Grade: Senior
Subject: Literature

#2440. The trial of Beowulf

Literature, level: Senior
Posted Sun Nov 25 13:42:57 PST 2001 by Terene Stewart (stterene @hotmail.com).
G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY
Materials Required: Beowulf
Activity Time: 2 class bells or 1 hour
Concepts Taught: Contemporary issues applied to Beowulf

After reading Beowulf through the death of Grendel and his mother and discussing the poem, divide class into judge, jury and argumentative groups: wildlife management spokespeople, manifest destiny advocates,and animal rights experts. After a discussion period of 20 minutes or more, groups will present their case for or against the actions taken by Beowulf on behalf of the king.