Media Pas de Deux: It Takes Two
In ballet, a pas de deux is a dance duet in which two dancers perform ballet steps together. But the pas de deux is not just a dance of love.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will explore the Arthurian codes of chivalry and courtly love as portrayed in art, modern films, books, and poetry. Students will write a script, create scenery, and act out a short thematic play demonstrating modern concepts of love, friendship, and honorable behavior.
Students will:
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Teachers should pre-screen video, DVD, or streaming versions of King Arthur (2004; PG-13) and Camelot (1967; G). You may be able to find these movies at the library, your local video/DVD store, online, or video streaming platforms. Look for one or two scenes in King Arthur and Camelot that show contrasting treatments of overall themes. For example, themes in one movie may adhere to a historic accounting, while the other movie may treat the same material in a romantic or sentimental fashion.
Students may be familiar with the story of King Arthur, but this is not required.
Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Provide preferential seating and captions for visual presentations. Allow extra time for task completion.
Chivalry: very polite and helpful behavior, especially by a man toward a woman; a code of noble and polite behavior that was expected of a medieval knight
Courtly Love: an idealized form of love written about in medieval literature, where a knight devotes himself to a noblewoman
Honor: code of integrity and dignity (usually among men), in medieval society
a. The Camelot characters stay true to the way they would behave (ex. Arthur can’t be cowardly or Guinevere and Lancelot dislike each other, etc.).
b. The scene has a problem or conflict that makes us think about the ideas of chivalry and courtly love (e.g., Lancelot loving Guinevere, but wanting to be loyal to Arthur).
c. The scene shows how the characters decide to deal with conflict.
Tell students they should divide the work evenly. Encourage students to brainstorm and storyboard, share their ideas as a group, and write down all their ideas, before they start writing the scene. Remind students that in the final presentation, each person should have at least a small part to read, even if just a narrator.
Adaptation
Jen Westmoreland Bouchard
Editor
JoDee Scissors
Updated
November 20, 2021
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