Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about life in the Middle Ages in Europe? How was day-to-day life in England during the Middle Ages different from today?

Teaching Suggestion: Students' familiarity with medieval lifestyles may stem primarily from books, movies, or even videos games whose primary purpose is entertainment, not realism. After acknowledging such popular portrayals, draw on the resources below or other materials to help them sort fact from fiction.

• This article provides an overview of life in England during the Middle Ages.
• This article reviews broad developments in English history during this period, which ties into the theme of The Instability of English Feudalism.

2. What was the role of a jester in medieval society? Can you think of any people or professions that fulfill a similar role today?

Teaching Suggestion: To help students recall any prior knowledge, it may help to display an image of a traditional medieval jester as they write. If they’re unfamiliar with jesters, you might ask them to guess what a jester does based on the image. After they’ve had a chance to write, you might discuss the people they identified as serving similar roles in modern society, highlighting both similarities and differences.

• This article discusses the unique roles of medieval jesters.
• This clip of a skilled modern juggler may help students think about the way that entertainment has evolved but also remains the same.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Emotion is part of the human experience. Once felt, emotions can be either stifled or expressed. One way to express emotion is through creative outlets, such as music, dancing, writing, sculpting, or painting. What is your favorite way to express or release your emotions, and why? What have you learned about yourself through that activity?

Teaching Suggestion: Some students may hesitate to identify themselves as artists of any kind. It may help to point out that amateurs and hobbyists often create art for their own purposes instead of trying to display or sell it. You could also draw attention to additional forms of creation, such as gardening, engineering, or coding, as potential creative outlets. For those who still struggle to come up with anything, you might invite them to think back to a time when they felt a strong emotion, then consider how they expressed and responded to that emotion. To tie their writing into the novel, draw students’ attention to the relationship between expression and identity, suggesting that creative expression puts us in touch with our own identity, which connects with the novel's consideration of The Elements of a Meaningful Life.

Differentiation Suggestion: Instead of simply writing about their preferred form of expression, students may find it more natural and intuitive simply to express themselves in that way. Visual learners, for instance, might respond to an invitation to draw a picture expressing how they feel at that moment while musically inclined students may respond to the invitation to select a song that captures their mood. From there, you can lead a discussion on how they feel expressing themselves in that moment rather than discussing expression hypothetically.