Login

Creative Teaching Ideas for

ADAM OF THE ROAD

by Elizabeth Janet Gray (1942)


ON THIS PAGE: LitWits hands-on activity ideas and instructions, teaching topics, learning links, and more. Scroll on!

Printables for purchase

About the story

This Newbery winner is the kind of book that makes kids fall in love with history and literature. Adam of the Road  is about an 11-year-old minstrel’s journey through medieval England, on a quest for his missing dad and stolen dog. “A road’s a kind of holy thing,” his father had told him. “That’s why it’s a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It’s open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together.” )

And so does this story,  where important history facts and character lessons are naturally conveyed in beautifully written description and dialogue.

Read reviews / buy the book on Amazon
We make a small commission on anything you buy through our Amazon affiliate links. 

Hands-on Fun

Making a plan . . .


There are many ideas in this Hands-on Fun section—don't feel you have to do them all! Go with whatever works best for you and your kids. If you want to focus on a particular teaching point, our Takeaway Topics section can help you narrow down the activity options. And you can enhance discussions during any activity with audiovisual aids from Learning Links or story objects from Prop Ideas.

You might find our narrative arc worksheet helpful for sequencing your activities, teaching the important concept of the arc, and helping kids learn how Elizabeth Janet Gray put Adam of the Road  together.
Narrative arc & other printables

Define & Defend Yourself

A LitWits activity


Forge shields of finest posterboard, and emblazon them with heraldry that symbolizes who you are! This project gets kids thinking about what they stand for — and what stands for them.

First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.
                                        — Epictetus 

Heraldic symbols don’t just represent titles and family lines; they represent character. Did you notice that the rogue knight de Rideware could not hide his crest with paint? Why is he even wearing his crest, if he’s gone rogue?  The author is pointing out that we can’t hide who we really are —  our actions will always reveal us.

We suggest making one complete shield ahead of time, so it’s easier to demonstrate and explain to the kids. It’s also a good time to make any preparations that will save time later. For instance, we precut the posterboard shields for the younger kids, and we cut apart the symbol images for easier access and to prevent waste.

SUPPLIES

  • markers

  • posterboard - 22" x 28"

  • assorted colors of 8.5" x 11" construction paper

  • scissors, glue, and tape

  • first two pages of the heraldry handout for each child, or to share (in our printables) - once the kids have chosen their heraldry images, they can use this handout to interpret the meaning of their chosen symbols and colors 

  • the 25 heraldry images, one printout per 6-8 kids (in our printables) 

  • one large shield template (taped together from the 4-page shield template in our printables) 

Images, template, & other printables
PREP

Use the taped-together template to draw a large shield on the posterboard, then cut it out.  

(For more than one child, use that posterboard shield as a template to draw more large shields, then cut them out. Depending on your kids, you could have them do all or part of this prep. As an alternative, you can have the kids create a model-size version of a shield on 8.5×11 cardstock, but you’ll have to reduce the heraldry symbols on a copier to fit.)

DIRECTIONS
(There's also a video below that walks you through the process.)

Step 1

Tell the kids to choose two colors and two symbols (from the heraldry handout) that best represent the person they want to be. (They can use the handout or their own research as a reference.) Have them get two pages of each color, and glue to their shield as shown, with four corners meeting in the middle. It will look like a giant rectangle.

Step 2

Turn it over so the posterboard is facing up, and cut away the excess from around the edges.

Step 3

Have the kids choose two more colors (one page each) for their two chosen symbols. Fold each paper in half. Tape one symbol template to each folded paper, and cut them out. The result will be two copies of each symbol. Discard the template and glue the color symbols to the shield.
Here's a little video that walks you through the process.

Get Perspective

A LitWits activity

Find your way with Adam!  This project symbolizes Adam’s journey along the road, while letting kids see how perspective works in art (as well as in life).

SUPPLIES
  • cardstock or construction paper in blue, white, green, and browns (we precut the green and white paper in half to make things easier for the kids)
  • markers
  • scissors and glue
  • pocket folders, if you’re using this art to decorate folders for storing academic worksheets, as we did
  • felt scraps
  • “leaf matter” cut from template (in our printables)

We suggest making a craft model ahead of time, so it’s easier to demonstrate and explain to the kids. It’s also a good time to make any preparations that will save time later.

FOR DISCUSSION

The road itself demonstrates the geometric principal of perspective, as do the trees that are smaller in the distance — but you can talk about how Adam “gets perspective,” too. Regardless of his setbacks, he’s able to see things as they really are, and set his goals accordingly. For instance, when hiding under the bridge, he subdues his fear with a story, realizes his new friends are not good for him, and literally chooses a new direction.

The trees represent the helpful adults in Adam’s life — his parents, his teachers, and the strangers he meets along the way.  To symbolize their expressions of support, the leaves are cut from a sheet of medieval music (minstrel skills), Latin (education), and florals (nourishment/nurturing). Felt can be used to specifically represent “softness,” as in the loving-kindness of Dame Maulkin; we offered scraps in the tawny colors of Adam’s minstrel clothes.

Add some clouds to give the piece some . . .  atmosphere. 

Adam finds his way toward Roger and  through life on the road. Since the Latin for “road” is  “way,” we wrote the book title in Latin.  Choose any medieval fonts you like as samples.
Leaf material & other printables

BookBites: Rustic Sweets

A LitWits activity

BookBites is the part of our literary experience when we get to “taste the story.”  We choose a food right out of the book, and it has to meet at least one criterion:

  • it’s important to a plot point
  • it has thematic significance
  • it’s unfamiliar for reasons of culture, era, or location
To offer a bite of Adam’s story, we served Dame Maulkin’s “strawberries in a cabbage leaf” with a garnish of candied ginger “comfits,” like those Adam enjoyed. These simple ingredients were transformed by their presentation — the kids loved eating their snack straight out of a cabbage leaf, and there were no dishes to clean up afterward.

INSPIRATION

Adam gave her two of his remaining comfits—a poor widow in a village wouldn't taste such sweetmeats once in a year's time—and a silver penny. She gave him a cabbage leaf full of strawberries that she had found for him. It was easier to say good-by when you had something to give.  -"The Road"


We added hunks of rustic bread to represent Adam’s life on the road--skipping the ale. :)


During BookBites we listened to medieval minstrel music like “Sumer is Icumen In” as well as  sacred music sung by the Oxford choir and medieval monastic chants.
PRINTABLES SET

Be the Minstrel

A LitWits activity

Sing for your supper — or at least a bite of bread! Adam sings his way down the road, not just to earn food and shelter, but for the love of his work. Like many artists, he cares more about his freedom and art than furthering his education or becoming rich.

This activity lets kids “get” the joy of performance art, and understand why Adam does what he does.

If you have students of music in the room, invite them to perform any song they love (and to tell why it’s meaningful to them.) We had a violin and a piano on hand, and several kids brought their own instruments.

Because Adam often sings (or tells stories) for food, we served BookBites while the kids took turns “singing for their supper.”
PRINTABLES SET

Take the (High) Road

A LitWits project

Take home a piece of the Roman road, labeled with something that Adam relies on to find or make his way. If you can’t get to a Roman road, a bag of rocks from Amazon or a home supply store will do just fine.

Here are five things Adam uses as “stepping stones” on the road; you can find many others on a Latin translation site:

firmitas (strength)
beneficium (kindness)
educatio (education)
peritia (skill)
obstinatio (determination)

Have the kids write their chosen word in Latin on one side, and English on the other. 

Now it's time to "take the road--WITH you!" As the kids find their own way in life, this “road reminder” will help them remember Adam’s example of staying the course, no matter what.
PRINTABLES SET

Printables Previews

The worksheets and printables used for our activities are sold as a complete set.

Common Core State Standards Alignment for the comprehensive use of our teaching ideas and materials is also included for grades 3, 4, 5 and 6. 
DETAILS

The LitWits Kit

Pack up for the field trip!

A LitWits Kit is a bag or box of supplies you pack up and give to each child right before you begin your "field trip" through the story.  You might be doing one-off projects as you read through the book together, or you might do everything in this guide from top to bottom after the book has been read. However you explore this book in LitWitty ways, kids love the anticipation of opening their kit.

If you'd like to build LitWits Kits for your kids, you could easily arrange the items in a bag, basket, or story-relevant container.  Honestly, it's just as much fun to create a kit as it is to open one!

To make it all the more fun, our printables for many books include special "story packaging" for certain activity supplies, including BookBites. Click the button below for a specific list of contents for this book. 
PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway Topics

Why we chose this book for a "field trip"
We love Adam of the Road because it's beautifully written in a way that lets readers soak up the ambiance of the setting and the details of medieval England, without feeling bogged down by facts. There’s nothing “teachy” about it, yet it’s definitely the kind of book that can inspire a lifelong love of history as well as literature.  So it was an easy choice for one our experiential workshops. And it's packed with great takeaway topics, which we're sharing below.

In our workshops, we did our best to make these teaching points tangible, meaningful, and memorable in the kids' hands. It's amazing how much kids can learn while they're "just" having fun!
 
Happy teaching,
Becky & Jenny

Takeaway 1

Knowing Your Friends

In this story we see the importance of knowing who your friends are. The people who are helpful to Adam when he's on his own, and on whom he relies for food and shelter, aren't always best for him long-term--a reminder that although we’re easily drawn to people who do kind acts, or who are funny or smart or otherwise appealing, our perspective can change as we gain experience. Adam shows us that if a friendship might do us real harm, we need to break away--as he does at his low point (literally) under the bridge, when he decides to ditch those sketchy minstrels.

It's not always easy to know someone's "true colors,"  not even with heraldry to help--not everyone is as advertised! As Adam discovers, a true “good friend” will LIVE his or her values, not just show them off on a shield.

Hands-on connections in this guide: “Define and Defend Yourself” activity, “Take the Road” project; “Be the Minstrel” activity; “Get Perspective” project; history handout/activity
PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway 2

Staying on Track

Adam knows from the get-go that he wants to be a minstrel, no matter what his other options are. It seems rather a lonely life, living on the road and not always knowing when the next meal will be, but it's not just a job for him--it's a source of comfort and joy. What a great example for kids (and adults) of being true to your values and dreams!  Adam also perseveres in pursuing his dog and his dad, no matter what the distractions, dangers, or temptations.

For an eleven-year-old, Adam is incredibly sure and focused. To maintain his perspective when discouraged or scared, he taps into his music and his mission. So as he models "staying the course," he's also demonstrating some excellent coping skills.

Hands-on connections in this guide: “Get Perspective” project; “Be the Minstrel” activity; “Take the Road” project, props that represent the minstrel life
PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway 3

Learning

There's a subtle emphasis throughout this story on appreciating education while honoring one's chosen path. Adam loves the life and work of a minstrel, but he’s also well aware of how his education serves him, and we as readers are pleased when it does. For instance, when Hugh taunts him, Adam’s knowledge of French makes it clear he’s educated. It's also satisfying that Adam is able to translate his dad’s introduction letter from Latin to English. He may not enjoy being indoors at the abbey, but he works hard and his lessons pay off for him--as do all the songs and stories he's sung, and his memorization skills. He shows us that the time and energy spent on difficult tasks, whether for fun or for work, can pay off in broadly applicable, unexpected ways. 

Hands-on connections in this guide:  “Be the Minstrel” activity; vocabulary (Latin) handout; props that convey the importance of education and skills (books, music, instrument)
PRINTABLES SET
Adam of the Road is chock-full of other subjects to explore, too—from the history of the Roman Empire to medieval cookery to ancient legends and lays.  Scroll down to see our curated Learning Links for more tangential teaching opportunities, and to see how we brought this book and its ideas to life. 

Learning Links

Story Supplements

Video (1:35) — Medieval minstrel music set to images of castles
Video (3:55) — Medieval music (modern composer)
Video (60) — An hour of Middle Ages music
All about English minstrels (and the Middle Ages in general)
Comfits (FoodsofEngland.com)
Britain’s Roman roads (Britain Express)
Heraldry detailed information and illustrations (International Heraldry)
King Alisaunder, allusion  in “Adam” (University of York)
Charlemagne, allusion in “Adam” (History.com)
King Arthur, allusion in “Adam” (University of Rochester)
Medieval fashion (LordsandLadies.org)
Men’s heraldic surcoats – links to original images
History of Oxford University (Oxford)
Old Roman town of Verulam(ium) (Wikipedia)
The Lay of Sir Orfeo – text (University of Rochester)
The Lay of Sir Orfeo in modern English
The story of Floris and Blancheflour (Univ. of Rochester)
The story of King Horn (Univ. of Rochester)
The story of Roland and Oliver (Heritage History)
The story of Damon and Pythias (Heritage History)
The story of Horn and Athulf (Heritage History)
William the Conqueror (BBC - Horrible Histories podcast)
History behind “London Bridge is Falling Down”
St. Giles Fair (Oxford History)
History of “woad” for dying
Lapwings – birds
Brief definition of Saracen
Info about and lyrics to “Merrily Sing the Monks of Ely”
English dialects, mapped out and explained
Adam’s apple, biology and allusion explained (Wikipedia)
About Winchester and the Stranger’s Hall (Gutenberg)


PRINTABLES SET

Prop Ideas

When choosing props for our live workshops, we always try to focus on two important categories: props that are unique to the setting, because they help kids understand “what that was like,” and props that are symbolic of themes, because they make big ideas visual and tangible. Both kinds of props generate those wide-eyed, “aha!” moments.

Below is an overview of the display we put together for our live workshop, and under that we've given more details. You could easily have your kids contribute items to a table over time, as the book is being read.

Sometimes we create a printable prop; click the button to see the list for this book.
PRINTABLES SET

Viol/in & King Arthur

We couldn't get a harp, but Roger's viol is represented here by a violin. Also shown: an illustrated edition of King Arthur (the subject of much minstrelsy by the 1200s).

Red tights

Red tights like those Adam proudly wore. Doesn't everyone need a pair of these?

Textbooks

Old editions of theology and French textbooks (Adam had learned French as well as Latin by age 11!) We found these at flea markets and on eBay.

Spices

Spices like those smelled at St. Giles Fair: ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

Legumes & seeds

Barley and beans and peas - seeds for Plow Monday.

Bread & metalware

Rustic bread (a staple for Adam and Roger) and pewterware we found at a flea market.

Sheet music

"Sumer is Icumen in" - the song Adam sings; lyrics given in the book.

Candlesticks

Ornate candlestick from a discount home goods store - representing the chores Adam did in the church (and his positive attitude).

The Lay of the Last Minstrel

The Lay of the Last Minstrel by Sir Walter Scott is set in this same time period, in the Borders area of Scotland.

Tea

Old English tea canister with a tassel.

Thyme & mortar

Thyme in a mortar (or is it a bottle?) so the kids could smell the thyme Adam and Roger crushed beneath their feet along the road.

Old books

An old theology book in Latin and an old edition of The Canterbury Tales (set in the same era by a bard of the era and implicitly referenced several times in Adam of the Road) - both from a used book store. Also pictured: spices smelled at St. Giles Fair.

LitWitty Shareables





Great Quotes

“A road’s a kind of holy thing,” Roger went on. “That’s why it’s a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It’s open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people from all parts of England together. And it’s home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle.”

"Why should some be hungry and others have more food than they can eat?"

"That which concerns all should be approved by all."

"It's a pity there's nothing in this world that's all good, but then nothing is all bad either."

"...it's well to have a second string to your bow."

"...a minstrel sings what his listeners want o hear. It's not for him to ease his own sorrows of tell his own joys. He's to find out how his listeners are feeling and say it all for them."
PRINTABLES SET

We're glad you're here!

You're literally on our page about inspiring kids to love great books.  YAY! We're eager to share our passion for LitWitting and the work we've done for over a decade.

We're also eager to keep doing it! :)  So if you found this guide-page inspiring and useful,* please share it with your social world. And if you buy our printables for this book, thank you. We appreciate you helping us keep the lights on at LitWits! 

Happy teaching,
Becky and Jenny
Sisters, best friends, and partners
Sure, I'll support LitWits!

Terms of Use

The Becky & Jenny version:  Feel free to print pages for teaching use, and make copies of printables for your students. Please don’t use our name, ideas, or materials commercially or share our printables, though we'd love for you to share these free pages with your fellow educators.

The blah legal version: You are granted exclusive use of our products in download or print version as follows: You have the right of reproduction that is limited to your use only in whatever quantity is necessary to meet your needs and those of your student participants. This right is unlimited and extends for as long as you need the materials during which time they cannot be given to or shared with any other person(s) through any means of delivery, materially or digitally via the Internet. As such you have the right to store the product(s) on the hard drive of your computer or as hard copy in your resource file.  Any misuse of these rights is in violation of copyright law.

LitWits® is a registered trademark of LitWits Workshops, LLC.

LitWits teaching ideas and materials for Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Copyright 2013 by LitWits Workshops, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
PRINTABLES SET

Want ideas for more great books?

YES! Take me to your titles!