The Canterbury Tales Unit Plan - over 300 pages of NO-PREP ready-to-go unit with articles, handouts, worksheets, study guide/comprehension questions, projects, and assessments for grades 11-12! Classroom-Tested with a 4.8/5 Rating! In-depth work on the General Prologue, plus the Knight's Tale, Miller's Tale, Reeve's Tale, Shipman's Tale, Prioress's Tale, Monk's Tale, Nun's Priest's Tale, Pardoner's Tale, Wife of Bath's Tale, Summoner's Tale, Clerk's Tale, Merchant's Tale, Franklin's Tale, Parson's Tale, and Chaucer's Retraction. Please note that this product is a printable PDF and will need modification for use in Google Classroom.
This Literature Guide for The Canterbury Tales includes:
Informational Text Articles and Pre-Reading to engage students and to support and introduce themes and concepts before reading:
✅ Monarchy Scavenger Hunt and activity on Illuminated Texts
✅ Biography on Geoffrey Chaucer, plus corresponding questions
✅ Article and questions on Genre-Poetry, Narrative, and Satire
✅ Article and questions on Unreliable Narrator
✅ Article and questions on Structure of the Narrative-Frames
✅ Informational Text with questions on Middle English and the Great Vowel Shift
✅ Informational Text with questions on Life in the 1300s
✅ Informational Text with questions on Pilgrimages
✅ Informational Text article on Biblical Allusions
✅ Activity on Time and Place
✅ Glossary of Allusions from the General Prologue and selected tales
Part A: General Prologue
✴️ Comprehension/Study Guide Questions
Literary Analysis Activities that support student practice in text analysis and close reading and dig deeper into the text, specifically, activities on:
✴️ Satire
✴️ Characterization
✴️ Similes and Metaphors
✴️ Allusions for the entire General Prologue
✴️ Quiz: Sections One and Two - Introduction through Plowman
✴️ Quiz: Sections Three and Four - Miller through Conclusion
✴️ General Prologue Test
Part B focuses specifically on the following:
- Knight's Tale
- Miller's Tale
- Reeve's Tale
- Shipman's Tale
- Prioress's Tale
- Monk's Tale
- Nun's Priest's Tale
- Pardoner's Tale
- Wife of Bath's Tale
- Summoner's Tale
- Clerk's Tale
- Merchant's Tale
- Franklin's Tale
- Parson's Tale
- Chaucer's Retraction
~~~~~~~~ EACH tale above includes: ~~~~~~~~~~~
✴️ Comprehension Check/Study Guide Questions
✴️ Section Quizzes
✴️ Summary of each Tale
Literary Analysis work that supports student practice in text analysis and close reading and dig deeper into the text. Each tale has a different focus, specifically on:
✴️ Theme
✴️ Tone
✴️ Allusions
✴️ Mood
✴️ Rhyme Scheme and Meter
✴️ Allegory
✴️ Diction
✴️ Irony
Vocabulary and Grammar worksheets that support skills practice. Each tale has a different focus, specifically on:
✴️ Analogies
✴️ Etymology
✴️ Punctuation
✴️ Context Clues
✴️ Clauses
✴️ Appositives
✅ Two Final Exam Versions (one entirely multiple choice)
✅ Notes for teaching The Canterbury Tales
✅ Post-Reading Ideas and Activities and Alternative Assessment Ideas List
✅ Essay/Writing Prompts
✅ Two Project Rubrics
✅ Response to Literature Rubric
✅ Complete Answer Key
Here's what other teachers are saying about this The Canterbury Tales Guide:
❤️️ The Canterbury Tales can be overwhelming to both teach and learn. This guide is so comprehensive and integrative--whether you're reading the whole collection or just a selection of the stories. - Shannon B.
❤️️ When I found out I would have to teach The Canterbury Tales for the first time, I immediately looked to see if this company offered a unit on it. Just as I expected, this unit is amazingly thorough, and it offers way more than I could use. I was able to give the students a thorough background before beginning, and there were resources to use for as many tales as I wished to teach. Thank you for being a dependable resource! This unit was well worth my money, and I will continue to use parts of it in years to come. - Amy B.