Grendel 1 - Opening Discussion Chapter 1 (and 2)
"I was younger then. Still playing cat and mouse with the universe."
Grendel Day 1 - Opening Discussion Chapter 1 (and 2): We begin the book - and we get through the first chapter and set the stage for the rest of the novel. Chapter 2 is also assigned but is incorporated into the next lesson (but usually quizzed on this day).
Lesson Overview
Ah - an opening lesson of an opening novel. If you want to see more of why I chose Grendel go here. But for now, we have arrived. It is the first book that we will go over in class - and like first impressions; opening discussions are so darn important. Get the students excited here - and they will stay excited for the rest of the novel (and hopefully for the rest of the year as well). I want to go over some themes (though I never call them that) - go over what happens (the most important thing of all) - bring in as much of what we learned and talked about with Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons. And to acknowledge the very real amazement on the part of so many of this students at how this novel - based on this ancient text, has so much to say to them - and correspondingly how those ancient texts (that these modern books are based on) have so much to inform these books. See my lesson notes for detailed instructions on how I ran the discussion (Ringmaster Scotese) - as well a sample of my reading page (with notes) to see the basis of the discussion. Though Chapter 2 was usually assigned for this day (with a weekend to read); the discussion only covers Chapter 1 - but by doing it that way - it helps spread out the reading homework.
There are so many important ideas that are covered in this discussion (see my lesson notes). These include the ideas of cause and effect (in fact this will be brought up for the rest of the school year - with students often (on their own) referencing Grendel and this opening chapter). The ideas that we go over in class will also serve as a partial basis for their own reading (though of course I hope their lives and experience will be the major framework for their reading.
Please note the lesson ends with the question - "Where have you possibly seen this scenario before - that Grendel finds himself at the end of the chapter - maddened by humans misunderstanding of what caused him to kill so many of them (he was hungry) and their response to sing joyous songs.... Though I ask students to not give that answer away until I play the music (see below in AudioVisual Content); there is always a look of recognition over many of their faces.
My Lesson Notes & a sample reading page
See above for instructions - the text with my notes served as a guide for the questions, comments and ideas that I ask - though I was always ready for and often elicited the students ideas, questions, etc. Over the years - as I wrote notes in this text - the previous years' notes and questions become incorporated into the lesson. Again - you will find that these instructions are flexible - and I had to be - they kept changing the amount of time that we had in the classroom.
There is a lot to take in here - some of it obvious - some of it not so much.
Lesson Notes from 2012 Lesson Notes from 1998 (Interesting to see the development of thought)
Remote Enhancements
Nothing that I have found...yet.
Links
Class Recordings (for registered members)
Audio
Video
Grendel 2 (Chapters 1-3) Monsters & Men Group Work. Now that we've discovered so much together - the next class will give the students a chance to use that, and what they come up with on their own - with their own reading in a group. AND, they get to pick their own groups.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
An opening lesson sets the tone for the rest of the novel. It is so important to bring the teacher's excitement and bring that to the rest of the class. In my mind, anyway - I always see students very happy and excited to have read and to talk about this book. It comes as a surprise to them. A different kind of choice for their English class. Some of the ideas that we cover in this opening discussion - "Cause" and "Effect"; "Rejection"; feeling apart from the rest of Society will resonate deeply with the students.