The Wife of Bath Comprehensive Teaching Pack for A Level (exams from June 2017)

This comprehensive teaching pack ensures student engagement with a structured combination of detailed notes and ready-to-use worksheets.

An excellent overview of the text and contextual factors, and some very useful teaching resources

H Dyson, English Course Manager & Peer Reviewer

Fantastic structure ensures full understanding of the text:

  1. Background Notes include Chaucer’s verse and critical reception
  2. Section-by-Section Analysis breaks text down into manageable chunks
    • Tracking Questions check understanding
    • Indicative Content enables self-marking
  3. Detailed Whole-Text Discussion of themes and imagery; contexts; and literary approaches
  4. Exam Preparation ensures students are fully prepared for the Edexcel Component 3 assessment
    • Includes practice questions; student-friendly mark scheme; sample answers and writing tips

Encompassing power play, gender relations and social status, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale contains 21st century-relevant themes set to a background of Arthurian legend and knightly quests. One of Chaucer’s most animated narrators, the Wife of Bath is a fascinating character for A Level students.

This is a very detailed teaching pack and provides a thorough range of contextual material to support all aspects of the A level course

Penglais English Dept

What do teachers say about this resource? (6455)

Very thorough - could even be used to self-teach a very committed pupil! Also beneficial for a teacher to ensure they have fully covered all aspects of the text. I liked the break down of the sections. It provides a range of directions into the text, including ways the text has been viewed across time, specific critical approaches to the text, character, language, form and structure. Work on context, quotations, tips for writing effective exam essays are all very useful. The AOs are clearly signposted for each section, allowing teacher and pupils to focus on specific areas as necessary. The tracking questions would make excellent homework tasks, either to create notes for class discussion, or as self-study. The breakdown of the Prologue and Tale is very good. It allows pupils and teachers to identify specific sections for class discussion. The worksheet and resource section is excellent – this is more useful for a range of pupils, including the weaker end. The section on the Wife of Bath’s voice is particularly good, as are the grids for gathering imagery. This is a very detailed teaching pack and provides a thorough range of contextual material to support all aspects of the A level course.

Penglais English Dept

Very good resource – an excellent overview of the text and contextual factors, and some very useful teaching resources... The material on the tale itself is great – detailed and informative. Very useful to subdivide the prologue and tale, and some interesting notes on the text with contextual links, e.g. comments on the roles of the other characters who interject. Study questions on the text are useful to help give students a basic understanding of the text as they read, and I am pleased that the answers are provided for teachers!

H Dyson, English Course Manager & Peer Reviewer

There is a very high standard of context connected with both receptions and attitudes. I also found the explanatory notes to small sections of the text detailed and very student-friendly. The comparison with Sir Gawain was detailed and helpful. The answers to posed questions are relevant and succinct. I particularly like the use of resources for wider independent study... [The resource] is clear and easy to manoeuvre and manipulate into taught sessions. Students should find it easy to use to support classwork... I feel that it gives a good and well-rounded overview of the text, and the proposed exam questions were appreciated at the end.

K Lindsey, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

The writer has good academic training and knows the text. The factual knowledge is top-notch, often scholarly and clearly presented. The resource is a good version of standard and traditional knowledge about the text.

M Harris, Teacher & Peer Reviewer