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ISBN 978-0-7636-1578-9
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A Xovr AsoU1
RcArcvs' THcA1cv
1hc author structurcd CaaJ M.s.cs' 5a.. I.J|.s' in thc lorm
ol monologucs and dialogucs in part bccausc thc, allow cvcr,
studcnt an opportunit, to bc thc star. ^lthough costumcs
and scts can cnhancc a pcrlormancc, thc, arc ccrtainl, not
rcquircd. Sincc thc rcadcr's thcatcr approach is morc parcd
down than a lull production, studcnts must rcl, on thcir
abilit, to communicatc through thcir voiccs, laccs, and bod,
languagc to convc, thc cmotions, attitudcs, and motivcs ol
thc charactcrs. ^s thc tcxt bccomcs intcrnalizcd, thc, bccomc
lrccr in thcir cxprcssion ol thc charactcr thc, arc portra,ing.

Ecrovc CAs1Iic
clorc assigning rolcs, it is a good idca to work through thc
monologucs with thc cntirc class. 1his will hclp cstablish
thc rclationships wovcn
throughout thc book. 1akc
lour monologucs at a timc
and rcad thcm round-robin
st,lc, inviting studcnts
to discuss thc livcs and
lcclings ol cach charactcr.
Ii1vorUc1Ioi

Cuidc ,our studcnts on a livcl, tour ol a

mcdicval villagc through thc magic ol CaaJ
M.s.cs' 5a.. I.J|.s' aura ^m, Schlitz's
ninctccn monologucs and two dialogucs arc
rcmarkabl, adaptablc-whcthcr ,ou usc
thcm ovcr thc coursc ol months ol stud, (as
thc, do in thc ark School, whcrc thc author
is a librarian) or takc a morc abbrcviatcd, but
noncthclcss mcmorablc, tour ol hcr nglish
mcdicval villagc.
Nost ol thc activitics and discussion
qucstions includcd in this guidc wcrc
glcancd lrom intcrvicws with tcachcrs at
thc ark School who havc workcd with
thcsc monologucs lor ,cars (cvcn bclorc
thc, wcrc publishcd) and havc watchcd
hrsthand as studcnts discovcr thc charactcrs
lor thcmsclvcs. \sc this guidc as a dcparturc
point lor ,our own cxploration ol this
rich rcsourcc.

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A Xovr AsoU1
CAs1Iic
Sharcn ula, a ark School tcachcr who has uscd
thc monologucs in hcr curriculum lor twclvc ,cars,
suggcsts lctting studcnts pick thcir own parts, cvcn
il it rcsults in multiplc pcoplc pla,ing thc samc rolc.
Shc hcrscll covcrs an, rolcs not sclcctcd b, thc
studcnts.

CHAvAc1cv AiAixsIs
Cncc cach studcnt has sclcctcd his or hcr rolc, thc rcal
charactcr anal,sis bcgins. ^sk cach studcnt to dcscribc
thc lollowing lor thc monologuc thc, havc sclcctcd:
- Nain idca
- Nood ol thc monologuc
- Charactcr's class or placc in socict,
^cxt, ask thc studcnts to dcscribc thcir charactcr's
pcrsonalit, traits b, sclccting thrcc adjcctivcs and citing
words, phrascs, or rclcrcnccs lrom thc monologuc that
support thcir choiccs.
^ow broadcn thc anal,sis b, asking thcm to notc hvc
things thc, havc lcarncd about thc Niddlc ^gcs through
this monologuc.
ast, ask thcm to sclcct a lavoritc quotc lrom thc
monologuc and cxplain wh, thc, chosc that particular
quotc.
Cncc thc basics arc cstablishcd, ask thc studcnts to dig
a littlc dccpcr and usc thcir imagination b, asking thc
lollowing qucstions lrom thcir charactcr's vicwpoint:
- \hcrc arc ,ou:
- \hat just happcncd:
- \hat arc ,ou doing:
or cxamplc, pcrhaps [ack's cggs wcrc just smashcd, and
hc's actuall, talking to thc animals in his monologuc.
1his providcs an cmotional contcxt lor his piccc.
^sk studcnts to rcwritc a scction ol thcir monologuc
in toda,'s languagc to hclp thcm think criticall, about
what is bcing said and what thc subtcxt ol thc monologuc
might bc-what lcclings or lacts might bc hintcd at
but not dircctl, cxprcsscd. You might suggcst that thc,
choosc thc lincs that sccm most dilhcult to thcm.
1hrough carclul rcading ol thc monologucs, studcnts
can lcarn a grcat dcal about mcdicval socict,. ^sk cach
studcnt to list lour topics rclatcd to thcir individual
charactcr. Cilcs, lor cxamplc, illustratcs attitudcs about
bcgging, rcligion, ph,sical disabilitics, and lamil,
rclationships.

Ac1IvI1Ics
CaaJ M.s.cs' 5a.. I.J|.s' providcs a
launching point lor lcarning morc about
thc Niddlc ^gcs. Scvcral rcscarch projccts
at thc ark School havc provcd cspcciall,
cllcctivc in hclping studcnts walk in
mcdicval shocs-that is, il thcir charactcr
cvcn had shocs.

CvcA1Iic A Cos1UMc
^sk cach studcnt to writc down thcir charactcr's
namc and class in socict,, thcn notc six to
cight costumc clcmcnts or props that would
bc appropriatc lor that charactcr. or cxamplc,
what would dgar, thc lalconcr's son, nccd so
that a hawk could pcrch on his wrist: Kcmind
thc studcnts to look at rclatcd monologucs
lor
clucs, such as thc dcscription b, arbar,, thc mud
slingcr, ol thc hnc bluc drcss worn b, sobcl, thc
lord's daughtcr. ids should bc askcd to rcscarch
and dcsign thcir own costumcs. 1hc complctcd
costumcs should bc as authcntic-looking as
possiblc-thc, didn't havc sncakcrs in thc
Niddlc ^gcs!

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A CHAvAc1cv's LIrc
\hat was it likc to bc a child in thc Niddlc ^gcs: \ith thcir charactcr
in mind, ask studcnts to rcscarch and answcr thc lollowing qucstions:
- \hcrc was that pcrson's placc in thc lcudal s,stcm:
- \hat was his or hcr cconomic status:
- \hcrc did thc charactcr livc, and wh,:
- \hat was his or hcr clothing likc:
- \hat did thc parcnts do, and what docs this mcan lor thc charactcr:
- \hat was that charactcr's contcxt: \hat was happcning in thc world:
- \hat was a t,pical da, likc lor this pcrson:

mAkIic A moioiocUc mUscUM

\sing thc rclatcd topics cxplorcd undcr Charactcr ^nal,sis, ask cach studcnt to build a
diorama-likc displa, illustrating somc aspcct ol his or hcr charactcr's lilc in thc villagc. or
cach rclatcd topic, studcnts should thcn hnd lour or hvc picccs ol inlormation to usc in writing
scvcral solid paragraphs. 1his activit, illustratcs an anglc ol scholarship that scrvcs as an
cllcctivc altcrnativc to thc traditional rcscarch papcr. 1hc projcct also allows studcnts who
cxprcss thcmsclvcs bcst through art to shinc as thc, implcmcnt thcir rcscarch. \sing matcrials
natural to thc timc is an important part ol thc projcct.
^n activit, such as this ma, rcquirc rcsourccs bc,ond thosc ol ,our school librar,. Considcr
partncring with a local collcgc or univcrsit, lor a loan ol appropriatc rcsourccs to bc borrowcd
lor thc span ol thc projcct.

Ivcsci1Iic 1Hc moioiocUcs

1hc studcnts havc bccomc thcir charactcrs, thcir costumcs arc rcad,, and thc monologuc muscum
is complctc. t's timc to throw a part,! 1cachcrs at thc ark School havc studcnts prcscnt thcir
monologucs as part ol a parcnt potluck dinncr, so that parcnts can scc thc rcsult ol thcir childrcn's
hard work whilc also gctting a scnsc ol what thc, havc bccn lcarning. nvitc thc communit,
(and cvcn local mcdia il ,ou likc) to comc to ,our school and witncss thc Niddlc ^gcs lor
thcmsclvcs. c surc to capturc cach studcnt on hlm, and usc thc photographs to crcatc cithcr a
scrapbook or a wcbsitc.

Ecxoir Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

^ow that ,our studcnts havc gaincd an undcrstanding ol an individual mcdicval charactcr,
donc somc rcscarch, and prcscntcd a dramatic monologuc, invitc thcm to branch out to
cxplorc morc ol thc mcdicval world. Sharcn ula asks hcr studcnts to sclcct a mcdicval
building lrom an,whcrc in thc world and crcatc a convcrsational travcl guidc lrom thc
mcdicval pcrspcctivc. ^s part ol thc projcct, studcnts imaginc somconc who might havc livcd
in that building, thcn writc an original monologuc lor that charactcr bascd on thcir rcscarch.
Studcnts ma, cvcn bc askcd to rc-crcatc thcir structurc in miniaturc, obtaining a bcttcr
undcrstand ol math and architccturc in thc proccss.

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ArrI1IoiAi DIscUssIoi _Ucs1Iois
- 1hink about thc incquitics ol mcdicval socict,. \illcins and womcn wcrc trcatcd as propcrt,. \hich pcoplc portra,cd in thc
monologucs havc thc bcst livcs and thc most lrccdom: \ho sccms thc most hopclcss: \h,: \ho in toda,'s world might bc living
livcs similar to thosc ol thc charactcrs in thc book:
- llncss and dcath wcrc alwa,s closc at hand in mcdicval lilc, as sccn in somc ol thc picccs in thc book. \ho in thc book has
cxpcricnccd loss: ow docs thc dcath ol a lamil, mcmbcr allcct thosc still alivc:
- aura ^m, Schlitz providcs lootnotcs throughout thc book that shcd light on thc charactcrs' livcs and circumstanccs.
\hich lootnotcs did ,ou hnd most intcrcsting, and wh,:
- id ,ou noticc that thcrc is no mcntion ol school in thc book: \hat kind ol cducation did childrcn rcccivc in mcdicval timcs:
ow did cducation dillcr according to class and gcndcr:
FUv1Hcv RcArIic
cnrictta ranlord, I|c.. .J. .aJ aa..
Ccollrc, dc ancc, Ia|g/. A ^a|/. Ca|J. /ac 1aaag 5a|c.s.
Cathcrinc [inks, 1hc agan scrics.
Kichard latt, C.s/. I|.c(.
Narcia \illams, C/.a:.cs C.a.c|ac( 1./.s.
movc TI1ics sx LAUvA AMx ScHiI1z
1/. ..cs/|aa.c (ISBN: 978-0-7636-2730-0)
A Icaaa.J M.|J.as H.|c (HC ISBN: 978-0-7636-2930-4, PB ISBN: 978-0-7636-3812-2)
1/. H.ca 5://|.a.aa (ISBN: 978-0-7636-2283-1)
1o bring author aura ^m, Schlitz into ,our classroom, watch a short vidco at
www.candlcwick.com. (Co to aura's book A Icaaa.J M.|J.as H.|c. thcn click on thc link to watch morc.")
XI1H srccIAi 1HAiks 1o SHAvci IUiA mAviA IoiiAirsov1H Air ]ciiIrcv Lcc
1cachcrs' Cuidc prcparcd b, llcn N,rick, who studicd thc Niddlc ^gcs at thc \nivcrsit, ol Nanchcstcr, in ngland, and
has writtcn tcachcrs' guidcs lor ^vi's Cc|s|a. 1/. Ccass a/ I..J. Cc|s|a . /. IJg. a/ /. \ac/J. and 1/. aa/ \|/aa \acJs.

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