1. Introducing the Poem Literary Focus: The Romance Reading Focus: Understanding Cause and Effect Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer Feature Menu Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

2. What moves a hero to act?

3. Click on the title to start the video. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Introducing the Poem

4. Would you take a dare that might cost you your life?

5. Sir Gawain did. Of course, as a knight of Arthur’s Round Table, he was expected to be brave. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Introducing the Poem The code of chivalry also bound him to remain loyal to his lord protect the oppressed treat women with courtesy [End of Section]

6. Many stories about Gawain and King Arthur’s other knights are about seeking justice and helping those in need. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance Chrétien de Troyes, a French court poet, made stories about knights’ adventures popular between 1160 and 1190.

7. These stories are called Arthurian romances. However, they’re not usually love stories. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance The hero typically undertakes a quest in the service of a lady or a high ideal faces a series of tests meets dragons or supernatural beings

8. Many medieval romances are about Camelot and King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table.CamelotRound Table Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance Romance describes any story that presents a happier, more perfect, or more heroic world. Can you think of any contemporary story or movie that fits most of the criteria for a medieval romance?

9. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance Camelot—the town from which the legendary King Arthur ruled England. Camelot was a perfect world inhabited by imperfect people. Arthur’s kingdom fell, but the idea of chivalry lived on.

10. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance The Round Table—had no head or foot, symbolizing the equality among those who were seated there.

11. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight One of the most famous Arthurian romances Anonymous tale, probably written around 1375 Ideals of knightly conduct were already beginning to fade Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance

12. What element of the romantic tradition is represented by the Green Knight? As the poem opens, King Arthur and his court are celebrating Christmas. Suddenly, an enormous green stranger carrying an ax rides into the hall. He challenges any knight to hit him with the ax. Sir Gawain accepts the challenge and beheads the challenger. However, the Green Knight calmly picks up his own head, repeats his challenge, and gallops off with his head in his hand. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Literary Focus: The Romance the presence of a supernatural being [End of Section]

13. washing hands with soap A cause is anything that makes something happen. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Reading Focus: Understanding Cause and Effect An effect is the result of that cause. removes germs Recognizing causes and effects will help you understand the relationship between events in a narrative. Gawain makes promise meets Green Knight

14. [End of Section] Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Reading Focus: Understanding Cause and Effect Into Action: As you read, use a diagram like the one below to record a cause for each of the important events of the selection. Be sure not to create incorrect relationships or logical fallacies.logical fallacies

15. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Reading Focus: Understanding Cause and Effect A logical fallacy is a mistake in reasoning. For example, sometimes one action follows another but is not caused by it. Labeling such events “cause and effect” is a logical fallacy. First action:Roosters crow. Next action: Sun rises. Causal fallacy: Roosters’ crowing makes the sun rise.

16. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer [End of Section] Find It in Your Reading Writers often use imagery to share their ideas with readers. A writer might present a visual picture of a dream, for example, to share a character’s innermost feelings in a dramatic way.imagery As you read, note passages in the selection in which imagery helps you understand and “experience” the romance hero’s challenges.

17. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer Imagery is language that appeals to the senses: sight sound smell touch taste Sensory details help readers picture what they’re reading about.

18. Vocabulary

19. whetting v. used as adj.: sharpening a blade on a stone made for the purpose. daunted v. used as adj.: made to lose courage. shied v.: shrank or flinched away. efficacious adj.: effective or useful. covetousness n.: desire for what belongs to others. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

20. The word whetting comes from an Old English word that means “sharp.” Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary The chef used the tool’s whetting edge to sharpen his favorite knife.

21. Whetting can also have a figurative sense. What is being sharpened in the sentence below? The smell of hot soup acted like a whetting stone on the sick toddler’s appetite. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

22. A whetting noise could be described as a.grinding b.pounding c.sighing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

23. A whetting noise could be described as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary a.grinding b.pounding c.sighing

24. Later it came to refer to people who were made to feel discouraged. The word daunted comes from an Old French word that means “to tame” a horse. The competition was fierce, but Sean refused to be daunted. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

25. Synonyms for daunted include cowed intimidated scared When you feel daunted, what are some ways to recover your courage? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

26. Which of these words means the opposite of daunted? a.fearful b.noble c.unafraid Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

27. Which of these words means the opposite of daunted? a.fearful b.noble c.unafraid Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

28. The nervous colt shied away from the snowflakes. The word shied comes from an Old English word that means “to avoid.” Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

29. Which person has shied away from a stranger? People also flinch or shy away from things that make them nervous. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

30. The phrase closest in meaning to shied is a.went forward b.moved on c.turned away Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

31. The phrase closest in meaning to shied is a.went forward b.moved on c.turned away

32. Something that is efficacious has the power to produce the desired effect. “There are so many headache medicines. Which is most efficacious?” asked Chris. Antonyms include ineffective useless Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

33. Which method of study is more likely to be efficacious—cramming all night before the test, or short, regular reviews? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

34. Which word means almost the same thing as efficacious? a.effective b.effervescent c.efficient Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

35. a.effective b.effervescent c.efficient Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary Which word means almost the same thing as efficacious?

36. The person or object that is coveted belongs to someone else. The word covetousness comes from an Old French word that means “long for,” but covetousness is more than simple desire. Covetousness suggests the desire to take what does not belong to you. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

37. Why might Gawain feel that covetousness is unworthy of a true knight? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

38. Which word is most nearly the opposite of covetousness? a.bravery b.generosity c.patience Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary

39. a.bravery b.generosity c.patience Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Vocabulary Which word is most nearly the opposite of covetousness? [End of Section]

40. The End

41. QuickWrite

42. Many heroes are tempted on their journeys. For example, Gawain is tempted to steal from his host. In a notebook, write about why you think people may be tempted to steal. [End of Section] Sir Gawain and the Green Knight QuickWrite

43. Build Background

44. Gawain has come upon a mysterious castle, where for three days he is tempted by the absent lord’s wife. On the last day he accepts more than just her kisses and takes a magical green sash that she claims will protect him from harm. Gawain leaves the castle with the green sash wrapped around his armor, intent on finding the Green Chapel and the dreaded Green Knight. He is certain he is headed for his death. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Build Background [End of Section]

45. Read with a Purpose

46. Read this selection from an Arthurian romance to find out if Gawain keeps his promises. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight [End of Section]