Medieval Times

A WebQuest for 7th Grade Social Studies

Designed by 

Denise Engebretsen

Christopher Johnson

Introduction

This lesson was developed for EDTEC 570, a class about incorporating technology into the classroom, at San Diego State University.

Students will be using links provided by this webquest to research and explore different aspects of life back in Medieval European Times. They will discover such things as daily life of people such as knights, peasants, merchants, and nobles, music, trade, clothing, food, castles, homes, art, farming, the Crusades, the feudal system, science, health, and medicine.

Learners

This lesson is anchored in seventh grade social studies and incorporates art, writing and speaking to a lesser extent. This lesson can be easily extended to other grades by adapting the activity to require both more or less research and writing. 

Prior to beginning this lesson, the learners will need to have basic speaking skills, beginning computer skills and some background knowledge on medieval times. 

Curriculum Standards

California Social Studies Framework for 7th grade

6.1- Study the geography of Europe and the Eurasian landmass, including their location, topography, waterways, vegetation, and climate and their relationship to ways of life in Medieval Europe. 

6.3- Understand the development of feudalism, its role in the medieval European economy, the way in which it was influenced by physical geography (the role of the manor and the growth of towns) and how feudal relationships provided the foundation of political of political order.

6.4- Demonstrate an understanding of the conflict and cooperation between the papacy and European monarchs (e.g. Charlemagne, Gregory VII, emperor Henry IV)

6.7- Map the spread of the bubonic plague from central Asia to China, Middle East, and Europe and describe it impact on global population.

California Reading Language Arts Framework for 7th Grade

Listening and Speaking

1.4 Organize information to achieve particular purposes and to appeal to the background and interests of the audience.

1.5 Arrange supporting details, reasons, descriptions and examples effectively and persuasively in relation to the audience.

1.6 Use speaking techniques including voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact for effective presentations.

The students will be encouraged throughout this activity to work cooperatively as a team to compile a time capsule. Therefore, they will be further developing their teamwork and compromise abilities. 

Process

Here are a couple links to get you familiar with time capsules. Read about time capsules before you start the activities so that you understand more what you are going to be creating.

            International Time Capsule Society 

            The Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium    

1. You will be assigned by your teacher in groups of five.

3. Use these links to gather information on Medieval times and become an expert on
     your topic:

These websites cover several areas of medieval life, from the different kinds of people to the way they live their lives. This includes clothing, daily life, and homes.
         
       Life in the Middle Ages
       
       The Middle Ages 

       Enter the Middle Ages

       Medieval Times Theme Page     
       
       Medieval Siege

This website provides a great resource for reading about different medieval terms associated with the art and architecture of that time.    

        Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture

This website is a good resource for learning more about the musical instruments of the Medieval times. It includes not only descriptions and pictures, but also audio samples.

        A Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments

This website discusses important people from the Medieval times.    
     
        Medieval Times

This website focuses on the tools that were used for science and technology during this era.         
    
        Medieval Technology

     4. Use the Medieval Worksheet to record the information you find. On this sheet, you
        will need to write the names of the artifacts/objects that you will be considering
        about putting in your group's time capsule. You will also need to describe your five
        objects and your rationale.

     5.  Each member of the group will choose their favorite object from their worksheet to create a                     replica to include in the time capsule. In choosing which object to create a replica of, think of what           would best represent your area of expertise. What do you want next year's seventh graders to                 learn about your topic? Talk with your group members for feedback on the quality of your choice.           Using materials that your teacher provides, do your best to replicate your medieval object. Each             member will have a chance to discuss their object with their group members to undergo any                   fine-tuning that is needed and to make sure that the time capsule is a collaborative project. Also,           as a group, you want to do your best to make sure that the time capsule is a good representaton           of the Medieval times. That means, that several different aspects of Medieval life are                               represented. You don't want to just focus on the people of that time. Do your best to teach the next         year's seventh graders as much as you can, to the best of your abilities.  

     6. After creating your object, each member of your group will write a letter addressed to next year's             7th grade students. Include the information that you gathered through your research on your area             of expertise. Refer to your Medieval Worksheet for help. Be sure to include a description of why             the object you chose to create for the capsule best represents that time. Why was that object a               better choice than the other four on your worksheet?

    7. Once the objects and letters are completed, you will present as a group, the information you have           gathered to your classmates. You must share your objects with the class and give a brief                         summary of your letter.

    8. Now you will be putting together your time capsule! Gather all of the objects, letters and                            worksheets that your group has created and place them in the large box that your teacher has                provided. Make sure everything is included in your time capsule because once it has been                      sealed, it will not be opened again until the following year by the next class of students. 

Lesson Organization

This lesson is intended for one class at a time, but can be easily modified to accommodate two classes if team teaching is desired. This lesson will last approximately three weeks, dedicating an hour to the lesson per day.

Student Grouping

Since the students will be working in groups, it is the teacher's responsibility to help the students form groups that will work well together. We suggest six groups consisting of five students each.  This grouping can either be made with existing groups, or new groups can be created solely for this project. Students may be given the option to form their own groups if they can handle this responsibility. This choice is up to the teacher's discretion.

Teacher Skills

This lesson is relatively easy for a teacher of any background. Even a novice teacher would be successful in implementing this lesson. The students do need to be monitored while using computers. Therefore the teacher does need to have an understanding of computers.

Variations

If computer laboratories are readily available on a daily basis, this lesson can be modified so the students can work individually. In this way, each student would research on their own; create their own object and ultimately their own time capsule. Another variation is to have another class do the same project simultaneously on a different time period, and have the two classes exchange time capsules.

Resources Needed

Here is a list of the materials needed to implement this lesson:

• Computers (At least two or three. Six would be ideal.)
  
• Six large shoe boxes (one for each group)
• Medieval Worksheet
  

• Different fabrics
  
• Glue
  
• Construction paper
• Cardboard pieces
• Crayons
• Colored pencils
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Markers
• Scissors

Websites Used
              
These websites are very comprehensive and they cover several areas of medieval life, from the             different kinds of people to the way they live their lives. 
              
       Life in the Middle Ages
       
       The Middle Ages 

       Enter the Middle Ages

       Medieval Times Theme Page     
       
       Medieval Siege

This website provides a great resource for reading about different medieval terms associated with the art and architecture of that time.    

        Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture

This website is a good resource for learning more about the musical instrument of the Medieval times. It includes not only descriptions and pictures, but also audio samples.

        A Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments

This website discusses important people from the Medieval times.    
     
        Medieval Times

This website focuses on the tools that were used for science and technology during this era.         
    
        Medieval Technology

Human Resources 

Even though only one teacher is necessary for this lesson, aides or parent helpers would be welcome additions to the experience.  A wonderful field trip to take as an extension of this lesson is a trip to the Renaissance Fair in San Bernardino, California. This fair typically runs in the summer months and would be a great experience for the students after having learned about Medieval times. The fair features food, people dressed and role-playing, and exciting jousts and other great events. If this is not possible, a field trip of any kind to a museum featuring exhibits from this time period would be appropriate and exciting for the students. Also, parent volunteers come in very handy on field trips.  

Evaluation

This lesson will be successful when the teacher has observed that the students have gained a greater knowledge of the medieval times after reviewing the students' projects. The students' projects will be evaluated based on different criteria listed below in the rubric. Even though this is a group project, students will be graded individually based on their efforts for each part of the lesson. The students will have met the social studies standards and the listening and speaking standards upon successful completion of this lesson.

Credits & References

University of Maryland Virtual Time Capsule  

Belgium Travel Guide  

Auberge Angevine  

Virtual Finland  

Lord Bartholomew Hightower of Canterbury

The California Native International Adventures

Realm of the High Reaches 

The WebQuest Page 

Design Patterns 

"We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL."