Course overview

This one-year homeschool course 'After the Conquest: Reinventing fiction and history' is designed for Ally McBeal, age 14 (Year 9), and is aligned to ACARA v9 learning goals in English (Literature, Language, Literacy), History and Languages (French). The course explores 11th–14th century literary and historiographic traditions (Arthurian romance, lais, chronicles, devotional lyric and alliterative verse), while building advanced skills in critical analysis, argumentation and persuasive writing suitable for an aspiring lawyer.

Key course aims

• Develop deep textual analysis and close-reading skills across medieval genres.
• Understand historiography, myth-making and translatio in medieval Europe, especially post-Conquest England.
• Build argumentation, evidence evaluation and oral advocacy skills through debates, moot court and legal-style briefs.
• Experience language learning and translation practice in French and exposure to Latin/Middle English texts via translation and parallel text study.
• Meet ACARA v9 Year 9 achievement standards in English and History and the Languages curriculum for French.

ACARA v9 alignment summary

This course maps to ACARA v9 Year 9 outcomes across these strands. Wording below paraphrases ACARA v9 content descriptions and achievement standards so they can be used in a homeschool application.

• English: Literature strand - analyse how ideas and themes are shaped by context and by authorial choices; compare texts from different periods and cultures; create well-structured texts for different purposes and audiences.
• English: Language strand - investigate how language features and structures influence meaning; apply discipline-specific vocabulary; reflect on stylistic choices.
• English: Literacy strand - plan, draft, edit and present sustained analytical, persuasive and imaginative texts; participate in discussions, presentations and debates using appropriate register.
• History: Historical knowledge and understanding - examine medieval European societies after 1066, Crusades and cross-cultural contact; consider causes and consequences and historical sources and interpretations.
• Languages (French): Communicate and interact in French for social and informational purposes; interpret texts; practise translation and listening skills using media and songs.
• General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking, literacy, ethical understanding, intercultural understanding and personal and social capability are explicitly developed.

Course structure and timeframe

Length: 36 weeks (one school year). Recommended study time: 5 hours per week of guided study plus 3–5 hours independent reading/writing per week. Unit lengths are approximate.

Unit 0: Induction and Skills (2 weeks)

• Introduce course goals, assessment schedule and expectations for record-keeping.
• Diagnostic work: short close-read, vocabulary check, short persuasive paragraph.
• Workshop on academic essay structure, citation and research skills.

Unit 1: Historical Context - The High Middle Ages (4 weeks)

• Topics: Norman Conquest; feudal society; Crusades; Outremer; 12th-century renaissance.
• Skills: source analysis; compare primary and secondary accounts; timeline and mapping.
• Key resources: Geoffrey of Monmouth (selected passages in translation), concise secondary histories (Eleanor Janega, DK Visual Guide).

Unit 2: Historiography, Myth and Translatio (4 weeks)

• Texts: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae (selected passages); Wace, Brut; Roman d'Eneas (selections).
• Focus: how pseudo-histories build national myth; authorial purpose and audience; evidence and fabrication in medieval chronicles.
• Assessment: source analysis short-response (formative).

Unit 3: Lais and the Voice of Marie de France (4 weeks)

• Texts: Selected lais by Marie de France (English translations and short Old French variants where useful).
• Focus: narrative voice, oral song tradition, motifs of courtly love and social norms; compare Norman/Anglo-Norman contexts.
• Assessment: comparative paragraph and creative rewrite (summative).

Unit 4: Chrétien de Troyes and the Birth of Romance (5 weeks)

• Texts: Yvain (Chrétien de Troyes) - full reading in translation with critical guide excerpts.
• Focus: romance conventions, chivalry, interiority, narrative structure, treatment of love and honour.
• Extension for aspiring lawyer: argumentative analysis of ethical dilemmas faced by characters; prepare a legal brief arguing for or against a knight's action.
• Assessment: analytical essay 1200-1600 words (summative).

Unit 5: Arthurian Tradition in France, Germany and England (6 weeks)

• Texts: selections from Chrétien de Troyes, German adaptations (selections), Wace, Malory background; discussion of Tristan variants.
• Focus: transnational movement of stories; how different cultures adapt characters; origins of Lancelot and the Grail problem.
• Assessment: comparative oral presentation and a short written commentary (formative + summative).

Unit 6: Malory and Le Morte d'Arthur (5 weeks)

• Text: Selected books from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (modern edition or selected chapters).
• Focus: characterization, narrative technique, themes of justice, loyalty and law; link to Wars of the Roses context.
• Assessment: mock trial or moot court where students argue a legal/ethical charge arising from the text (summative). Written brief 800-1200 words.

Unit 7: Sir Gawain and the Gawain-Poet (4 weeks)

• Text: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; selections of Pearl, Patience, Purity where relevant.
• Focus: alliterative verse, symbolism, ethical testing, poetic technique and medieval devotional culture.
• Assessment: close reading timed task and poetic analysis essay (formative + summative).

Unit 8: Medieval Worlds in Global Contexts + French immersion (2 weeks integrated across year)

• Topics: Byzantine and Islamic worlds; Mongols; medieval Japan and China for global perspective linking to ACARA cross-curriculum priorities.
• French: weekly 30–45 minute French lessons via Lingopie, songs, simple reading of Nicolas Cauchy picture adaptations, and one oral presentation in French about an Arthurian figure.

Assessment overview

• Formative assessments: weekly close readings, vocabulary quizzes, research logs, draft workshops, peer feedback.
• Summative assessments (year total 5 major tasks):
  1. Analytical comparative essay (1200-1600 words) comparing two medieval texts with historiographic context.
  2. Mock trial/moot court with written legal brief (800-1200 words) and recorded oral advocacy (6-8 minutes).
  3. Creative re-vision: modern retelling or translation with critical commentary (800-1000 words reflection).
  4. Close reading exam (short-answer and paragraph responses under timed conditions).
  5. French oral presentation (3-5 minutes) and a short translation exercise.

Sample rubrics and success criteria

Summative tasks will be assessed on:

• Understanding and interpretation: clarity of thesis, accuracy of textual references, historical awareness.
• Analysis and evidence: depth of close reading, use of quotations, engagement with secondary sources.
• Argument and structure: logical organisation, coherence, persuasive reasoning (legal brief assessed for claim, grounds, evidence, counter-argument).
• Communication: sentence-level control, discipline-appropriate vocabulary, register, referencing (MLA/Chicago author-date per parental preference).
• Presentation: timing, clarity, use of supporting materials for oral tasks.

Resources

• Primary texts (recommended translations and editions):
  • Marie de France, The Lais of Marie de France (selected)
  • Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain or Complete Romances (David Staines translation)
  • Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur (selected books or modern retelling)
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (standard modern translation)
  • Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae (selected passages in translation)
• Secondary and contextual: Eleanor Janega, Middle Ages: A Graphic History; DK History of Britain and Ireland; scholarly guides to Chrétien and Gawain.
• French materials: Nicolas Cauchy picture books, Larousse college dictionary, Lingopie, French songs and short Netflix series for listening practice.
• Digital: Fordham Sourcebooks for medieval texts; JSTOR or Google Scholar for secondary articles; library access for research.

Record-keeping and evidence for homeschool registration

To meet ACARA-aligned homeschool application and audit needs, keep the following evidence:

• Course overview and mapping to ACARA v9 contents and achievement standards (this document).
• Term-by-term work log with weekly outcomes and hours studied.
• Samples of student work: drafts and final versions of major assessments, recordings of oral presentations and moot court, reading journal entries and vocabulary lists.
• Assessment rubrics and teacher/parent annotations for each summative task.
• Reading list with editions used and bibliographic details.

Differentiation and extensions

• For a high-achieving, legally-minded student: include extra units on rhetoric, early legal codes, and comparative justice systems; require longer essays (1800–2500 words); independent research project on the legal culture of late medieval England and how it shaped literature.
• For needing-support learners: scaffolded essay templates, paragraph frames, oral presentation rehearsal, shorter assessment lengths.
• Enrichment: participation in local debate club, online medieval studies seminars, visits to archives or virtual manuscript libraries, French-language buddy or tutor.

Sample weekly rhythm (typical week)

• 2 x 60–75 minute literature lessons: close reading, context, discussion.
• 1 x 45–60 minute history/source analysis session.
• 1 x 30–45 minute French lesson (listening/speaking/mini-reading).
• Independent work: 3–5 hours for reading primary texts, drafting essays and completing research tasks.
• Fortnightly skills workshop: essay writing, referencing, oral advocacy practice.

Sample assessment calendar

• Week 6: Source analysis short task (Unit 2 formative)
• Week 12: Creative rewrite + commentary (Unit 3 summative)
• Week 20: Comparative analytical essay (Unit 4 summative)
• Week 28: Moot court and legal brief (Unit 6 summative)
• Week 34: Sir Gawain close reading exam and French oral (Unit 7 summative)

How this develops legal skills

• Evidence evaluation: distinguishing primary narrative claims from later interpolation, weighing chronicle reliability.
• Argument construction: thesis formation, logical sequencing, anticipating counter-arguments in legal briefs.
• Oral advocacy: classroom debates, mock trial to practice persuasion, tone, and timing.
• Research ethics: citation, intellectual honesty, distinguishing opinion from evidence.

Suggested final project

A 2000-word research essay or a combined project of a 1200-word legal-historical essay and a 10-minute recorded moot court performance. Topics could include 'Was Lancelot morally culpable for the fall of Camelot? A literary-legal analysis' or 'How Geoffrey of Monmouth constructed a national myth: consequences for English identity.' This will demonstrate Year 9 ACARA achievement and readiness for senior secondary humanities and legal studies.

Parental/mentor notes

As the homeschooling mentor, provide weekly feedback, maintain assessment records, and ensure ACARA mapping is visible in the application. Use this plan as the main course description for registration; attach sample week logs and exemplar student work when requested.

Next steps I can help with

• Tailor this plan into the exact homeschool application template required by your state/territory.
• Create printable rubrics and marking sheets for each summative task.
• Draft suggested reading journal prompts and a semester-by-semester workbook schedule.
• Design the moot court scenario and marking criteria.

If you want, tell me your state/territory for homeschool registration and I will convert this plan into the precise application wording and add the ACARA v9 content code references required by that education authority.