The learning cycle for the Canterbury Tales will consist of five stations among which five cooperative learning groups will rotate during the first instructional week. These five stations consist of one video station, one computer station using Chaucer software, and three Internet sites. Each group will spend the majority of one class period at one station and will move on to the next station the next day. Station A is a TV, video player, and Beckett video. The unit outline will guide the students as to which scenes to watch using counter numbers and will require students to record certain information from the movie in response to specific questions.
Some questions require students to move beyond recall.
Life and Times software by Primary Source Media. This CD-ROM is an excellent resource that includes the complete works by Chaucer, their translations, overviews, information about Chaucer s personal life as well as the social, political, and religious aspects of his time, critical essays, and audio excerpts. The unit outline will guide students to research aspects of Chaucer s personal life and his time that shed light on the tales. Each group will also use its time at this station to research its selected tale for its group presentation. This web site features the full text and audio recordings of several of the tales plus plot summaries and analyses.