assignments for beowulf

Tips and ideas for teaching high school ELA

5 Ideas to Make Teaching Beowulf Fun

While a staple in most British Literature classrooms,  Beowulf can be a bit of a struggle for our students. The diction, the figurative language (so.many.kennings), the format. Teaching  Beowulf can sometimes feel like a chore. 

Are you looking to inject some excitement into your Beowulf lessons? Well, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we’ll explore five fantastic ideas that will make teaching Beowulf a blast. From interactive stations to creative writing activities, I’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and discover how to make the journey into the world of Beowulf an engaging and enjoyable experience for your students!

The first  Beowulf activity is intro stations. I started including stations in my classroom a few years ago, and I have loved the results. 

Like me, you probably have a boring old PowerPoint with all the necessary background and historical context students need before diving into this classic epic. 

Instead of death by PowerPoint, why not switch things up? Transform your classroom into engaging intro stations where students can explore different aspects of Beowulf. These stations can include whatever you want: artwork, excerpts, historical context, language – pretty much anything you had in those dull presentations. For my  Beowulf  stations , I included information about Anglo-Saxon culture, topics and themes, epics and epic heroes, and the evolution of the English language; these were all concepts I wanted to cover, but packaged in a more engaging way. 

Encourage students to rotate through the stations, sparking their curiosity and setting the stage for the epic adventures they are about to embark on. 

One characteristic of Anglo-Saxon culture was their love of riddles. Even today, many of us are intrigued by word puzzles. What better way to introduce students to Anglo-Saxons than having them try to solve some riddles? You can find some examples here and here . 

Another option: Create your own riddles inspired by the epic and challenge your students to solve them individually or in small groups. 

Not only will they have fun deciphering the riddles, but they’ll also develop a deeper understanding of the linguistic and cultural context of the time.

Want to get even more student engagement? Once you’ve exposed them to several examples of Anglo-Saxon riddles, have them write their own for their classmates to solve. 

 Encourage your students to unleash their inner heroes by crafting personal boasts, just like the characters in Beowulf. In Anglo-Saxon culture, boasting was a way to demonstrate one’s heroic qualities and bravery. And we all know that students love to talk about themselves. 

Have your students write and share their own boasts, highlighting their accomplishments, strengths, and values. This activity not only brings the epic to life but also helps students build confidence and self-expression.

I typically do this activity after Beowulf has arrived at Herot and delivers his first boast detailing how he is going to defeat Grendel, but you could incorporate it at any time. Want to practice some revision? Have students write their boasts before reading, then return to them after reading part of the text and revise their boast, using Beowulf’s boasts as a mentor text. 

One of my favorite activities for teaching  Beowulf is to have students write a modern retelling. The entertainment industry is famous (infamous?) for capitalizing on nostalgia by doing remakes. Why not follow their lead? 

Give Beowulf a modern twist by challenging your students to rewrite key scenes or create a continuation of the story in a contemporary setting. When I’ve done this, students had very minimal requirements:

• a Beowulf or Beowulf-inspired character 
• a Grendel or Grendel-inspired character 
• “Beowulf” had to  defeat “Grendel” (doesn’t necessarily mean kill)

That was it. From there, it’s up to them. 

Students can reimagine Beowulf battling monstrous creatures in a modern cityscape or explore how the heroic code translates to today’s world. This activity allows them to exercise their creativity, adapt the themes of the epic to a modern context, and develop their storytelling skills. It also hits those narrative writing standards. Win-win. 

The final activity is a character interview.  Assign students different roles and have them prepare interview questions and responses based on their character’s perspectives.

Students can conduct mock interviews, delving into the motivations, challenges, and inner thoughts of the characters. This activity fosters empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the complex personalities in the epic.

Not only do mock interviews promote critical thinking, but they also hit those important speaking and listening standards that sometimes get pushed to the wayside. Plus, think about real-life applications. Who couldn’t use a little interview practice? 

Teaching Beowulf doesn’t have to be a dry and monotonous affair. By incorporating these five fun and interactive ideas into your lessons, you’ll transform the learning experience for your students. From immersive intro stations to modern rewrites and character interviews, these activities will ignite their curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. So, let the adventure begin! Get ready to embark on a journey through the legendary world of Beowulf alongside your enthusiastic and engaged students.

What are your favorite Beowulf activities? Hit “Leave a Comment” and let me know.

And as always – Happy teaching! 😀

Looking for a low-prep  Beowulf unit including the ideas above? Check out this Beowulf Unit Plan. 

Curious about my other go-to units for British Literature? Check out this blog post:  7 Units for a Complete Brit Lit Curriculum .

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An Introduction to Beowulf : Language and Poetics

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This lesson provides an introduction to the language and poetics of the epic poem Beowulf . Although this lesson assumes students will read Beowulf in translation, it introduces students to the poem's original Old English and explains the relationship between Old, Middle, and Modern English. Students are introduced to the five characters in the Old English alphabet that are no longer used in Modern English. As a class, they translate a short, simple phrase from Old English, and then listen to a passage from the poem being read in Old English. Next, students are introduced to some poetic devices important to Beowulf . They learn about alliteration by reading an excerpt from W. H. Auden's modern English poem “The Age of Anxiety,” then listen for alliteration in the Old English version of a passage from Beowulf . Finally, students explore the poetic functions of kennings, compounds, and formulas in Beowulf .

Featured Resources

Beowulf : Language and Poetics Quick Reference Sheet : This reproducible provides information about the difference between Old, Middle, and Modern English, as well as poetic devices found in Beowulf . Literary Guide: Beowulf : This online tool can serve as an introduction to Beowulf , presenting information about the poem's significance as well as an overview of the story.

From Theory to Practice

Gillis argues that when we teach literature we often don't do so without teaching its background, its historical, philosophical, and environmental context. When teaching literature in translation, he argues, if we fail to consider the original language and stylistic features of that piece, then we have not taught all the background necessary for our students to have a full understanding of that literary work, even if we are not experts in that language. The purpose behind introducing students to the original language and style will foreground for them that they are reading a translation, which at its best can only give us "an inkling" of the original work. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
• Beowulf : Language and Poetics Quick Reference Sheet  
• Old English Beowulf Passage Handout  
• Modern English Beowulf Passage Handout  
• Excerpt from “The Age of Anxiety" by W.H. Auden

Preparation

• Review the lesson and decide which elements you wish to use.  
• Review the Beowulf : Language and Poetics Quick Reference Sheet .  
• Print out for each student a copy of each handout you wish to use.  
• For more background information on Beowulf see Beowulf : A Study Guide  
• Test the Literary Guide: Beowulf on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool.

Student Objectives

Students will

• be introduced to Old English, the language of Beowulf.  
• know the relationship between Old English and Modern English.  
• learn about alliteration and alliterative verse.  
• understand kennings, a poetic device common to Old English poetry, and how they are used in Beowulf.

Session One: Introducing Old English

• If desired, use the Literary Guide: Beowulf to introduce the poem. The Overview outlines basic information about the poem.  
• Using the Quick Reference Sheet as a guide, explain that English is divided into three periods.  
• Introduce students to the unfamiliar letters used in the Old English alphabet. Use the Language section of the Literary Guide: Beowulf to discuss the five characters in the Old English alphabet that are no longer used in Modern English.  
• You may want to write the letters on the board and/or show them the first page of Beowulf . In case they ask, the manuscript dates to about 1000 CE and was damaged in a fire, which is why the top and right hand side of the page are badly damaged. The entire Old English alphabet is available in section 16.2 of The Electronic Introduction to Old English .  
• If you would like to spend a few minutes illustrating the changes between Old English and Modern English, write “Þæt wæs god cyning.” on the board, explain to the class how to pronounce the various sounds, and see if they can translate the sentence into Modern English. If you want to provide an example of how Chaucer might write that sentence, you can add “That wes good king,” “That wes goode king,” and/or “That wes god king” to the board after the class has translated the Old English sentence.  
• If you would like the class to hear some of Beowulf in the original Old English, pass out the Old English Beowulf Passage Handout and have the class go to  https://www.beowulfresources.com/ . While the students can listen to and see four Beowulf passages at this site, the handout covers lines 1–11 of the prologue. Note: while now is a logical time to listen to Beowulf read in Old English, your students may get more out of listening to the poem if you introduce alliteration and alliterative verse to them first (see below). You may also wish to distribute the Modern English Beowulf Passage Handout which provides a translation of the passage.

Session Two: The Poetics of Beowulf

• Using the Quick Reference Sheet as a guide, explain alliteration. You may wish to begin illustrating alliteration by using tongue-twisters as examples. The excerpt from W. H. Auden’s poem “The Age of Anxiety” and the Old English Beowulf Passage Handout can be used for further examples.  
• Once your students understand the concept of alliteration, pass out the excerpt from W. H. Auden’s poem “The Age of Anxiety” if you have not done so already.  
• Show the example of alliteration in the Poetics section of the Literary Guide: Beowulf .  
• Using the Quick Reference Sheet as a guide and the Auden poem , explain the basics of Old English alliterative verse. (Do not work through the whole Auden poem if you wish the students to work on the assignment alone or in groups.)  
• Once your class seems to have an understanding of alliterative verse, you may wish to turn to the Old English Beowulf Passage Handout , listen to the poem (see number 4 in the first session), and identify the alliteration and meter of the first 16 lines of Beowulf .  

Example: The Old English for Spear-Danes is Gar-Dena. If you look at the Old English Beowulf Passage Handout , you will see that gar (spear) alliterates and that the alliterative meter needs a G-word here. And, if you are familiar with the poem, you will know that Danes are compounded with many words: Ring-Danes, East-Danes, North-Danes, South-Danes, West-Danes, Bright-Danes. As this is the case, it would be simple enough to suggest that the meter requires the use of gar in this compound for metrical purposes, and, sometimes, this is the reason for the use of a particular word or compounding. However, it is worth noting that this passage is about the Dane’s conquests against their neighbors. It would seem then that the use of gar (spear) in this formulaic compound was not only to meet the needs of the alliterative meter, but also to foreground the Danes as an aggressive tribe. Here in the first line of the poem we find meter, poetic flourish, and theme all coming together in the poem’s first use of compounding.

• Either as homework or in class, ask your students to identify the stresses and alliteration in the Auden poem . You may also ask them to do the same with the Old English Beowulf Passage Handout . If you ask them to work with the Old English passage, give them the URL for audio files and suggest they listen to each section before marking the passage.  
• If your translation maintains compounding and kennings, select some good passages and ask your students to identify the compounds and kennings and explain their function.
• Formulas: Review the formula section of the Beowulf : Language and Poetics Quick Reference Sheet and The Electronic Introduction to Old English section on formulas (14.3) and have students look for formulas as they read Beowulf .  
• Variation: Review the variation section of the Beowulf : Language and Poetics Quick Reference Sheet and The Electronic Introduction to Old English section on variation (14.2) and have students look for variation as they read Beowulf .  
• Follow this lesson with the ReadWriteThink lesson, Reading Literature in Translation: Beowulf as a Case Study .

Student Assessment / Reflections

Session One

• Observe your students as you work through and discuss Old English and its relationship to Modern English. Do they seem interested and engaged with the discussion? Do their comments and questions demonstrate a growing understanding of the material?  
• If you plan on giving quizzes or exams which cover Beowulf , consider including questions on some of this material. If you plan on doing so, let your students know this as you introduce the material to them.

Session Two

• Observe your students as you work through and discuss the poetics of Beowulf and Old English alliterative verse. Do they seem interested and engaged with the discussion? Do their comments and questions demonstrate a growing understanding of the material?  
• Either informally discuss Auden poem after your students have completed them, or, alternatively, collect and grade them.  
• If you asked your students to identify and explain compounding or kennings in the poem, have them share their findings with the class, or, alternatively, collect and grade their work.
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Students focus on the figurative language in Heaney's poem, "Digging," and discuss the speaker's attitude, and how metaphor, simile, and image contribute to the poem.

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Beowulf Lessons for High School

Seven Beowulf Lesson Plans and Resources

It’s that time of year again for British Literature teachers. It’s time for Beowulf ! Have you started your journey into Anglo-Saxon poetry ? My usual early fall Anglo-Saxon routine culminates with a three-week unit on Beowulf followed by a short unit on The Hero’s Journey . I didn’t always enjoy teaching Beowulf . At first, honestly, it was excruciating. But over the next few years, I gained confidence, learned it was okay to not have all the answers, and have grown to enjoy the wonders of this text.

I mean, think about it. Beyond its monstrous, blood-thirsty heroic tale, this epic poem is a glimpse into the mind of a poet who lived nearly 1,300 years ago who, while living without running water, indoor plumbing, or electricity, understood how to craft chain mail armor, forge iron utensils, thrive on a barren plain, and survive at sea.

Seriously, how are we even here?!

If Beowulf amazes you and you can’t wait to start your unit (or whether it bores you to tears and you can’t wait to get it over with!), allow me to offer some ideas to enliven your Beowulf teaching.

Here are some links to my collection of blog posts on teaching Beowulf . I hope they spark your passion for this foundational text!

Revisiting Sutton Hoo Nonfiction Text Assignment

A Better Beowulf Unit Begins with Sutton Hoo

The Dark Ages discovery builds Beowulf engagement Need an awesome nonfiction text to enhance your Beowulf unit? Look no further! I have a resource for you that you really must check out. It’s titled “Revisiting Sutton Hoo, Britain’s Mythical Ship Burial.” Written by Sam Knight and published in The New Yorker (August 9, 2019), this…

When Christian Bale becomes Beowulf

Here’s another way to infuse relevance into Beowulf When you extend your Beowulf unit into a mini-unit on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, three things will happen: 1) You’ll build excitement to read an Anglo-Saxon poem so old we don’t even know exactly when it was written or by whom. 2) You’ll open students’ eyes to…

Life Lessons from Beowulf

I tried this Life Lessons in Beowulf essay with high school seniors. Here’s how it went.

A New Movie for Your Anglo-Saxon Poetry Unit

The 1-hour and 52-minute movie is captivating, and builds suspense and excitement around the very culture awash in The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Wife’s Lament, and Beowulf.

Three New Articles to Pair with Beowulf

Three contemporary articles to pair with Beowulf to build relevance for high school students.

Check Out The Hero’s Journey Podcast

A great supplement to teaching the hero’s journey Have you discovered “The Hero’s Journey” podcast? Subtitled “Books & Films Through a Mythical Lens,” this is a fantastically interesting podcast I used in February to supplement my hero’s journey lessons. Use the monthly show to introduce students to Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey in popular movies, some…

Thanks for reading! And feel free to click on through to the posts above for fresh ideas on how to connect Beowulf to contemporary life. Despite my initial reluctance to teach Beowulf , I have grown to love its monstrous blend of violence, heroism, defeat, and remembrance.

If you have any questions about the posts above, leave a message below or via my Contact page . I’ll be glad to help!

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4 Ways To Engage High School Students When Teaching Beowulf

Over the years, I’ve come to realize just how much I love wonder tales. And, apparently, I’m not alone. Game of Thrones , Outlander , and Bridgerton are just a few of the many famous book series turned television series that are/were wildly popular. So, when it came time to teach a unit on Beowulf to my high school students, I knew this wonder tale of old has power in it, if I could figure out a way to unlock its magic. 

Speaking of tales in an opinion piece for the New York Times , Salman Rushdie writes,

their power endures; and it does so, I believe, because for all their cargo of monsters and magic, these stories are entirely truthful about human nature (even when in the form of anthropomorphic animals). All human life is here, brave and cowardly, honorable and dishonorable, straight-talking and conniving, and the stories ask the greatest and most enduring question of literature: How do ordinary people respond to the arrival in their lives of the extraordinary? And they answer: Sometimes we don’t do so well, but at other times we find resources within ourselves we did not know we possessed, and so we rise to the challenge, we overcome the monster, Beowulf kills Grendel and Grendel’s more fearsome mother as well, Red Riding Hood kills the wolf, or Beauty finds the love within the beast and then he is beastly no more. And that is ordinary magic, human magic, the true wonder of the wonder tale.

There we have it! As you can see, the power of Beowulf , like many other wonder tales, endures because these stories reveal and reflect human nature. To make a unit on Beowulf truly meaningful, we must reveal the human elements in the text that answer how ordinary people deal with the extraordinary.

Therefore, in this post, I’m sharing four ways to reveal these human elements and engage your high school students when reading Beowulf . 

1. Make Connections to Modern-Day

In this great epic poem, Beowulf solves a challenging conflict, stands up to a jealous peer, fights off several fiendish foes, and accepts his own mortality to name a few. Written as such (without the “monsters and magic”), all of these situations present the reader with real-world situations. Though they likely won’t be battling with swords and knives, high school students absolutely deal with these types of broad-life challenges.

My favorite way to reveal these connections is through a reader response lens. A reader response lens encourages students to connect personally to their reading. We can help by prompting them with questions about these situations. Specifically, topics like leadership, problem management, and heroism work well for these connections. I personally like crafting reader response prompts that students can answer as journals or in discussion groups:

• For journals, give students the prompt and have them answer individually. Then, discuss it as a group. These prompts work well given throughout the unit as bell ringers or exit tickets.
• For discussion groups, I give students several discussion questions for the group to review together. One way to add an accountability piece is to ask students to record an insight from their discussion.  

You could also pair these discussion topics with articles on the topic of leadership. This article looks at Beowulf using the Conger-Kanungo model of charismatic leadership, and this article loosely connects Beowulf to Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . These articles make for great close reading practice and discussion starters. 

2. Study Archetypes 

Another valuable lesson is making connections between character tropes in Beowulf and modern-day film and television. There are some obvious pairings, like Beowulf and Game of Thrones, that you might offer to start. Jon Snow as Beowulf; the Night King as Grendel. In addition, this is a great activity to ask students to create their own comparisons. The key is asking them to provide rationale in their comparisons.

This is a great introduction to archetypes, a universal or typical pattern found in works across time and culture. The hero and villain archetypes are two of the obvious ones. What other archetypes can students come up with?

3. Create an Epitaph

Beowulf the story and Beowulf the character have enduring legacies. One way that you can connect the power of this legacy to the plot is by asking students to create an epitaph to honor Beowulf’s life. 

I always start by showing students some examples first. Here’s my example:

A man who slew his demons without his faithful sword

And faced the mighty dragon even when he roared

He was a hero for all ages and his men all know it’s true

As he is laid to rest in a crown of virtue 

This is a great culminating activity because students can then share their epitaphs in a gallery walk or digitally in a Padlet . I love using Padlet for sharing because students can post anonymously and vote on their favorites! It makes the activity into a low-stakes, fun competition. 

4. Deconstruct the Demon

In literary terms, deconstruct means to take apart a text to its basic elements in order to expose alternative interpretations, contradictions, and otherwise reconstruct the meaning with a new lens. This task requires higher-order thinking skills to reimagine elements and reinterpret in new ways. Thankfully, with Beowulf, we have a spin-off novel, Grendel by John Gardner that establishes a new lens for analysis.

This novel retells the beginning of the epic poem to Grendel’s death from the perspective of Grendel, the monster. Grendel’s voice in this work is unique, introspective, self-loathing, and complex. In other words, nothing that you would expect from Grendel after having read Beowulf . This novel asks the question: what makes someone a monster? This is the question I like to pose at the beginning of this lesson. 

Because Grendel is portrayed as an outcast, students are able to identify motives and maybe even some blame for Grendel’s behaviors. This is when we complete our Monster Behind the Mask activity where students reimagine a scene from Beowulf from Grendel’s perspective. This is a great creative writing activity because they have to establish voice through tone. After students share their writing, we read several passages from the Grendel text, and it’s always interesting to see how the characterizations show a new interpretation for the text.

Here are some other interesting retellings of Beowulf that you may want to share with your students: 

• The novel Grendel inspired an opera about the same topic. There is a great overview from NPR that you share with your students here (8-minute listen).
• Beowulf was turned into a kid-friendly animation by a BYU animation student. Check out an overview here .  
• The article, “ Bro, This Is Not the Beowulf You Know ,” is an article that reviews the highly regarded new adaptation of Beowulf by Maria Dahvana Headley.

Putting It All Together

If you like these ideas (and you want to save a lot of time creating the activities to go along with this unit), check out my complete unit for Beowulf . It includes the activities described here, plus a teacher’s guide and assessments. 

Sources and further reading:

NPR article and podcast click on Grendel Opera

Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership

Bro, This Is Not the Beowulf You Know

Leadership Lessons from Beowulf

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Reader Interactions

March 23, 2023 at 12:32 pm

Hi, I am starting Beowulf next week with my 9th graders. Can I purchase your unit?

March 29, 2023 at 12:44 pm

Of course! Go to https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beowulf-Workbook-Complete-Literature-Unit-Activities-Unit-Plan-and-Exam-3402655

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Wandering through life one season at a time

FREE Beowulf Resources and Study Guides

April 24, 2014 By: amyswandering comment

Can you tell we are tackling Beowulf next week? I am amazed at the number of quality resources available for free! This list includes research pages, writing assignments, history lessons, and literature guides.

Updated 08/12/22

Beowulf Resources

Beowulf: Still a Hero

An Introduction to Beowulf

The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf

Audio – Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall

The Making of Monsters

Reading Literature in Translation: Beowulf as a Case Study

Beowulf in Hypertext

Beowulf on Steorarume

Beowulf: A Research Guide

Beowulf Quizlet Flashcards

Electronic Beowulf

Beowulf for Kids

Beowulf Literature Guides

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How to Teach Beowulf

• by Alana Domingo

Often cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature, Beowulf is a great way to introduce students to epic poetry. There are many translations of Beowulf to choose from, including our Literary Touchstone Classics edition. Prose translations may work best if you have limited time, but more advanced high school students can study poetic translations, which will better demonstrate the meter of the original piece.

The original Beowulf manuscript is estimated to have been written between 975 and 1025 CE. Before starting Beowulf , you can show students how the English language has changed over the centuries by reading passages from Old, Middle, and early Modern English. In addition, a lesson on Germanic and Scandinavian history, Scandinavian legends, and Christian elements in Beowulf will help students contextualize the poem.

Your class can also discuss the definition of a hero or good leader versus that of a monster. They can relate these qualities to contemporary heroes, leaders, and “monsters.” This discussion will show students that, even though the culture in Beowulf seems far removed from modern times, the poem explores universal themes that are still relevant today.

Keep reading to learn more about this legendary story!

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Summary of Beowulf

• Publication Date: 2005 ( Literary Touchstone Classics edition)
• Length: 112 pages ( Literary Touchstone Classics edition)
• Recommended Grade Band: 11-12

Beowulf, a heroic warrior of the Geats, helps the Danish king Hrothgar, whose great hall is frequently attacked by a monster called Grendel. Beowulf slays Grendel with his bare hands, but the following night, Grendel’s mother seeks revenge. Hrothgar, Beowulf, and their men track Grendel’s mother to a pond, and Beowulf dives into the underwater lair and kills Grendel’s mother with a sword. The hero returns home and becomes king of the Geats.

Fifty years later, a dragon terrorizes the Geats. Beowulf tells his warriors that he must fight the beast alone. He defeats the monster but is mortally wounded in the process. The Geats hold a funeral and mourn him.

Content Warning: Beowulf contains violence.

What Your Students Will Love About Beowulf

• The adventure of Beowulf slaying monsters
• Exploring the elements of Germanic culture, Christianity, and Scandinavian legend

Potential Student Struggles With Beowulf

• Instances of plot digression highlighting other legendary figures
• The use of kennings to describe people, places, and things

Learning Objectives for Beowulf

• Recognize the elements of an epic poem in Beowulf .
• Identify characteristics of Germanic culture as depicted in Beowulf , including the commonality of feuds, the importance of weapons, and the attitudes toward life, death, and material possessions.
• Discuss the relevance of women’s roles in Germanic culture.
• Clarify the relevance of the anecdotes that interrupt the main story.
• Explain the Germanic heroic code and how its values differ between warrior and king.
• Identify the key characteristics that make Beowulf an epic hero.

Literary Elements in Beowulf

• Alliteration
• Deus Ex Machina
• Foreshadowing

Major Themes in Beowulf

Good vs. Evil — Beowulf features a battle between a courageous, loyal warrior and evil monsters that threaten the humans.

Related Works:

• Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens
• Dracula , by Bram Stoker
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , by Robert Louis Stevenson

Family and Community — In Beowulf , ancestry and tribal relations determine people’s identities; those without tribes are seen as incomplete.

• The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , by Junot Díaz
• Things Fall Apart , by Chinua Achebe
• Black Boy , by Richard Wright

Altruism vs. Egotism — Warriors and kings share values of loyalty, courage, and selflessness. However, a good king has a greater duty to his people, while warriors pursue personal glory.

• Mythology , by Edith Hamilton
• The Iliad , by Homer
• The Once and Future King , by T. H. White

Other Resources for Beowulf

• A number of films are based loosely on Beowulf . Perhaps the best-known film is the 2007 adaptation starring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, and Angelina Jolie. However, this movie deviates significantly from the original epic poem. ( Watch trailer )
• The History Behind Beowulf
• Listen: Opening Lines of Beowulf In Old English
• Beowulf : Creative Assignments
• Beowulf at the Ancient History Encyclopedia

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How to Make Beowulf Relevant and Meaningful for your Students

• Instructional and Assessment Strategies , Reading Instruction

My first year of teaching, I was given several sections of senior English and told that I had to teach B eowulf . Since senior English is a graduation requirement in my state, this was a daunting task.

As a new teacher, I had no idea how to make such a long, dense, and old text relevant for my students. In fact, I was so discouraged, I really railed against the text to anyone who would listen.

Ultimately, it took me a long time to figure out how to engage students in Beowulf , which is why I want to share these strategies with you. These are tried and true activities, lessons, and ideas to engage students in the study of Beowulf .

This post this post may contain affiliate links .  Please read the  Terms of Use .

Building Anticipation for Beowulf

My students love to talk, and they have opinions about everything big and small! For this reason, I love using anticipation guides! With anticipation guides, students have a chance to sink their teeth into some great topics while building interest and buy-in.

For Beowulf , I use this free anticipation guide . Ideally, I give students 3-5 minutes to record their initial reactions to each statement. Then, students find a partner and spend 1-2 minutes reflecting on the first statement. After 1-2 minutes, they rotate to a second partner to discuss the second statement and so on.

This has proven to be an engaging strategy for students because they get to share their opinions. It’s also a beneficial strategy because students have the chance to hear other people’s perspectives. Chatting with a constant string of new classmates also encourages students to get to know one another, building classroom community along the way.

Throughout our study of Beowulf , we may revisit the statements on the anticipation guide several times. We consider how our opinions have changed. And we consider how the statements have appeared in the text.

Writing to Understand Beowulf

Making Beowulf relevant is one of the most important parts of engaging students in the text. Because the text is so old, students sometimes struggle to appreciate how the themes continue to resonate. Beowulf’s flaws are not unfamiliar nor are the cultural values the text represents.

Throughout our study of Beowulf , I often use these journals to help students connect with the text. Since I am such a believer in bell ringers , these journals are often part of our entrance routine during our study of Beowulf. To stretch these journals, sometimes we write our journals on one day and share them with elbow partners on the second day. Then, on the third day, we discuss the topic as an entire class or through silent discussion .

As Beowulf progresses, there are lots of opportunities to try creative writing. Here are some fun creative writing opportunities:

• Write Beowulf’s introduction to Hrothgar using contemporary language
• Write and decorate Beowulf’s family or royal crest
• Practice persuasive language with a battle cry
• Mourn Beowulf’s passing with a eulogy

Visualizing as Engagement

Visualization strategies are also a great way to engage students in Beowulf . The descriptions and imagery in the text are strong, so they provide students with opportunities to show off their imaginations!

To help students understand the heroic archetype, I often have students create their own comic strip. In fact, this is the exact assignment sheet and rubric I use for this activity! Just click the link , and you can make a copy to put in your own Google Drive. My students usually have a great time with this activity, and it helps them internalize the traits of the hero’s journey!

Incorporating artwork is another great way to help students visualize the text. I have spoken so many times about how difficult it is to address CCRA.7, especially when you consider that the 9-10 standard specifically calls for different mediums.

To help my students grapple with this standard, I have collected a variety of artistic representations of key scenes from Beowulf . Sometimes I use these visuals throughout our reading of Beowulf , often in the place of bell work. Other times, I use all of them at the end and ask different student groups responsible for different images.

Food Days and Celebration

Hospitality is such an important part of Beowulf , so that’s the perfect excuse to host your own classroom feast! Since eating is such a central part of the Feast of Joy and Hrothgar Honors Beowulf , it’s easy to incorporate a classroom food day!

During your feast, students can celebrate their own achievements. This is the perfect time for students to present their comic strips. As “entertainment,” students could also use this time to make or present their battle cries, family crests, or introductions!

Differentiating Beowulf

More than anything, differentiation is key to engaging all learners in the study of Beowulf . As a new teacher, part of my frustration with Beowulf came from not understanding how to make this text accessible for all learners.

Over the years, I’ve tried so many different versions of Beowulf . I’ve tried the Gummere, the Heaney, and the Raffel. Each had its strengths, but none quite matched what I wanted or my students needed.

Now, after nearly ten years, I’ve settled on three differentiated versions of the text.

• First, I’ve heavily abridged and modified Northland Heroes (1909) by Florence Holbrook. In this version, most of the episodes are condensed to 1-3 pages, and everything is in prose. This is the perfect version for students new to English, for students who need a modification, and/or for students who are not reading at grade level. Grab it here !
• Second, for students who are ready for a more intermediate text, I’ve adapted Hero-Myths and Legends (1910) by M.I. Ebbutt. This one is not as heavily modified or abridged, and it moves back and forth between verse and prose. This is the ideal version for students who are more confident and capable readers but who are not ready for (or do not have the time for) the most advanced version. Grab it here !
• Finally, for my honors students, I have an advanced version adapted from Chauncey Brewster Tinker’s 1902 translation . While I have done some light modifying of this text, it is the most complex and includes all the digressions. It also provides students with some great opportunities for literary criticism . This may be the best version for students reading Beowulf for college credit and/or as part of advanced coursework. Grab it here .

As a new teacher, I never would have been able to juggle different versions of Beowulf . For this reason, I put together this free unit plan to give you an idea of how I pace this unit. This is the resource I wish someone had given me as a new teacher.

Beowulf Resources

All of my Beowulf resources are packaged together in the Beowulf bundle . To save you some time and money, I’ve packaged together everything you need to teach Beowulf. This includes:

• Unit Planner
• Anticipation Guide
• Visualizing Beowulf
• 10 Beowulf Journals
• Beowulf Family Trees
• Hero and Anti-hero Think Sheet
• Beowulf Background Notes and Stations
• All 16 parts of Beowulf at beginner , intermediate , and advanced levels .

Photos by Steinar Engeland , Lisa Obenauf , Anton Poznyak l Adrian Moran on Unsplash

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