Do you already
know anything
about Medieval
society??
Medieval
Europe
Leave a page for your title page in your books 
Write down at least FIVE activities you can
see occurring in this picture.
What do you think they are building?
Inquiry Question
• How did societies change from the end of the Ancient period to the
beginning of the Modern Age?
Medieval Europe
The medieval period lasted from about AD 500 to AD 1500. Medieval
Europeans lived very different lives and had different attitudes, values and
experiences from those of most people today.
As we explore this topic, we will find answers to these questions:
• What can we learn about medieval European society?
• What have been the legacies of this medieval society?
MODERN TIMES AD c.1500
MEDIEVAL TIMES AD 500 – AD c.1500
A timeline
showing the
three main
periods of
history
ANCIENT TIMES 3000 BC – AD c.500
PREHISTORY Before 3000 BC
Your turn
1. Divide into three groups
2. In five minutes each group must think of as many words as possible
associated with one of the following periods
- Ancient History
- Medieval History
- Modern History
3. Share with class
A New Era
• Last year you learnt about the Ancient
World. This year you will find out what
happened after the decline of the
Ancient World and the emergence of the
Medieval and Early Modern World. You
will be exploring the ideas, art,
architecture, culture and innovations of
those times.
The fall of the Ancient World
Read the handout and answer the following
questions in full sentences in your books.
• 1. What was the Colosseum used for in Ancient Rome?
• 2. What is a hypogeum?
• 3, In which empire was the Colosseum located in 690CE?
• 4. What was the Colosseum used for in 690CE?
• 5. How do we know what the Colosseum was being used for then?
• 6. What was one of the causes of the collapse of the Ancient World
empires?
• 7. How is the seizure of the Western Roman Empire by the Byzantine
Empire an example of continuity and change?
Make a list of the different tribes attacking
Rome.
Watch ‘Barbarians Rising: Rise and Fall of an
Empire’ and make notes in your books on the
reasons Rome fell.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ITVUBXVyR8
The Middle Ages in 3 1/2 minutes
.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EAMqKUimr8
The word medieval comes from the Latin
words medium aevum meaning ‘middle ages’.
• The world of medieval Europe was a pre-industrial, largely
agricultural world, controlled mainly by small groups dominated by
men.
• It was a world of superstition where witches caused illness, plague,
drought, famine and crop failure.
• The Catholic Church taught that the Earth was the centre of the
universe and that the sun, planets and stars revolved around it.
• Life was short and difficult.
WHAT DID THE MEDIEVAL WORLD LOOK LIKE?
How is it different from our map of the world today? Is anything missing
or different?
The words listed on the next slide are all about
Medieval England.
Copy the following tasks into your book:
1.
2.
3.
Write lists of the words that you think could be grouped together.
Write a heading or title for each list.
Using writing or pictures, outline what you believe to be some key
aspects of life in Medieval England.
Work in pairs and use these
words to complete the task.
king
apprentice
queen
visor
drawbridge
castle
Vikings
spinning
cathedral
priest
sewing
knight
moat
joust
court
weaving
nun
ploughing
surgery
craftsman
squire
merchant
blacksmith
conquest
disease
church
doctor
farming
armour
guild
monastery
baron
monk
sword
lance
horse
rats
Saxon
peasant
tournament
hunting
village
plague
battle
The Social Structure of Medieval Europe