Eleventh-Grade English Literature
British Literature in the Medieval Period

Guerrilla Teaching Topics —11:3 and 11:8

January, 2006
Ms. Dudley (STILL/DUDLEY)

Research outside the text of the Cantery Tales will answer some of the questions raised during our reading about the world Chaucer introduces to us through his motley characters. What human rights lessons can we learn from the period he characterizes for us? Was Chaucer aware that he was chronicling a bickering, infighting collection of people of varying "stations" in a society on the verge of collapse? Why was French the preferred language when Chaucer wrote, and why did he choose to write in English? Was there enmity between the character of the Knight and the Monk, and if so, why would Chaucer show that to us? What else did Chaucer write?

Select your topic. Send me an email (    ilovelit@aol.com   ) in which you indicate your first three research interests from the list above. If you can't email me, give me your preferences in class. I will post the assignments on this page as I receive them.

Research one subject: Select a person, document or event that interests you, or even one that puts you off. You may find useful information on the on-line Norton Anthology of English Literature (NAEL) Web site, on academic Chaucer Web sites, in the library, or in your history books. Prepare a two-page double-spaced information paper, a bibliography, and index cards to be used during your presentation. Your thesis should be clear, and you must limit the breadth of your topic because your lecture should be of five minutes' duration.

Before teaching your subject to our class, you must teach it to someone who is unfamiliar with our studies and/or your research findings. You should use any method of teaching that you believe will most effectively convey your ideas to the class (and to your initial subject) such as group tasks, writing assignments, role playing, or other activities. Write a description of the one-on-one guerrilla teaching activity: did it work? Were you able to explain your topic within the time alloted to your satisfaction? Did you require more time? Were you successful in explaining the topic to your student? Do you believe that you understand the topic you researched better and as a result of your having taught someone else your findings? Do you understand the Canterbury Tales better as a result?

Present your research to the class. Email your information paper, an MLA-style works cited page (in correct format) and the description of your initial guerrilla teaching experience to ilovelit@aol.com.

What is "guerrilla teaching" you may ask? One teacher who uses the technique, Dan Lloyd, says, "I've long been aware that the best way to learn a subject is to teach it to someone else."

Another teacher, who shall remain nameless, believes that voices in the classroom should be diverse, heard often, and assist collaborative learning, which can be genuine learning.