Ineffective 1363 English sumptuary laws inform comprehension of Geoffrey Chaucer’s costume rhetoric employed throughout his works. These laws, in effect for less than a year, proposed and set standards for socially and economically suitable garments for each social group.Chaucer’s Reeve’s Tale portrays a miller’s family, social climbers, who exploit these standards; his General Prologue’s Physician sartorially advertises his prosperous practice; and a stylish Merchant, ‘Flaundryssh’-hatted, proclaims his apparent affluence. Chaucer’s rhetorical expression of contemporary social and moral attitudes and practices illuminate his texts. Items VIII-XIV of these laws list society’s levels and prescribe suitable fabrics, embellishments, and prices for each. Chaucer’s Alison of his Miller’s Tale dresses transgressively when judged by these standards, while Chaucer’s nobles, generally, do not. He realistically portrays his religious figures and the poor. Finally, Chaucer summarises contemporary sartorial sins in his Parson’s Tale.

What is ‘heresy’? One answer would be, ‘that which orthodoxy condemns as such’; though we may also wish to consider when conscious dissent invites such a condemnation. The main ‘heresy’ in late medieval England was that usually termed Lollardy, understood to be inspired by the radical theological thought of John Wyclif (1328-1384), which among other things emphasised the overwhelmingly importance of Scripture, and of lay access to Scripture, through vernacular translation. Orthodox repression of heresy began in the late fourteenth century and developed in various ways in the fifteenth. There are small traces of these much wider battles in Chaucer’s oeuvre, but it would be very hard to say quite how he saw them. We might instead see the fluidity of attitude toward aspects of religion in Chaucer as a sign of his times. ‘Dissent’ can encompass more than that which is solidly decried as heresy, and ‘orthodoxy’ can turn out to be more than one mode of religious thought and expression.

Dance – often left to specialists outside the classroom – is a means by which children can explore the world through their whole bodies. For many learners who lack the ability or the interest to pursue more academic subjects, this is where they need to be given opportunities to demonstrate their potential for success.

This chapter will focus on forms and skills of dance and movement, methods for engaging children and the theoretical knowledge behind dance, as well as practical activities to use in the early childhood and primary classrooms. Linking to other Knowledge Learning Areas, as well as to wider school and curricular issues, this chapter aims to equip both the novice and the experienced educator in dance to confidently and knowledgeably facilitate the learning and development of children. Personal and environmental health and safety issues will also be explored.