Old English Teacher Resources

Just how do you pronounce Ye? Scholars view a short video clip on Old English to better understand how languages evolved over time. They analyze the word Ye and translate it into today's American English. 

Discover the historical roots of modern English with your young learners, and then discover the meaning of many old English sayings. What a great chance to explore the history behind many of the words and phrases we use today!

In this English language worksheet, students examine a passage written in Old English, Middle English, and Modern English to find changes in the language.  Students are then given a list of words to define and examine in order to...

Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...

Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that...

Did you know that in Japan you can drink "Poccari Sweat"? Ever heard of "Intervocalic fricatives become contrastive?" Sure. All this and more in a presentation that traces the history of English before England, in England including Old...

Bone-crusher. Troll-wife. Battle-sweat. Blood-worm. What study of Beowulf would be complete without offering readers of this Old English epic poem an opportunity to craft their own kennings and epithets? Provide individuals with a copy...

The history of the English language is a long and winding road, forsooth. Here’s a short video that traces the truth about the history of the world true, from its Old English origins to modern usages. Consider generating a list of words...

Help your class build an understanding of how words evolve over time with a video on the origins of bewilder. The narrator goes all the way back to Old English to find the beginnings of the word and moves through the centuries,...

Students analyze the text of Beowulf. In this epic poetry lesson, students explore the themes and imagery in the text to evaluate their meaning. Students analyze the Old English language and examine the cultural and historical context of...

Beowulf, the Old English epic hero, comes alive again in the activities found in a teacher's guide designed to accompany a reading of the classic poem.

Cross-comparison, the technique of focusing on two different texts with the same themes, motifs, events, etc., is employed in an exercise that asks groups to examine two different translations of “The Ruin,” a poem, written in Old...

Sometimes a folk tale takes root and, even if it is not true, can determine the development of a word and its associated meanings. Take earwig, for example. An earwig has a false reputation for crawling into your brain, but the name...

Students read information about Anglo-Saxon rulers and literary techniques, then complete a worksheet to help them review. Students take notes about the oral tradition, Anglo-Saxon literary terms, and Anglo-Saxon poetry. Students create...

Do monsters really exist? Find out what your class thinks with these discussion questions prior to reading Beowulf. Incorporate music and a video clip into the anticipatory set to engage your learners. Take a day to search online...

How did modern language evolve over the course of history? Discover the roots of the English language, spoken by over three billion people in the world today, and explore how historical conquests and intercultural exchanges are...

Whether new to teaching Beowulf or an experience pro, you'll find much to like in a richly detailed unit plan that asks readers to consider how the epic represents the difficulty in defining good and evil but also reflects the changing...

High schoolers complete literature analysis activities for Beowulf. They read lines from the poem and complete character analysis activities. In addition, they write and share a boast modeled on the text and then create heroes and...

Here's a handy worksheet applicable to any study of epic heroes, including those in epic poetry. Readers record examples from their text that identify the quest, the tests, helpers and companions, as well as the low point, the...

In this gardening worksheet, students read about the custom of tea drinking and how to brew tea using herbs grown in a container garden. Students answer 2 related questions.

Students study the literature and literary techniques of the early Middle Ages, thus preparing students to read Beowulf with an appreciation for its artistry and beauty. Students solve online riddles, write riddles and study Anglo-Saxon...

Students review a list of slang used by pirates and then compile a list of slang that they use in their everyday language. They discuss which examples of slang should be included in the dictionary and in which contexts slang is appropriate.

A 12-minute audiobook features the Brother Grimms version of the fairy tale, "The Princess and the Frog." Previously transformed into a frog, the prince returns to his human form thanks to a kind, yet reluctant, young princess.

In this Beowulf worksheet, students identify a crime and prepare the prosecuting and defense case to present to the class "jury."  Students must follow court procedure and use court terminology as they present their case.