#3230. Survivor Vs. Canterbury Tales

Literature, level: Senior
Posted Sun Oct 10 11:51:22 PDT 2004 by Phyliss Shaw (pshaw530@alltel.net).
Pulaski County High School, Somerset, KY
Materials Required: V.C.R, blank tape, notebook, pen, T.V
Activity Time: 1-50 minute class each week for several weeks
Concepts Taught: Characterization and descriptive writing

Objectives: students will gain a greater understanding of characterization, increase ability to use descriptive phrasing in their writing, relate across cultures, develop collaborative work skills, and publish a compare and contrast essay.

Procedures:
1. Divide the class into tribes. Each tribe should be allowed to dvelop a name and a symbol for themselves. Post the tribes on a jungle themed bulletin board.
2. Explain to the class that one day each week will be Survivor Day. On that day one member from each tribe will take a verbal challenge. The tribe members doing the challenge will rotate each week so each member will have a chance to contribute. The challenge will consist of a verbal question and answer format. The topics of the challenge will relate to material covered in class that week. Each time a member succesfully answers the questions correctly the tribe has earned 10 points. At the end of the semester the points convert into a test grade.
3. During the challenge each member of the tribes will write in their journals. The topic questions will focus upon making predictions about the upcoming video taped Survivor show. As you read the Canterbury Tales questions could begin to make comparisions between the Survivor contestants and Canterbury characters.
4. When all tribes have participated in the Challenge and had sufficent time to respond to the questions allow the class to watch the video taped show" Survivor."( I leave out the commercials and edit some content).
5. Follow up with questions such as," were you suprised by...., How would you have responded when ....happened etc.
6. Allow your tribes to discuss their responses with each other and then the entire class.
7. The culminating activity will take two forms: individual- a compare and contrast essay; collaborative group- the tribes will organize a festival table. They will decide which characters from the Canterbury Tales and Survivor should be seated next to each other and why. Each group will develop a power point presentation to present their table for 24.