Medieval Badges
Title
Medieval Badges
Creator
Kisha G. Tracy, Fitchburg State University
Instructions
Badge (n.) Originally: a heraldic symbol worn as an identifying mark by a knight and his retainers (sometimes more fully badge of arms). -- Oxford English Dictionary
Sign up for a Credly account by clicking here. VERY IMPORTANT: you MUST verify your email address after you create the account in order for you to get credit for your Badges.*
By completing certain criteria, you may earn a variety of different Badges (see below for choices and descriptions of criteria). To earn an A for this portion of your course grade, you must earn at least three Medieval Badges by midterm (related to a minimum of two different units). Any Badges over three earned will count as Extra Credit. These may be earned at any time up until the deadline.
Once you have completed the requirements for a Badge, go to the relevant link below and request your Badge. If all the requirements have been sufficiently met, you will then receive it. If not, you will be asked to revise and request again.
Finally, if a student by far has the most Badges each Badge period, they will earn a prize and Extra Credit!
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO COMPLETE YOUR BADGES! THIS DOES NOT GO WELL FOR YOU (in case you have not met the criteria and have to ask for the Badge again) OR ME (I have to approve at least 84 Badges per half-semester - do not make me do this all in one evening!)
Details to Remember:
Sign up for a Credly account by clicking here. VERY IMPORTANT: you MUST verify your email address after you create the account in order for you to get credit for your Badges.*
By completing certain criteria, you may earn a variety of different Badges (see below for choices and descriptions of criteria). To earn an A for this portion of your course grade, you must earn at least three Medieval Badges by midterm (related to a minimum of two different units). Any Badges over three earned will count as Extra Credit. These may be earned at any time up until the deadline.
Once you have completed the requirements for a Badge, go to the relevant link below and request your Badge. If all the requirements have been sufficiently met, you will then receive it. If not, you will be asked to revise and request again.
Finally, if a student by far has the most Badges each Badge period, they will earn a prize and Extra Credit!
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO COMPLETE YOUR BADGES! THIS DOES NOT GO WELL FOR YOU (in case you have not met the criteria and have to ask for the Badge again) OR ME (I have to approve at least 84 Badges per half-semester - do not make me do this all in one evening!)
Details to Remember:
- If you are inclined, you may share your Badges via various social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter)! Tell your friends about your accomplishments!
Resources
There are other online Badge systems. I selected Credly for mine.
Outcomes
Activity Outcome
- Students will be able to demonstrate interest in and interaction with the course material on a deeper and/or creative level
.
- Students will be able to identify and analyze the textual, historical, and cultural contexts of works of literature.
- Students will be able to read works of literature closely and thoroughly.
- Students will be able to develop insights effectively through written communication, particularly via collaborative wiki.
Suggested Rubric
Badges earned will be graded upon the following scale.
| 6 Badges (3 Medieval, 3 Early Modern) | A |
| 5 Badges (fairly equally distributed | B |
| 4 Badges (equally distributed) | C |
| 3 Badges (fairly equally distributed) | D |
| 1-2 Badge(s) | F |
Notes
Choices for Medieval Badges: BritLitClass is a "free" one and not an option for Medieval Badges
Unit 2
To earn Beowulf Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Beowulf; 2) Find three different images (not our graphic novel) of representations of the character of Beowulf and discuss them (differences, similarities, connection to original text, etc.) in your note; 3) Create a SnapGuide of "How to Be Beowulf"
To earn Grendel's Mother Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Grendel's Mother; 2) Find three different images (not our graphic novel) of representations of the character of Grendel's Mother and discuss them (differences, similarities, connection to original text, etc.) in your note; 3) Create a SnapGuide of "How to Be Mom to Grendel"
To earn Illustrator I Badge (only choose this one if you have some artistic ability): In addition to the Extra Credit illustration of Grendel, choose two more characters from Beowulf or any other characters from texts in Unit 2 to illustrate. Add them to the Grendel Gallery Padlet (same as extra credit activity: http://padlet.com/aquitaine1980/grendelgallery). Each illustration must be accompanied by a quotation from the relevant text that inspired it.
To earn Film Fan Beowulf Badge: select and watch three film renditions of Beowulf. On your personal wiki page, discuss these three films in-depth, thinking especially about changes made from the original text, speculating on why, and analyzing how the changes alter the original story.
Unit 3
To earn The Knight Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Lanval; 2) Select three of the rules of courtly love and create an audio or video project about their relationship to the text; 3) Create an image (in any media) of one of the scenes from the text.
To earn The Werewolf Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Bisclavret; 2) Select three of the rules of courtly love and create an audio or video project about their relationship to the text; 3) Create an image (in any media) of one of the scenes from the text.
Unit 4
To earn the Green Knight Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of the Green Knight; 2) Select three images of objects that represent the Green Knight to you and caption them with explanations; 3) Screen capture three images of the Green Knight from the animated film on YouTube and caption them with quotations from the text.
To earn The Pentangle Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the shield and pentangle; 2) Create an image (in any media) of the shield, defining each point of the pentangle based upon its meaning in the text; 3) Create two more pentangles, choosing an Anglo-Saxon warrior and an Anglo-Norman knight from one of our texts and defining each point of their pentangles bases upon the characteristics most important in their texts.
To earn the Lady Bertilak Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Lady Bertilak; 2) Select a scene with dialogue between Lady Bertilak and Gawain and create an audio or video project based upon a reading of this scene; 3) Locate the speech by Sir Gawain towards the end of the text that speaks against women and write a response that you might imagine from Lady Bertilak's point of view.
To earn The Other Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the various manifestations of the "Other" we have met so far; 2) Revisit the video Elizabeth Lesser, "Take 'the Other' to Lunch," imagine taking at least three of the "Other" characters from our texts to lunch, create a project (any medium - i.e. written, audio, video, etc.) based upon that imagined conversation; 3) Create a list of at least ten "Others" you have encountered in (modern or otherwise) books and/or films.
Unit 5
To earn The Pilgrim Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the way Chaucer described his pilgrims (positive? negative? what does he like/admire? not like/admire?); 2) Rank ALL of the pilgrims from the General Prologue in your morality scale on Padlet; 3) Decide on a location for your personal pilgrimage and discuss why.To earn the Illustrator II Badge (only choose this one if you have some artistic ability): Choose three characters from texts in Units 3-5 to illustrate. Add them to the Anglo-Norman/Middle English Gallery Padlet (http://padlet.com/aquitaine1980/anmegallery). Each illustration must be accompanied by a quotation from the relevant text that inspired it.
Unit 2
To earn Beowulf Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Beowulf; 2) Find three different images (not our graphic novel) of representations of the character of Beowulf and discuss them (differences, similarities, connection to original text, etc.) in your note; 3) Create a SnapGuide of "How to Be Beowulf"
To earn Grendel's Mother Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Grendel's Mother; 2) Find three different images (not our graphic novel) of representations of the character of Grendel's Mother and discuss them (differences, similarities, connection to original text, etc.) in your note; 3) Create a SnapGuide of "How to Be Mom to Grendel"
To earn Illustrator I Badge (only choose this one if you have some artistic ability): In addition to the Extra Credit illustration of Grendel, choose two more characters from Beowulf or any other characters from texts in Unit 2 to illustrate. Add them to the Grendel Gallery Padlet (same as extra credit activity: http://padlet.com/aquitaine1980/grendelgallery). Each illustration must be accompanied by a quotation from the relevant text that inspired it.
To earn Film Fan Beowulf Badge: select and watch three film renditions of Beowulf. On your personal wiki page, discuss these three films in-depth, thinking especially about changes made from the original text, speculating on why, and analyzing how the changes alter the original story.
Unit 3
To earn The Knight Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Lanval; 2) Select three of the rules of courtly love and create an audio or video project about their relationship to the text; 3) Create an image (in any media) of one of the scenes from the text.
To earn The Werewolf Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Bisclavret; 2) Select three of the rules of courtly love and create an audio or video project about their relationship to the text; 3) Create an image (in any media) of one of the scenes from the text.
Unit 4
To earn the Green Knight Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of the Green Knight; 2) Select three images of objects that represent the Green Knight to you and caption them with explanations; 3) Screen capture three images of the Green Knight from the animated film on YouTube and caption them with quotations from the text.
To earn The Pentangle Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the shield and pentangle; 2) Create an image (in any media) of the shield, defining each point of the pentangle based upon its meaning in the text; 3) Create two more pentangles, choosing an Anglo-Saxon warrior and an Anglo-Norman knight from one of our texts and defining each point of their pentangles bases upon the characteristics most important in their texts.
To earn the Lady Bertilak Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the character of Lady Bertilak; 2) Select a scene with dialogue between Lady Bertilak and Gawain and create an audio or video project based upon a reading of this scene; 3) Locate the speech by Sir Gawain towards the end of the text that speaks against women and write a response that you might imagine from Lady Bertilak's point of view.
To earn The Other Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the various manifestations of the "Other" we have met so far; 2) Revisit the video Elizabeth Lesser, "Take 'the Other' to Lunch," imagine taking at least three of the "Other" characters from our texts to lunch, create a project (any medium - i.e. written, audio, video, etc.) based upon that imagined conversation; 3) Create a list of at least ten "Others" you have encountered in (modern or otherwise) books and/or films.
Unit 5
To earn The Pilgrim Badge: 1) On your personal wiki page, discuss the way Chaucer described his pilgrims (positive? negative? what does he like/admire? not like/admire?); 2) Rank ALL of the pilgrims from the General Prologue in your morality scale on Padlet; 3) Decide on a location for your personal pilgrimage and discuss why.To earn the Illustrator II Badge (only choose this one if you have some artistic ability): Choose three characters from texts in Units 3-5 to illustrate. Add them to the Anglo-Norman/Middle English Gallery Padlet (http://padlet.com/aquitaine1980/anmegallery). Each illustration must be accompanied by a quotation from the relevant text that inspired it.
Files
Collection
Citation
Kisha G. Tracy, Fitchburg State University, “Medieval Badges,” Teaching the Middle Ages in Higher Ed, accessed April 20, 2024, https://medievalhighered.omeka.net/items/show/13.