Beowulf’s Journey in Order

This sequencing worksheet is designed for Grades 7-10 and helps students build a clear understanding of Beowulf by organizing ten major events from the epic into the correct chronological order. Students are presented with key moments-such as Beowulf’s arrival in Denmark, his battles with Grendel and Grendel’s mother, and the final confrontation with the dragon-and must number them accurately from beginning to end. To succeed, learners analyze cause-and-effect relationships and track how Beowulf’s role and reputation evolve over time.

An optional extension activity invites students to compare an early event with a later one, encouraging deeper thinking about character development, leadership, aging, and thematic progression across the epic.

Learning Goals

• Plot Sequencing (Secondary ELA) – Accurately order major events in an epic narrative
• Reading Comprehension in Epic Poetry – Demonstrate understanding of key battles and turning points
• Cause-and-Effect Reasoning – Analyze how events influence later outcomes
• Literary Comparison & Contrast – Examine changes in character and theme over time

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Aligned with middle and early high school ELA standards
• Supports Epic Structure Understanding – Helps students manage a long, complex narrative
• Builds Big-Picture Comprehension – Reinforces how individual episodes fit into the whole story
• Extension for Deeper Analysis – Encourages insight into growth, fate, and legacy
• Flexible Use – Ideal for review, assessment, guided practice, or test prep
• Low Prep – Print-and-use worksheet with clear directions

This Beowulf’s Journey in Order worksheet helps students see the epic as a cohesive narrative, not just a series of battles. By sequencing events and reflecting on changes across Beowulf’s life, learners strengthen comprehension, analytical thinking, and their understanding of how epic structure supports theme and character development.

This worksheet is part of our Beowulf worksheets collection.