1. A Sociological Profile for Medieval Culture
Chaucer’s Pilgrims
A Sociological Profile for Medieval Culture

2. Establishing A Base
With your group, explore the bag you’ve been given. Look at all the contents and make some judgments. Make all your judgments on page 1 of your packet. You should have something for each category and a justification for why.

3. Essential Question
How do stereotypes reveal important truths about cultural norms and societal expectations?

4. Stereotype
a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment
What different kinds of people make up our society today?
Identify six types and build a character that matches each.

5. Stereotype Stereotype Societal expectations of this group
1. “Brainiacs”; “Nerds”; “Squints” 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

6. What are stereotypes measured against
What are stereotypes measured against? What do these stereotypes tell us about societal expectations?

7. The Canterbury Tales
Social commentary: writing that offers insight into society, its values, and its customs
understand Chaucer’s view on English society.
Understand and CHANGE our own
A tale about tales—what does this mean?
Envelope structure: a story within a story
Envelope: Pilgrims on the way to Canterbury
Letter: Stories the Pilgrims tell

8. What tales would our stereotypes tell?
Sereotype
Stories told
1. “Brainiacs,” “nerds,” “squints,” 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

9. The Canterbury Tales
The narrator introduces each character in the prologue in a stereotypical manner, which can be very revealing about the cultural expectations, and critical toward cultural vices—
How is judging people by stereotypes dangerous?
What does this tell us about the narrator?

10. Essential Question
How does judging people by stereotypes reveal important truths about cultural norms and societal expectations?