Canterbury Tales for Kids

Middle Ages Unit Study
Week 23: We created skits to retell Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

To pass the time during their journey to the Canterbury Cathedral, a group of pilgrims took turns telling stories. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote them down and they are some of the most well known tales of the middle ages.

Geoffrey Chaucer, the great English poet, was a story teller who was daring and innovative. He wrote in English although it was much more fashionable to write in French during his time. His poems popularized the use of Royal Rhyme. Each contained 10 syllables per line with rhyming words at the end of each line to the pattern a,b,a,b,b,c. 

Most of his stories have adult themes and so reviewing them before reading them to children is a good idea. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams is a good version of Chaucer for young children. Canterbury Tales Publisher: HarperCollins by Barbara Cohen is a good version for older elementary or middle school aged children.

Animated Canterbury Tales - Again, probably not the best video for young children, but I enjoyed the animated version of some of the Canterbury Tales.

After reading the stories in the Marcia Williams version the kids retold the stories by creating skits.

The Summoner's Tale

When the Friar begs the local residents for money, Thomas becomes annoyed. He tells the Friar he has a gift for him that he is sitting on. It turns out to be an enormous fart.

The Pardoner's Tale

In the Pardoner's Tale, as three men are looking for death they find some money. In their greed to each claim the prize for themselves they all end up dying.

The Wife of Bath's Tale

 In The Wife of Bath's Tale a knight is given one year to find out what women want most.

It's not gold, money or love....... they want to rule over their husbands.

The tales are funny and crude. Study with caution. These kids had a blast.