Modeling

When thinking about how to create a model of good vs. evil, the first thing that came to mind was a scale. It breaks down good and evil into two sides, and each side can be represented with the typical colors related to the terms. I created a two dimensional, simplistic version of the idea good vs. evil. I left the scales even, because really, when it comes to good and evil, it is complicated, open to interpretation, and often, quite even until the very end - when speaking in terms of literature of course.
Many people have used modeling to help them interpret big ideas, to create new things, to attack an army, to teach strategy, to find strengths and weaknesses and to explain complex processes - please note that this is not an exhaustive list.
As a teacher, I use the idea of modeling daily. I show the students how to set up a type of writing, I walk them through my thought processes as I read, I model appropriate behavior, I model poetry and creative thinking, I model projects and writing assignments, and I hope that by doing this, I show them what it is that I expect from them.
I ask the students to create models of the characters in the Canterbury Tales when I ask them to create a modern version of a particular character. The students came up with a Gold Digger for the Wife of Bath, a Marine for the Knight, a Ladies Man for the Squire, a College Student for the scholar, and of course the more literal Doctor for the Doctor, Cook for the Cook and Monk for the Monk. As a class, we break down the Canterbury Tales for what it is - a list of the people representative to the time period, try to understand from a historical perspective why Chaucer may have pointed out different elements within the people representing the church, or the people from Guilds and the Feudal System and so on, and then we apply that understanding to what we know about people today. We create our own model of society through a Modern Retelling of the Canterbury Tales. This is then turned into a book of stories that we write, and compile, within the classroom.
Using the idea of modeling, I can break down the elements of the characters, then we discuss tone and characterization to determine whether the person is being admired or criticized - in terms relative to my focus area - whether they are good or evil. The students then recognize the voice of the author, and recreate that voice in iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets based on the model that Chaucer provides.


The Prologues that I have created for this will be completed this week, and I will post them here as a model of this assignment for your enjoyment. :)