Modern Canterbury Tales: Movie Producer Project
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Modern Canterbury Tales: Movie Producer Project

Grade 12English4 days
In the "Modern Canterbury Tales: Movie Producer Project," 12th-grade English students are tasked with modernizing a classic tale from 'The Canterbury Tales' into a movie adaptation that resonates with contemporary audiences. Through various portfolio activities, students analyze historical themes, connect them to modern societal issues, and then develop a narrative and script for their modern adaptation. They hone their skills in narrative writing, presentation, and creative adaptation, culminating in a pitch presentation showcasing their movie concept complete with multimedia support.
ModernizationCanterbury TalesMovie AdaptationNarrative WritingPresentation SkillsSocietal Issues
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we modernize a classic tale from 'The Canterbury Tales' into a movie adaptation that resonates with today's society, while effectively preserving its core themes and messages?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What are the core themes of 'The Canterbury Tales,' and how do they relate to today's society?
  • How does updating a classic work to a modern setting impact the portrayal and reception of its stories?
  • What elements are necessary to consider when creating a movie adaptation, such as setting, characters, and music?
  • How can the messages in 'The Canterbury Tales' be made relevant to contemporary audiences?
  • What creative techniques can be employed to transform a literary work into a visual and auditory medium?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will analyze the themes and messages from 'The Canterbury Tales' and relate them to contemporary societal issues.
  • Students will develop narrative writing skills by creating a modern movie adaptation proposal.
  • Students will refine their presentation skills by pitching their adaptation idea in front of an audience.
  • Students will explore the process of adapting written narratives into visual and auditory mediums through creating movie pitches.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3
Primary
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.Reason: Students will need to create a movie pitch based on a narrative from 'The Canterbury Tales,' requiring narrative writing skills.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
Primary
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account.Reason: Students must understand the themes of 'The Canterbury Tales' to modernize them effectively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4
Primary
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.Reason: Students are required to pitch their movie adaptation, demonstrating presentation skills.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Lost in Time: The Modern reboot

Students are invited to a virtual reality experience where they enter a medieval market setting. Suddenly, the scene transforms into a modern cityscape, prompting them to consider how ancient tales would unfold in today's world.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Tale Untangle: Theme and Relevance Workshop

In this initial activity, students will dive into 'The Canterbury Tales' to extract core themes and messages. They will brainstorm on how these themes can be adapted to align with today's societal issues.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select a tale from 'The Canterbury Tales' to focus on.
2. Read and summarize the tale, noting key themes and messages.
3. Research current societal issues and trends that relate to the tale’s themes.
4. Create a mind map linking the tale's themes with modern societal themes.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA comprehensive mind map that links themes from the selected tale to contemporary societal issues.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2 by requiring students to determine and relate the themes of the text to modern themes.
Activity 2

Script Crafter: Modern Narrative Development

Students will rewrite their selected tale into a modern narrative, developing a script that incorporates a contemporary setting while maintaining the original themes and messages.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Outline the modern setting and characters for your chosen tale.
2. Draft a narrative arc that includes key plot points adapted to a modern context.
3. Write a script for a scene or segment of the movie adaptation, including dialogue and stage directions.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA completed script scene that modernizes the original tale's narrative.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3 as students write narratives developing real or imagined experiences with effective technique and detail.
Activity 3

Pitch Perfect: Presentation Design

In this activity, students will develop a presentation to pitch their movie adaptation. The focus will be on conveying the adaptation's vision, narrative, and relevance effectively.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Design a multimedia presentation that outlines your movie's narrative, setting, and character adaptations.
2. Include visual aids such as concept art or mood boards to illustrate the modern setting.
3. Prepare a draft speech that introduces the project, highlights key themes, and discusses societal relevance.
4. Practice delivery, focusing on clarity, engagement, and addressing potential questions or opposing perspectives.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA polished multimedia presentation ready to pitch to an audience.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsFulfills CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4 by requiring students to present information, findings, and evidence clearly and engagingly.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Canterbury Tales Modernization Rubric

Category 1

Theme Analysis and Relevance

Evaluation of students' ability to identify and connect core themes of 'The Canterbury Tales' with modern societal issues.
Criterion 1

Theme Identification and Summary

Ability to identify and summarize key themes from 'The Canterbury Tales' accurately.

Exemplary
4 Points

Identifies and summarizes themes with precision, demonstrating sophisticated understanding and insightful analysis of the text.

Proficient
3 Points

Identifies and summarizes themes accurately, showing a thorough understanding of the text.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some themes but provides incomplete or unclear summaries, indicating a basic understanding.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to identify themes or provide accurate summaries, demonstrating limited understanding.

Criterion 2

Connection to Modern Issues

Effectiveness in linking themes from the selected tale to contemporary societal issues.

Exemplary
4 Points

Makes insightful connections between themes and modern issues, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of relevance.

Proficient
3 Points

Makes clear connections between themes and modern issues, showing a solid understanding of relevance.

Developing
2 Points

Makes limited connections, with some relevance to modern issues, indicating partial understanding.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to make relevant connections between themes and modern issues.

Category 2

Narrative Development

Assessment of students' skills in transforming a classic tale into a modern narrative through scriptwriting, focusing on adaptation techniques and creativity.
Criterion 1

Modern Setting and Characters

Ability to creatively adapt setting and characters to a modern context while maintaining original themes.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates exceptional creativity in modernizing settings and characters, maintaining theme integrity.

Proficient
3 Points

Successfully adapts settings and characters with creativity, maintaining original themes.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to adapt settings and characters but lacks creativity or thematic consistency.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to adapt settings and characters to a modern context, with minimal theme retention.

Criterion 2

Script Writing

Quality of narrative arc and scriptwriting, including dialogue and use of literary techniques.

Exemplary
4 Points

Writes an engaging, well-structured script with sophisticated dialogue and effective narrative techniques.

Proficient
3 Points

Writes a coherent and structured script with clear dialogue and appropriate narrative techniques.

Developing
2 Points

Writes a script with basic structure and dialogue, lacking in some narrative clarity or technique consistency.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles with scriptwriting, lacking coherent structure or effective dialogue.

Category 3

Presentation Skills

Evaluation of students' ability to effectively present their movie adaptation through multimedia, focusing on clarity, engagement, and relevance.
Criterion 1

Presentation Clarity and Engagement

Clarity and engagement level of the multimedia presentation, including the use of visual aids.

Exemplary
4 Points

Delivers a clear, highly engaging presentation with outstanding use of visual aids.

Proficient
3 Points

Delivers a clear and engaging presentation with effective use of visual aids.

Developing
2 Points

Delivers a presentation that lacks clarity or engagement, with limited use of visual aids.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles with clarity and engagement in presentation, with inadequate visual aids.

Criterion 2

Integration of Societal Relevance

Ability to integrate societal relevance effectively into the presentation and address opposing perspectives.

Exemplary
4 Points

Integrates societal relevance seamlessly, addressing opposing perspectives with sophistication.

Proficient
3 Points

Effectively integrates societal relevance, addressing some opposing perspectives.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to integrate societal relevance but lacks depth or consideration of opposing perspectives.

Beginning
1 Points

Minimal integration of societal relevance with little attention to opposing perspectives.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on how the process of modernizing a tale from 'The Canterbury Tales' helped you understand its core themes and their relevance to today's society.

Text
Required
Question 2

How confident do you feel in your ability to analyze classic literature and adapt it to modern contexts after completing this project?

Scale
Required
Question 3

What was the most challenging aspect of creating a movie pitch for a modern adaptation of a classic tale, and how did you overcome it?

Text
Optional
Question 4

Which of the following skills do you feel you improved most during this project?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Narrative Writing
Theme Analysis
Presentation Skills
Research Skills