TM Storytime Myths and Legends: The Lady of the Lake Teaching Resources
The Lady of the Lake is a tale about the adventures of King Arthur. It is known as an Arthurian legend. In Brief In the story, the wizard Merlin takes King Arthur to a lake, where he is given an enchanted sword by a magical lady. 1 Literacy Lesson Ideas
Before you read this legend, ask pupils whether they have heard of King Arthur and Merlin. What do they know about these characters? Ask them to write a short paragraph. Have they heard of the sword Excalibur? What can they tell you about it? (You could complete this task before and after reading the story.)
See our Lady of the Lake Word Wise Sheet for story-linked comprehension questions, word meanings and creative writing tasks.
The Lady of the Lake isn’t a typical hero’s quest. Unlike the structure of many myths and legends, Arthur encounters the baddie at the beginning of the story and is beaten. This inspires him to go on a quest to get a new sword, which he gets very easily. Compare it with other myths from Storytime, such as: - Perseus and Medusa in Issue 1 - St George and the Dragon in Issue 2 - Odysseus and the Cyclops in Issue 18 - Hercules and the Lion in Issue 24
Use our Hero’s Quest Story Mountain Sheet to plot the storylines of one of these famous myths. Now draw a story mountain for The Lady of the Lake.
Also compare this Arthurian legend to The Sword in the Stone from Storytime Issue 13 – two stories featuring King Arthur and swords. Fill in our Arthurian Legend Comparison sheet.
Act out the legend using our King Arthur, Merlin and Lady of the Lake Masks.
Try our Lady of the Lake Story Sequencing exercise to see how well your pupils followed the story.
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 2 History Lesson Ideas
Were King Arthur and Merlin fictional or real? Discuss the definition of legend versus history and see our King Arthur Fact Sheet for help. Complete our Legend or History? task, asking pupils to sort a list of characters into fictional or real.
In legend, King Arthur lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries – the Anglo-Saxon period. Can you find out five interesting facts about life in Anglo-Saxon England? Find out more at BBC Bitesize: bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zxsbcdm
3 geography Lesson Ideas
Many locations in Britain are linked with Arthurian legends, including the Isle of Avalon (Glastonbury), King Arthur’s castle Camelot (Tintagel castle in Cornwall), the lake of Excalibur (Llyn y Fan Fach in Wales), and the sword in the stone (London). Can you find them on a map? Or make your own map and draw on these legendary locations?
Pick one Arthurian location and find out interesting facts about where it is and what it looks like.
In the story, King Arthur can’t see the Lady of the Lake at first as there is mist on the surface of the water. Talk about climate and the difference between mist and fog. Find out more from the Royal Meteorological Society: metlink.org/other-weather/science- in-the-sky/fog/ 4 Art Lesson Ideas
Print out our Colouring Sheet and colour in the magnificent sword, Excalibur.
Make your own Excalibur swords from cardboard, covering the blade with tin foil or silver paper. Decorate the hilt with sticky-backed gems – and don’t forget to write a message on both sides of the sword. What will it be?
Draw a picture of the mysterious lady of the lake, Merlin, King Arthur or his castle Camelot in our Storytime Picture Frame.
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: lady of the lake Teaching Resources
Here are the meanings of some of the trickier words Word WATCH! in The Lady of the Lake in Storytime Issue 28.
Alas – unfortunately Courteously – politely Rained down – to do a lot of Sing-song – tuneful, melodic Nimble – moving quickly and lightly Scabbard – cover for a blade See off – get rid of, defeat Encrusted – covered with Hermit – someone who lives alone, Entwined – wrapped in often far away from other people Enchanted – put under a spell Sire – sir, master Proclaimed – officially announced Hilt – handle SPOT IT! WRITE IT! Can you spot examples of the Write a brief character description of following in our Hercules story? Nimue, the lady of the lake, inspired Write your answers down here. by the watery words and adjectives in our story. 1. Why was Arthur asked to leave his first sword behind?
2. Why did Arthur lose the fight?
3. Where did Merlin take Arthur to heal him? 4. Why didn’t Arthur feel he could rule over England? 5. Why should Arthur like the scabbard better than the sword?
How would you make Arthur’s story more exciting? change What could happen at the lake to build tension? Using the story our Hero’s Quest Story Mountain sheet, rewrite the story and add more drama.
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: lady of the lake Teaching Resources Story title Name Class
PROBLEM Who or what does the hero or heroine have to face? Describe it. ______BUILD-UP solution What happens next? Give Describe how they clues about the problem. solve the problem – ______or battle the monster. ______
Beginning ending Who is your hero or Did the characters heroine? Where are they? learn anything? Is ______everyone happy? ______
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: The lady in the lake Teaching Resources
Compare the Arthurian legend The Sword in Arthurian Legend the Stone (Storytime Issue13) with The Lady Comparison Sheet in the Lake (Storytime Issue 28). How are they the same and how do they differ?
The Sword in the Stone The Lady in the Lake Characters
Setting
Baddie
Goodie
Magical object
Problem
Arthur (his age, his job, what is he like?)
Ending
Favourite moment
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© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: The lady of the lake Teaching Resources
King Arthur Fact Sheet
In legend, Arthur was the son of King Uther Pendragon and Queen Igraine. On the advice of a wizard called Merlin, he was taken away as a baby to protect him from enemies who wanted to overthrow the king.
Arthur went to live with Sir Ector and his son Kay. He didn’t know that he was the son of the king.
When he was a teenage boy, King Uther died and barons started fighting over who would be the new king.
Arthur travelled with Sir Ector and Kay to a tournament in London, where he was the only person able to pull a sword from a stone, which Merlin had enchanted. This gave Arthur the right to be the new king of England.
Merlin and Arthur left the sword in its stone so that when anyone saw it and tried to pull it out, they were reminded how clever and powerful their new king was.
When Arthur was a bit older, he married a lady called Guinevere. Her father gave Arthur a special gift – a large round table. Arthur decided that his knights should sit round it with him so that they could all be equal. They became known as the Knights of the Round Table.
King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table became famous for their courage and good manners. Many of them carried out dangerous quests (such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Storytime Issue 6).
King Arthur lived in a castle called Camelot.
Some people believe that King Arthur might have been real, but there is no evidence yet.
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: The lady of the lake Teaching Resources
Which of these names are real people Legend from history and which ones are fictional characters? Circle the or History? names you think are real.
Name Class
King Arthur Finn M Henry VIII acCool ghtingale Aphrodite Florence Ni Pocahontas Robin Hood
Tutankhamun
napoleon
King Midas
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Lady of the Lake Character Masks Teaching Resources
Print and cut out our King Arthur, Merlin and Lady of the Lake masks and act out Arthur’s quest to win the sword Excxalibur.
© storytimemagazine.com 2016
2016 TM Storytime Lady of the Lake Character Masks Teaching Resources
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Lady of the Lake Character Masks Teaching Resources
2016 © storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime Excalibur Colouring Sheet Teaching Resources Name Class
TIP! Write an important message to Arthur on the blade of Excalibur!
© storytimemagazine.com 2016 TM Storytime THE lady IN THE lake Picture Frame Teaching Resources Name Class
© storytimemagazine.com 2016