Year 6 - English
Beowulf faces a new foe
'Beowulf': reading
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
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.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to outline the key events in the fifth chapter of 'Beowulf' and you can explain the author's language choices.
Key Notes
- After Grendel is defeated, another monster - his mother - arrives at Heorot, taking away a Dane.
- Beowulf and his companions travel across bleak countryside to find her lair.
- Beowulf fights with Grendel's mother, narrowly avoiding death before killing her with a special sword.
- Authors make specific language choices in their writing in order to have a specific effect on the reader.
- A kenning is an Old English way of replacing a noun with a two-word phrase that describes it indirectly.
Vocabulary To Learn
- setting: where a story takes place
- language choices: decisions writers make in order to create a certain impression or have a certain effect on the reader
- impressions: feelings about a person, place or thing gained from reading a text
- kenning: a phrase of two words that replaces a noun that is often used in Old English poetry
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may struggle to identify the effect of the kennings in the second task.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
After Grendel is defeated, another monster - his mother - arrives at Heorot, taking away a Dane. Beowulf and his companions travel across bleak countryside to find her lair.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'setting'
where a story takes place.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may struggle to identify the effect of the kennings in the second task. Correction: You may want to complete this task orally with partner talk, or as a class discussion, rather than as independent work.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 6 English guide library.