a long, narrative poem telling the story of an extraordinary individual

a protagonist (main character) with noble qualities, often saving or helping others

old-fashioned language that is no longer widely used today

Beowulf begins his quest

English

Beowulf among the Danes

Characterisation of Beowulf and Grendel

Beowulf faces a new foe

Beowulf completes his Danish mission

Beowulf and the dragon

Beowulf's burial

In 'Beowulf’, pupils read and discussed the tale. In ’Beowulf Narrative Writing’, they will use the book as a stimulus for writing.

In 'Blackberry Blue’, pupils read and discussed the features of a traditional tale. In ’Beowulf’, pupils develop their understanding of traditional tales by discussing and reading a classic.

In this unit, pupils read and explore a translation and adaptation of the Old English epic poem 'Beowulf', written by Kevin Crossley-Holland. They explore the language and the context of the poem and then explore and discuss the chapters sequentially, gaining strong comprehension.

'Beowulf': reading

an educated guess based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge

when you take on the perspective of a character in a text

initial feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading a text

information or facts to show something is true

an educated guess, based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge

the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story through their actions, thoughts, dialogue and interactions with others

decisions writers make in order to create a certain impression or have a certain effect on the reader

feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading a text

a phrase of two words that replaces a noun that is often used in Old English poetry

pull out the key information and ideas from the text

a protagonist with noble qualities, often saving or helping others

qualities or features of a person’s personality

a central idea of a text that the author wants us to think deeply about

a formal discussion about a question or subject held in public

reading a text accurately, smoothly and with appropriate speed

reading with feelings and emotion to bring the text to life

the long-lasting impact of a person’s life on their culture and on other people

the communication of someone’s thoughts, through words, to an audience

Primary

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Secondary

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

'Beowulf': reading

Choose a lesson (7)