the world. Read the story of the discovery of the ancient tale that was almost lost, and the fire that almost destroyed it after it was discovered.

Evaluate Theories About Beowulf

There are theories on top of theories but in spite of the intrigue surrounding it, new details continue to surface. Learn how contextual analysis, archaeology, and other disciplines probe ancient mysteries and teach us about our past.

Locate sources to further one’s skill in reading Beowulf & Anglo-Saxon poetry

Those who get bit by the Beowulf-bug are ready to join his fan club. New theories and old artifacts continue to emerge. Which students will make ancient manuscripts and archaeology a lifelong hobby (or even a careeer?)

Swedes vs the Geats

It's the heart of the story: a deadly strife that put Beowulf in power now threatens his kingdom. However, between the dragon and the trolls, most students miss much of the central drama.

Using narrative charts, Beowulf's relationship with the three kingdoms is revealed. He was descended from both royal families and the product of a peace-keeping marriage himself.

Themes in Beowulf

Themes, of course, are part of the literary analysis of all poems and stories. But in Beowulf, the themes play an additional role. They are clues to the much debated question: do we have the original poem or merely two versions spliced together?

Keeping Up With the Numerous Narratives

Digressions vs Essential History

Once upon a time scholars called them digressions. But the author wasn't digressing - he was weaving of a purposeful tapestry to reveal the futility of endless wars. The Beowulf Unit Study uses 3D Boxes to help students place the stories-in-a-story that fill the fitts of the poem.

Meaning of Beowulf's Name

Beowulf, The Bear Man

It sounds like a wolf, but it's a bear!

Beowulf comes from the two old Saxon words "beo" or "bee" and "wulf" which is "hunter." The word literally means "bee hunter."

And one can readily see how a bear is a bee-hunter. A child need only think of their toddler friend, Pooh Bear, to recognize the literary connection. Of course the hero in this story, the Beowulf of old, is much stronger and tougher than the cuddly character of 100 Acre Woods.

Challenges of Reading Beowulf

What makes Beowulf so hard to read?

An ancient tale, a distant culture, a changing language, and a damaged manuscript are some of the challenges of reading Beowulf.

Beowulf: 3 Parts of the Tale from 3 Different Eras

Maps of Beowulf

A map and it's people are inseparable. Our maps of Beowulf include countries, regions, and people groups mentioned in the story.

Beowulf Character List

We know! It's hard to keep all those Hrethels and Hrothgars and Hrothulfs straight. And let's not even get started on Wealhtheow!

While I don't necessarily recommend Beowulf for a list of modern baby names, you will find our Genealogy and Dynasty Chart helpful for reading the book.

Especially when they start marrying and then attacking each other. Thankfully, the modern royal families don't act like that. (Well....anyway...)

Our Beowulf Unit Study

How To Use It

• The unit is divided into 12 lessons which can be done in two to three weeks.
• Each lesson is comprised of two to four sections (or fitts) - which are the sections indicated on the original manuscript.
• Each section starts with a brief summary in a gray box (see below) of the action in the text. This is valuable for undertanding the story, regardless of the translation used.
• Following the gray summary box, there are a variety of student activities to explore the content. This includes:
  • Background historical information
  • Relevant archaelogical finds
  • Literary analysis
  • Discussion questions
  • History of the cryptic manuscript
  • Old English tips
  • and much more.
• The pages are filled with maps, charts, and quotes to add interrest. See the many features and objectives below.
• Teacher Key is included in the back and includes unit objectives, answer keys, suggested hands-on projects, list of popular translations and their strengths/weaknesses.
• Extensive annotated bibliography.

This is your only needed resources for a thorough study of Beowulf for middle and high school students.

Get the Beowulf Unit Study

Available in Paperback OR Printable Download
253 pages (Includes Student Pages, Teacher Key, References, Maps, Charts and More!)

Print It Now

$5.99 Your link to print will last for five days.
Ready-in-a-minute lesson plans can be used with any translation.
Easy-to-read summary for each section.

---

Softcover Edition - Mailed to You

The same pages are in the softcover book and the printable file. Keep your papers bound together and use this book for years to come. It will be your go-to-guide for all things Beowulf!

17.95 Soft Cover Manual
Mailed to You

Beowulf Pages

Check here for all things Beowulf.