3. Do a book report on a book about King Arthur, such as the previously unpublished
conclusion of The Once and Future King by T.H. White called The Book of Merlyn. There
are TONS of Arthurian books!
4. Check out any movie video about King Arthur or related topics (Camelot (musical),
The Sword and the Stone (Disney animated film), Ivanhoe, The Knights of the Round
Table, Ladyhawk, Lady Jane, Anne of the Thousand Days, A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur's Court, Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,
Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Robin Hood (Disney animated film), El Cid, Excaliber,
etc.), watch it, and write a review. Summarize the movie & tell if you liked
it or not & why.
5. Tape record a pretend interview with any of the characters from literature we've
studied this nine weeks using excerpts from popular songs as their replies. Make
sure you introduce yourself by name and class at the beginning of the tape. Use at
LEAST 5 songs. I will take off points if the sound quality is poor, so do a good
job recording.
6. Retell any of the stories/poems we have studied this 9 weeks in its entirety in
a rap. Double points if you perform it in class!
7. Research and write a report on the eastern epic hero Gilgamesh. You may compare/contrast
him with any of the epic heroes we have studied if you like.
8. Research and write a report on Celtic mythology. Go beyond what we discussed in
class about the Irish hero Cuchulain. You may wish to concentrate on the Celtic pantheon,
Celtic beliefs during pagan times, or important Celtic myths, such as "The Children
of Lir."
9. Do research and write a report on text illuminations done by monks in the Middle
Ages.
10. Do research and write a report on the invention and impact of
the printing press.
11. Read and review the Classic Comic version of Ivanhoe (copies available for reading
in class before school or during HOMEbase).
12. Write a restaurant review (after eating at one of them!) on one of the following:
Reggie's British Pub (Waterside in Norfolk), The White Horse Pub (Pembroke Mall),
or Rosie Rumpe's Regal Dumpe Plantagenet Dinner Theatre (oceanfront, 14th Street
and the Boardwalk). Order something British to try - don't go to a British restaurant
and just eat regular American food!!! Discuss the menu, the decor, and your meal
in your review. Tell whether or not you'd recommend the restaurant or eat there again
yourself and why.
13. Research and write a report on the hierarchy of the British nobles. Avoid discussing
modern royalty; write about the various ranks of the nobility, such as king, queen,
knight, lady, duke, duchess, earl, baron, etc.
14. Construct a scale model of a medieval castle. Include castle wall, moat, bailey,
keep, turret, watchtowers, drawbridge, portcullis, wind eyes, sentry walk, etc.
15. Embroider a mini-tapestry or make a medieval pennant/banner/flag.
16. Do a mural replicating a portion of or a scene in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry.
17. Write a report about the Bayeux Tapestry.
18. Write a report about tapestry making, or any other craft or skill important to
the Middle Ages, such as stained glass making.
19. Make a shadow box depicting the events in any of the epics, stories, or poems
we have studied this 9 weeks.
20. Write a report about the geography of Germany, Spain, France, England, or Ireland.
Talk about climate, animal/plant life, natural resources, etc. Or write about any
other cultural aspect of these countries: food, clothes, homes, music, pastimes,
sports, language, art, literature, etc.
21. Write a report about druids and/or Stonehenge.
22. Research and write a report on Charlemagne. Discuss the Holy Roman Empire and
the Carolingian Renaissance.
23. Make a timeline for the Middle Ages. Divide it into the early, high, and late
periods. Mark significant events such as famines, plagues, wars, birth/death/rule
of important monarchs, inventions, writing of important books, creation of important
pieces of art, birth/death of important authors/artists/historical figures, etc.
You must mark at least 10 significant events on your timeline.
24. Write an essay comparing and contrasting at least 2 epic heroes. In addition
to Beowulf, Siegfried, Roland, and El Cid, you may also discuss classical epic heroes
such as Odysseus, Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, Aeneas, Perseus, Theseus, Hercules,
Jason, or Medea. Be sure to discuss each hero's personal code of honor, his/her positive
character traits, his/her negative character triats, heroic actions performed by
the hero, consequences of the heroic actions, any tests of heroism encountered, and
his/her destiny or fate.
25. Do a research report on chansons de geste (French for songs of deeds about heroes).
26. Research and write a report on the chivalric ideal of "courtly love".
27. Research and write a report on Dante Alighieri and/or his Divine Comedy, which
is the national epic of Italy.
28. Write a research report on the history of chronicles.
29. Research and write a report on the legend of Robin Hood.
30. Make a collage from magazine and newspaper advertisements or cartoons pertaining
to the Arthurian legend. For example, include any references to knights and Camelot
that you can find.
31. Draw and color your own text illumination in medieval style.
32. Write a research report on the Venerable Bede, an important
medieval writer.
33. Research & write a report on the puppet tradition of Punch and Judy.
34. Make a model of a catapult, crossbow, or battering ram. Do NOT bring anything
sharp or dangerous to school!!!.
35. Research and write a report on the Battle of Hastings.
36. Research and write a report on heraldry.
37. Construct from plywood a shield and decorate it with medieval heraldry.
38. Make a blueprint for a medieval cathedral. Include such features as the nave,
apse, altar, etc. Or make a blue print for the layout of a medieval monastery. Include
the wall and gatehouse, scriptorium, hospice, dormitory, chapel, cloister, refectory,
gardens, barns, workhouses, kitchen, chapel, etc.
39. Research and write a report on bards, minstrels, and
troubadors.
40. Write a paper comparing and contrasting the life of a member of the peasantry
with the life of a member of the nobility. Discuss topics such as work, living conditions,
problems, fun, clothes, lifespan, food, education, etc.
41. Write a paper on Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur or on Alfred Lord Tennyson's
Idylls of the King. Go beyond what we discuss in class.
42. Retell the Arthurian legend from Morgan le Fay's point of
view.
43. Write a paper on Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queen. Go beyond what we studied
in class.
44. Write a paper on a medieval romance such as the tragic story of Tristam and Isolde
or the story of ill-fated Heloise and Abelard.
45. Research and write a report on one of the other famous knights of the Round Table
besides Lancelot, such as Galahad, Percival, Lamorak, Tristam, Palomides the Saracen,
Gawaine, etc.
46. Come to school for an entire day dressed in medieval garb - let me know a day
in advance so I can get a picture!