Lesson Plan 1 – Identity

Lesson Overview: The Squire’s Identity

Students will analyze the Squire’s identity through his description in the General Prologue, his own tale, and through Taylor Craig’s analysis.

Time: One, one hour and fifty minute class period

Materials:

“Squire’s Tale” and “General Prologue” from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

Modern English translation of the “Squire’s Tale” and “General Prologue”

Copies of Taylor Craig’s analysis on the “Squire’s Tale” from Craig Taylor, “The Squire,” in Historians on Chaucer: The ‘General Prologue’ to the Canterbury Tales, edited by Alastair Minnis and Stephen Rigby (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015).

*The students will have already read and annotated the “Squire’s Tale” and “General Prologue” beforehand*

Have the students bring in their own annotated copies of the “Squire’s Tale” and “General Prologue.”
Split the students into small discussion groups to talk about their opinions or ideas of who the Squire was solely based off of the prologue. Ask them to support their thoughts with evidence from the text.
After they finish discussing, pass out Taylor Craig’s analysis for the whole class to read and annotate.
Have students form a large circle for a whole class discussion. Ask them how if their perception of the Squire changed after reading Craig’s analysis. How did Craig’s analysis expand their understanding or perception of the Squire? Did they agree with what Craig argued about? While they are discussing, remind them to support their claims with quotes from the texts.

Assessment:

In a short one page response, tell the students to reflect on the class discussion by writing down their initial thoughts of the Squire. Then, have them write down how they felt about him after reading Craig’s analysis. Encourage them to discuss in their writing whether their opinions changed, what made them change, or why their opinions remained the same.