Canterbury+Tales+Project

= [|RUBRIC] =


 * The Assignment: **

Everyone has been assigned a pilgrim and a role.

If you are a (1), you are the group facilitator. It is your responsibility to keep the group on task at all times. If you are a (2), you are the group time keeper. It is your responsibility to be sure the group is aware of the time. If you are a (3), you are the group recorder. It is your responsibility to put your group's ideas to "paper."

Be creative. No rules as to how it should look. Poster, paper, diorama, 3-d model - I don't care what medium you use, as long as all elements are included.
 * Project: **

After your presentation, your classmates should have a thorough understanding of who your pilgrim is, what s/he is all about, what Chaucer felt about that person, etc. See below for more details. It should be engaging, interesting, and informative. Remember, all elements should be TEXT-BASED.
 * Presentation: **


 * The Canterbury Tales Pilgrim Research Project **

The Middle Ages is one of the most interesting and colorful time periods in history. The research questions in Part One of this activity will give you only a brief glimpse into the people of the time and how they lived. It will also demonstrate how Chaucer creates characters that help us understand the complexities of the historical time period. Use the web to research the questions. Be sure to create a link to each site that provides an answer for each of the research questions. You may have more than one site for any one question.
 * Part One **

//Research questions: // What specific occupation does your character practice? What does the need for this occupation tell us about the time period? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What was his or her social standing? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What might your character’s day to day life be like? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What details about this character does Chaucer not include? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What modern day occupation might correspond to your medieval character and why?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For Part One, you will present your character to the class as part of your overall presentation. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Don't just make a list of the answers. Find a creative way to integrate all answers into your description without saying "The specific occupation..." <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. Include all websites used in your presentation. You can make a Works Cited page, or simply a list of sites. Either way, without this important component, you are **plagiarizing**. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3. Try to include a picture of your pilgrim. A Google Image search should help. Remember to cite this as well. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. Google Docs will be the best place to keep your work at this point. If you need an account, go to []
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Product: **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Examining the language of a specific text can be very complicated. For the purpose of this activity, we will be looking for word choices that give us clues about the author’s tone and attitude about his characters. We will also examine how specific words have evolved from medieval times to today.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Part Two **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Examination of text: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Paraphrase each line of the prologue describing your character. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Which lines in the prologue best describe your character’s physical appearance? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Which lines describe his/her personality? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Which specific words add to your understanding of the character’s personality?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For your presentation, you'll need to summarize the passage as a whole. For the project, you will need to give a paraphrase of each line.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Product: **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Once you have researched the background of your character and examined the text in which your character is developed, you can analyze the language better.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Part Three **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Analysis of the passage <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(Be sure to answer in complete sentences. Don’t limit yourself, however; include any additional information that would help a reader understand the text better.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What is Chaucer’s opinion toward this character? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What specific lines or words tell you this? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What word choices require an understanding of vocabulary from the time period?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Like Part Two, you'll need to answer each one specifically and completely for your project, but for the presentation, a shorter version that encompasses all three is acceptable.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Product: **