the emotion someone feels if something is strange or mysterious and they want to know more about it

Creating convincing characters using ‘The Canterbury Tales’ as stimulus

English

In 'Myths and Legends Re-Told', pupils explore how they can alter traditional stories to convey modern ideas and morals. In 'Animal Farm: the Pigs and Power', pupils learn about Orwell's allegory and understand how he uses an apparently simple fairy story to convey a political message. 

In 'Step Into the Unknown', pupils look at the ways in which famous children's writers create convincing settings, particularly through descriptions of windows and doors. In 'Myths and Legends Re-Told', pupils take inspiration from the ways in which writers and poets use powerful imagery and symbolism, to inspire their own writing. 

In this unit, pupils read and explore a range of text types in connection to classical myths and legends. They first look at poetry before doing some descriptive writing inspired by poetry and paintings. They then explore Chaucer and modern retellings of myths to inspire their narrative writing.

Myths, legends and stories that inspire

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction or discussion of distress or humiliation e.g. bullying.

Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Match each word to its definition ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

polite, gentle, tattered clothes, successful warrior

tattered clothes, very silent, extremely thin

Match each character from Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') to what we find out about them.

Which of the characters from 'The Canterbury Tales' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') might we best describe as audacious?

The Knight was invariable in all his battles, never losing.

The Cook's meals were invariable, despite the wound on his leg.

The university student invariably went to bed hungry, hence his skinniness.

The Miller invariably won his wrestling matches.

Which of these sentences, all inspired by 'The Canterbury Tales', uses the word 'invariably' (or a form of it) correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

There was something furtive about the Knight – he was always open and honest.

The Miller furtively stole corn, and over-charged people.

The Cook tried to be furtive about his wound, but it was just too obvious.

The university student was furtively thin.

Which of these sentences, all inspired by 'The Canterbury Tales', uses the word 'furtively' (or a form of it) correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

The Miller was the loudest, but much of what he said was vacuous.

The Knight's story was so vacuous that everyone praised it.

The university student was incredibly vacuous as he never had anything to eat.

The Cook's wound was not too serious, it was mainly a vacuous injury.

Which of these sentences, all inspired by 'The Canterbury Tales', uses the word 'vacuous' correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

Who wrote 'The Canterbury Tales' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')?

In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we read sections of 'The Canterbury Tales'. What type of text is 'The Canterbury Tales'?

What do we learn about the character of the Miller when he is first introduced in 'The Canterbury Tales'? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

large, muscular, red beard, sword and shield by his side

enjoys wrestling, steals corn, breaks down doors

accuse him of being drunk and ask him not to tell a rude story

Match the subheadings to what we learn about the Miller in 'The Canterbury Tales' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

In 'The Canterbury Tales' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') a large number of characters are introduced in the first section of the poem. What are the characters all doing?

Chaucer wrote 'The Canterbury Tales' {{ }} Shakespeare wrote his plays and sonnets ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz