Year 8 Medieval History Unit 2019
Unit 1 - History Year 8 Medieval Europe
Medieval Europe (c. 590 - c. 1500)
In this unit, students investigate the following key inquiry questions:
• How did societies change from the end of the ancient period to the beginning of the modern age?
• What key beliefs and values emerged and how did they influence societies?
In this unit, students will:
• explore the way of life in medieval Europe, focusing on key social, cultural, economic and political features
• investigate how an individual's life experience depended on their place in medieval society by studying the roles and relationships of different groups
• explore continuity and change in crime and punishment in medieval Europe
• examine the important role of the Catholic Church and its dominance in medieval society
• investigate significant developments such as the Crusades and individuals such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin.
The content provides opportunities to develop historical understandings through the key concepts of evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives,
empathy, significance and contestability.
The following content is taught as part of an overview for the historical period:
• The transformation of the Roman world and the spread of Christianity and Islam (ACOKFH008)
• Key features of the medieval world (feudalism, trade routes, voyages of discovery, contact and conflict) (ACOKFH009)
Overview: Students investigate the reasons behind the decline of the Roman Empire and explore significant changes in life from the ancient Roman world to the medieval world.
Lessons
Teaching and learning sequence
Resources
Lesson 1
Students will:
Resources
Decline of Rome
• Understand the factors that led to the transformation of the Roman world at the
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
end of the ancient period.
Glossary
Evidence of learning
• Slideshow (with script) - Introducing History Year 8
Can the student:
Unit 1: Medieval Europe
• Explain the factors that led to the transformation of the Roman world?
• Sheet - Timeline of historical periods
Example learning sequence
• Sheet - The Roman Empire
• Explore the focus of the unit and the requirements of the assessment
• Sheet - Problems facing Rome
• Review the sequence of periods in history
Helpful information
• Investigate causes of the decline of the Roman Empire from 476
• Supporting learning resource - Decline of Rome
• Draw conclusions about the decline of the Roman Empire
• Supporting learning resource - History Essentials Year
8
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
• Supporting learning resource - Chronological
awareness
Lesson 2
Lesson objectives
Resources
Transformation to medieval
Students will:
• Slideshow (with script) - The medieval justice system
society
• Understand how aspects of society changed from the height of the Roman
• Slideshow (with script) - Change and continuity in
Empire to the High Middle Ages.
medieval religion
Evidence of learning
• Sheet - Changes from the Roman to the medieval
Can the student:
period
• Explain how aspects of society changed from the height of the Roman Empire to
• Sheet - Paragraph task
the High Middle Ages?
Helpful information
Example learning sequence
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
• Select and use information from visual sources to examine the changes in
Glossary
European society during the transition from the ancient to the modern world
• Supporting learning resource - Transformation to
• Draw conclusions about continuity and change in medieval society
medieval society
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
Overview: Throughout this lesson series, students investigate medieval life through a range of visual and written sources. Students also explore the power structure in the feudal
system and the relationship between different groups in society.
Lesson 3
Lesson objectives
Resources
Feudalism and manorialism:
Students will:
• Slideshow (with script) - Feudalism
Part 1
• Understand the roles and relationships of different groups in medieval society.
• Sheet - The feudal system
Evidence of learning
• Sheet - Feudalism and manorialism
Can the student:
• Sheet - The manor
• Explain the roles and relationships of different groups in medieval society?
Helpful information
Example learning sequence
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
• Analyse the nature and key features of the feudal system in medieval society
Glossary
• Examine the political and economic significance of the manor in medieval society
• Supporting learning resource - Feudalism and
manorialism: Part 1
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
Lesson 4
Lesson objectives
Resources
Feudalism and manorialism:
Students will:
• Slideshow (with script) - Life on a manorial estate
Part 2
• Understand the economic and political significance of feudalism and manorialism • Sheet - Life on a manorial estate
in the lives of medieval people.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• Explain the economic and political significance of feudalism and manorialism in
the lives of medieval people?
Example learning sequence
• Examine the effect of feudalism and the manor on the lives of medieval people
• Examine and compare sources about life on a manorial estate in medieval Europe
• Draw conclusions about the effect of manorialism on the lives of medieval people
Lesson 5
Social and cultural features of
Medieval Europe
Lesson objectives
Students will:
• Understand the key social and cultural features of life in medieval Europe.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• Explain the key social and cultural features of life in medieval Europe?
Example learning sequence
• Explore sources to identify social and cultural features of life in medieval Europe
• Draw conclusions about life in medieval Europe using evidence from sources
Lesson 6
Review, reinforce and extend
learning
Review, reinforce and extend learning
• Sheet - Impact of manorialism
Helpful information
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Glossary
• Supporting learning resource - Feudalism and
manorialism: Part 2
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
• Supporting learning resource - Perspective
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
• Website - Peasants and their role in rural life (The
British Library)
(http://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/peasantsand-their-role-in-rural-life)
Resources
• Slideshow (with script) - Medieval homes
• Slideshow (with script) - Medieval health
• Sheet - Medieval homes
• Sheet - Medieval life
Helpful information
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Glossary
• Supporting learning resource - Social and cultural
features of medieval
Europe
• (Optional) Sheet - Leisure
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
• Supporting learning resource - Perspective
• Supporting learning resource - Interpreting paintings
Overview: Throughout these lessons, students will investigate the changes and continuities in crimes and punishments from Roman times to the High Middle Ages in Europe through
the examination of a variety of written and visual sources.
Lesson 7
Lesson objectives
Resources
Changes in the nature of crime and
Students will:
• Slideshow (with script) - Crime and punishment
methods of punishment
• Understand continuities and changes in crime and punishment from ancient to
• Sheet - Fact or opinion?
medieval times.
• Sheet - Crimes and punishments: Roman to medieval
Evidence of learning
times
Can the student:
Helpful information
• Explain continuities and changes in crime and punishment from ancient to
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
medieval times?
Glossary
Example learning sequence
• Supporting learning resource - Changes in the nature
• Examine the key changes in crime and punishment from ancient to medieval
of crime and
times
methods of punishment
• Distinguish fact from opinion using evidence from sources
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
Lesson 8
Changes in the medieval system of
justice
Lesson objectives
Students will:
• Understand the patterns of continuity and change in the methods of judging
crimes and imposing punishment in medieval times.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• Explain patterns of continuity and change in the methods of judging crimes and
imposing punishment in medieval times?
Example learning sequence
• Examine key elements of continuity and change in the criminal justice system in
medieval Europe
• Identify patterns of continuity and change from the ancient to the medieval
justice system
Resources
• Slideshow (with script) - Special punishments in the
Middle Ages
• Sheet - Storyboard task
• Sheet - Punishments throughout the ages
• Sheet - Pattern paragraph
Helpful information
• Slideshow (with script) - The medieval justice system
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Glossary
• Supporting learning resource - Changes in the
medieval system of justice
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
• Supporting learning resource - Paragraph writing
Overview: In these lessons, students will examine the role and dominance of the Catholic Church over the lives of Europeans throughout the medieval period. Students will
also evaluate the usefulness of contemporary sources about the medieval Catholic Church and draw conclusions about the power that the Church had at the time.
Lesson 9
Significance of the medieval
Catholic Church
Lesson objectives
Students will:
• Understand the significance of the dominance of the Catholic Church in medieval
society.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• Explain the significance of the dominance of the Catholic Church in medieval
society?
Example learning sequence
• Explore the significant role of the Catholic Church in medieval society through
source analysis
• Assess the usefulness of a source in providing evidence about the power and
influence of the Catholic Church in medieval society
• Evaluate the usefulness of a source as evidence of the importance of the Catholic
Church
Lesson 10
Influence on beliefs in medieval
society
Lesson objectives
Students will:
• Understand the approach of the medieval Catholic Church in its teachings and
how it influenced the beliefs and values of people at the time.
Evidence of learning
Can the student:
• Explain the approach of the Catholic Church to its teachings and how it influenced
the beliefs and values of medieval society?
Example learning sequence
• Investigate the teachings of the medieval Catholic Church
• Analyse a visual primary source depicting the Catholic Church's concept of
Heaven and Hell
• Draw conclusions about the significant influence of the Catholic Church on
people's behaviour in medieval society
Review, reinforce and extend learning
Lesson 11
Review, reinforce and extend learning
Resources
• Slideshow - Exploring medieval church sources
• Slideshow (with script) - Assessing source usefulness
• Sheet - Assessing source usefulness
Helpful information
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Glossary
• Supporting learning resource - Significance of the
medieval Catholic
Church
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
• Website - The Church in the Middle Ages: from
dedication to dissent (The
British Library) (http://www.bl.uk/the-middleages/articles/church-in-the-middleagesfrom-dedication-to-dissent)
Resources
• Sheet - Beliefs and values in medieval society
• Sheet - Special rituals of the Catholic Church in
medieval times
• Sheet - Persuasion
Helpful information
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Glossary
• Supporting learning resource - Influence on beliefs in
medieval society
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Empathy
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
Overview Throughout this lesson series, students will investigate the causes, events, participants and outcomes of the Crusades in the Holy Land. They will also evaluate the influence
of the values and beliefs held by those involved. They will respond to a range of questions, analysing and evaluating contemporary, written and visual sources.
Lesson 12
Students will:
Resources
Causes of the Crusades
• Understand the causes and context of the Crusades.
• Slideshow (with script) - Introduction to the Crusades
Evidence of learning
• Sheet - Religious divide
Can the student:
• Sheet - Causes of the First Crusade
• Explain the causes and context of the Crusades?
Helpful information
Example learning sequence
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
• Identify a range of questions about the Crusades to guide an inquiry into the
Glossary
causes of the Crusades
• Supporting learning resource - Causes of the
• Locate information in sources to identify the causes of the Crusades
Crusades
• Examine the sequence of events during the Crusades
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
Lessons 13-14
Lesson objectives
Resources
The Third Crusade
Students will:
• Sheet - Victory and defeat
• Understand the events of the Third Crusade, and how significant individuals were • Sheet - The Third Crusade
influenced by the beliefs and values of the time.
• Sheet - Remembrances
Evidence of learning
• Sheet - Significant individuals in the Third Crusade
Can the student:
Helpful information
• Explain the events of the Third Crusade and how significant individuals were
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
influenced by the beliefs and values of the time?
Glossary
Example learning sequence
• Supporting learning resource - The Third Crusade
• Select and use information from sources to identify key events and individuals in
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
the Third Crusade
• Supporting learning resource - Cause and effect
• Locate information in sources to determine characteristics of individuals in the
• Supporting learning resource - Perspective
Third Crusade
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
• Use information in sources to draw conclusions about the values and beliefs that
• Supporting learning resource - Interpreting paintings
Richard and Saladin demonstrated
Lesson 15
Lesson objectives
Resources
Significance of the Crusades
Students will:
• Supporting learning resource - Significance of the
• Understand how the Crusades brought about change.
Crusades
Evidence of learning
• Sheet - Christian and Muslim contacts
Can the student:
Helpful information
• Explain how the Crusades brought about change?
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Example learning sequence
Glossary
• Sheet - Significance of the Crusades
• Examine changes in the medieval world that have been attributed to the
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
Crusades
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
• Evaluate the effects of change on medieval society
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
• Investigate how the significance of the Crusades can be contested
• Supporting learning resource - Contestability
Overview: During these lessons, students will revise information learned throughout the unit in preparation for the Assessment task - Supervised assessment: Exam held in the final
lesson. This will cover the topics of Crime and punishment and the Crusades.
Lesson 16
Lesson objectives
Resources
Revision:
Students will:
• Sheet - Revision: Medieval Europe
Medieval Europe
• Understand key historical knowledge, understandings and skills associated with
Helpful information
the study of medieval Europe.
• Supporting learning resource - History Year 8 Unit 1
Evidence of learning
Glossary
Can the student:
• Supporting learning resource - Revision: Medieval
• Write cohesive paragraphs demonstrating knowledge, understandings and skills
Europe
associated with the study of medieval Europe?
• Supporting learning resource - Revision: Medieval
Example learning sequence
Europe Answers
• Understand the requirements of the assessment task
• Sheet - Paragraph task
• Complete an assessment revision task
• Assessment task - Investigating medieval Europe:
Teaching notes
• Supporting learning resource - Evidence
• Supporting learning resource - Continuity and change
• Supporting learning resource - Significance
Lesson 17
Review, reinforce and extend learning
Review, reinforce and extend
learning
Assessment
Summary
Investigating medieval Europe (Yr 08) History
 Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of patterns of continuity
and change in the systems of crime and punishment from ancient times to the
medieval period, and how significant groups were influenced by beliefs and
values of society during the time of the Crusades.
Supervised assessment- Examination