The Arthurian legends, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is one of my all-time favorite stories! Sadly, I usually don’t have the time to read through the entire tale with students. Plus, the language can be a bit daunting for some of our 21st century learners.
This is where I decided to use my 21st century tools to create a multi-modal look at Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that helps me to cover the story in about week. PLUS, my students LOVE it!
I did something similar with Beowulf, so if that interests you, be sure to read this blog post!
With this mini unit, students get to enjoy the following:
- read and annotate passages from the original tale’s opening scene
- go into detail with The Green Knight’s appearance and characterization of the others present
- have a little fun making a one-pager in-between modes
- finish out by switching over to a podcast episode from my favorite- Myths and Legends!
Why try a multi-modal approach?
When it comes to scaffolding for different learning styles, a multi-modal approach really shines. Here are a couple of ways that this can help:
For visual learners, the one-pager activity is an excellent tool to deepen their understanding of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. They can visually map out Gawain’s journey, sketch the Green Knight’s imposing figure, or create a graphic representation of the key themes like honor and chivalry. This allows them to process complex ideas through imagery and design.
For auditory learners, extending their engagement with the Myths and Legends podcast can be highly effective. After listening to the episode, have students record their own podcast reflections, sharing what they found most interesting about Gawain’s quest and the moral dilemmas he faces. Alternatively, they can respond through an audio journal. In it, they summarize key points. They can also discuss how the podcast’s version of the story compares to the original text. This ensures that auditory learners can process the material in a way that aligns with their strengths.
Adapting the Language
The first issue I often have to overcome with any Arthurian legends is the archaic language. I don’t feel it needs to be “dumbed down”, but it does need a little spruce.
This is where I love to go in and make a slightly modernized version of a text. I leave some of the sentences alone and others get a glow up. Archaic words and phrases get replaced with their modern versions. Unnecessary sentences may be deleted or summarized.
This way the integrity of the text is still in tact, but my students can more fully understand it! I did this with Le Morte de Arthur’s book 20. You can read about it here!
To add to the comprehension aspect, I also place guiding questions and one-pager activities as they read through the text.
Using the Myths and Legends Podcast
I adore this podcast! The host has a wonderful ability to take myths and share them in engaging ways that our students find very approachable. This episode focuses on Gawain’s adventures after leaving Camelot.
This is why the adapted reading I created covers the beginning of the tale. This way students get a detailed look at The Green Knight and understand the quest Gawain goes on. Then, we switch over to the podcast to finish out the story.
To help with this, I always make active listening sheets. These work similar to CLOZE notes. This way students can actively take in the information and keep up with the details.
What are other teachers saying?
My students were very excited to see a modern text, as they struggled through Beowulf at the beginning of the year and were not keen on another challenging middle english text. – Veronica B.
This is another great time to say that I ALSO created a multimodal Beowulf unit! You can read all about it here!
Very thorough and aligned to EOC . Used this resource in conjunction with my unit.- Michelle H.
How can you use this?
What I extra love about creating multimodal mini units is that they can help you fit more in without sacrificing the text! I like to pair it up with Le Morte de Arthur, “Chivalry” by Neil Gaiman, and a few other tales. This way, my students get a lovely overview on King Arthur in about a month.
Because of the nature of multimodal learning, I have scaffolded for all the different learning modes needed. They easily understand all of it and this leads to deeper analysis and discussions.
Adding in one-pagers and thematic analysis adds a whole other level of fun and in-depth learning to these studies.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating a multi-modal approach to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight allows students to experience this classic tale in ways that are engaging, approachable, and tailored to their unique learning styles. Students read and annotate passages. They create one-pagers. They also listen to a captivating podcast. This mini unit brings the rich world of Arthurian legend to life in the modern classroom.
If you’re ready to save time and bring this engaging experience to your students, you can purchase the fully developed, ready-to-go mini unit right here! With all the resources, guiding questions, and active listening sheets included, you’ll have everything you need to take your students on Gawain’s unforgettable journey.
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