Beowulf Activity
Step One
Lead a discussion with the class to determine what makes Beowulf a hero. Ask students to refer to the text and
name the specific activity that identifies Beowulf as a hero, such as “fought Grendel with no weapons.” As
students give responses, list them on the board. After the list is generated, ask students to generalize from the
specific details, the heroic traits that the list suggests. Typical responses are strength, wisdom, physical
appearance, speaking ability, loyalty, occupation, bravery. Record these traits on the board.
Step Two
Transfer the traits to the left vertical column of a piece of bulletin board paper that has been formatted as a
chart and taped or fastened to one wall in the room. Next, ask students to name some contemporary fictional
heroes (limit to five or six heroes). Popular names that typically come up are Batman, Superman, Indiana
Jones, James Bond, Rambo. Write these names, along with Beowulf’s, across the top of the bulletin board
paper. With the class, complete the columns for Beowulf; for example, beside the trait strength, the class would
record “has the strength of 30 men.”
Step Three
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a hero from the chart. Instruct each group to discuss
its assigned hero in terms of the traits listed on the chart, such as bravery, wisdom, loyalty, etc. The objective is
to give specific examples to illustrate the particular trait for the hero. As soon as the group has completed its
discussion, someone from the group should complete the columns on the chart for the group’s hero by filling in
the specific example under the appropriate column. After the chart is completed for all the heroes, one member
from each group will discuss the assigned hero, and then the teacher should lead the class in a discussion that
draws the conclusion that heroes across the ages share basically the same traits. These activities should be
accomplished in one class period.
Step Four
Students will spend the next two class periods completing the project. This project asks students to select 1015 heroes from various areas, explain in specific terms why each one is a hero, and organize the information in
the format of a booklet.