Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
History – Medieval Europe
The ancient to the modern world - Depth study 1: Investigating medieval Europe (c. 590 – c. 1500)
Students develop their historical understanding through key concepts, including evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy,
significance and contestability. These concepts are investigated within the historical context of the end of the ancient period to the beginning of the modern period, c. 650 AD (CE)
– 1750. They consider how societies changed, what key beliefs and values emerged, and the causes and effects of contact between societies in this period.

Key features of the medieval world (feudalism, trade routes, voyages of discovery, contact and conflict) (ACOKH009)

The way of life in medieval Europe (e.g. social, cultural, economic and political features) and the roles and relationships of different groups in society (ACDSEH008)

Significant developments and/or cultural achievements, such as changing relations between Islam and the West (including the Crusades), architecture, medieval
manuscripts and music (ACDSEH050)

Continuity and change in society in one of the following areas: crime and punishment; military and defence systems; towns, cities and commerce (ACDSEH051)

The role of significant individuals in the medieval period (e.g. Charlemagne) (ACDSEH052)
Comet Bay College
Week
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
SCSA link to ACARA
Content
Skills focussed on
Homework focus
Events and
Assessment
Medieval Terminology
1-3
Key features of the medieval world
(feudalism, trade routes, voyages of
discovery, contact and conflict)
(ACOKH009)
HISTORY – Why History?
Overview of the end of the
Dark Ages, Emergence of
the Feudal System and
Medieval Period
Terminology
Chronology - Timelines
Primary and Secondary sources
Medieval Sources
Medieval Timelines
Charlemagne
Literacy Skills And
Timeline
The way of life in medieval Europe (e.g. social,
cultural, economic and political features) and the
roles and relationships of different groups in
society (ACDSEH008)
The role of significant individuals in the medieval
period (e.g. Charlemagne) (ACDSEH052)
4-7
Significant developments and/or cultural
achievements, such as changing relations
between Islam and the West (including the
Crusades), architecture, medieval manuscripts
and music (ACDSEH050)
Continuity and change in society in one of the
following areas: crime and punishment; military
and defence systems; towns, cities and
commerce (ACDSEH051)
8
Continuity and change in society in one of the
following areas: crime and punishment; military
and defence systems; towns, cities and
commerce (ACDSEH051)
CAT 1 Lindisfarne
Feudal Structure - Kings and
Nobility
Feudal Structure – Knights
and War
Feudal Structure – Peasants
and farming
Feudal Structure – Religion
and role of the church
Crusades
Comprehension and
Critical thinking
Terminology
Chronology - Timelines
Primary and Secondary sources
Research Skills
Crusades
Comprehension and
Critical thinking
Crusades
Critical Thinking and
Timeline
Law and Crime / Complete
project
9
Revision
Revision
Revision
10
Exam
Exam
Exam
Law and Punishment
Critical Thinking
CAT 2 – Creative
Task Due
Revision Package
Exam – End Week
9 or Start of
Week 10
Medieval Fair –
Wednesday 6th
April
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
Weeks 1-3
Overview
SCSA
Purpose

Key features of the medieval world (feudalism, trade routes, voyages of
discovery, contact and conflict) (ACOKH009)
HISTORY – Why History?
Overview of;
 the end of the Dark Ages,
 Emergence of the Feudal System and
 Medieval Period to Renaissance
Possible Activities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Class Set-up, Course timeline and Assessment overview discussion.
Introduction to Historical thinking and methodology. Word Origin `History’ – placemat activity;
group reporting.
Discussion of the term `text’ and how it pertains to Historical documents and thinking – mind
walk activity.
Primary and Secondary Source Documents – what are they and how are these used by
Historians? – Handout – Source Documents - mind mapping exercise.
Validity of texts – what does this mean? – Think, pair, share.
Timeline creation steps – modelling and making
Timeline creation activities – Vikings, Hastings and Total medieval period
Textual Resources
Pearson History 8: p5-8, 90-1,
OBI 8:p298-299, 316-7, 324-7
PPP 8 (History section): p6-13, 44-45
Cambridge 8: p247-250
Jacaranda SOSE 1: p4-13
Jacaranda S&E for W.A. 1: p12-13
ICT / Visual Resources
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_timeline.php
http://www.timetoast.com/
http://www.slideshare.net/arisbx/primary-secondary-sources14970608
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/timelines.html
Homework Focus
Gamification
Wk1 – Medieval Terminology
Wk2 – Medieval Sources
Wk3 – Medieval Timelines
Age of Empires 2
Medieval Total War 1&2
Crusader Kings 1&2
Glossary of terms
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
Week 4-7
Life in Medieval Times
SCSA
Purpose
The way of life in medieval Europe (e.g. social, cultural, economic and political features) and the roles and relationships of different groups in society
(ACDSEH008)
The role of significant individuals in the medieval period (e.g. Charlemagne) (ACDSEH052)


Significant developments and/or cultural achievements, such as changing relations between Islam and the West (including the Crusades), architecture, medieval
manuscripts and music (ACDSEH050)

Defining Feudalism
Medieval Society; Structure, systems
and life
Key individuals
Continuity and change in society in one of the following areas: crime and punishment; military and defence systems; towns, cities and commerce (ACDSEH051)
Possible Activities
Rulers – Role and Lifestyle
•
Responsibilities
•
Becoming ruler – Benefits and problems
with hereditary title
•
Councils, Parliaments and Religious
influence
Workers – Role and Lifestyle
•
Responsibilities of the peasant
•
daily routine
•
festivals, ceremonies and holidays
Farming and Technology
•
How Crop rotation, Irrigation and new
plough technology increased farming
•
Strip fields and fairness
Beginnings of Towns
•
Reasons why Villages became towns
•
Benefits and problems with towns
•
Town Charters, Hygiene and Sanitation
Religion – Role and Lifestyle
•
Role of religion in everyday life:
•
Quell unrest, Legitimize Authority
•
Provide legal and moral council
•
Instil moral code and compliance within
society
•
Islam and its role in Middle Eastern life
•
The Pope and Excommunication
Homework Focus
Gamification
Wk4 – Charlemagne
Wk5 – Crusades pt1
Wk6 – Crusades pt2
Wk7 – Crusades pt3
Age of Empires 2
Medieval Total War 1&2
Crusader Kings 1&2
Nations, War and Diplomacy
•
National borders - compare with
resource placement and farmable land
•
Medieval War – reasons to go to war,
expected support and ultimate costs
•
Significant Battles of the Medieval
Period – Hastings, Acre, 100 Years War
Important people of the Medieval period
•
Joan of Arc – French leader and martyr
•
Saladin – Islamic Leader during Crusades
•
King Richard the Lion Heart – English
King
•
William the Conquerer – Norman
Warlord
•
Various Popes during the period
•
Bede and Chaucer – English Writers
•
Osman 1 and Mehmed 2 – Islamic
Leaders in the Ottoman Empire
•
Vlad Tepes (the Impaler) – original
Count Dracula
Warriors – Role and Lifestyle
•
Responsibilities,Training and routine
•
Support from the community
•
European Knights, Islamic warriors
Textual Resources
Pearson History 8: p92-112
OBI 8:p300-315, 318-323, 332-339
PPP 8 (History section): p16-43
Cambridge 8: p250-265
ICT / Visual Resources
Tony Robinson’s Worst Jobs In History
Terry Gilliam’s Medieval History Series
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal_system.php
http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/feudalism.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/kings_and_court.php
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/nobility.html
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/charlemagne.php
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/women_leaders/joan_of_arc.php
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/becoming_a_medieval_knight.php
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/knights.html
http://www.themiddleages.net/life/knights.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_monastery.php
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/catholic_church_cathedrals.php
http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/religion.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/daily_life_in_the_middle_ages.php
http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/townlife.html
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/rise_of_towns.html
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/commoners.html
http://www.themiddleages.net/people/peasant.html
Glossary of terms
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
Week 8
Crime and Punishment
SCSA
Purpose
Continuity and change in society in one of the following areas: crime and punishment;
military and defence systems; towns, cities and commerce (ACDSEH051)

Crime and punishment in the medieval period compared to today’s laws and
punishment
Possible Activities
Textual Resources
Pearson History 8: p113-115
OBI 8:p330-331
Law, Crime and Punishment

Who creates the law?

Who decides on the punishment and judges?

Types of punishments

Reasons behind some of the more unusual and/or brutal punishments
Homework Focus
Wk8 – Crime and Punishment
Gamification
Age of Empires 2
Medieval Total War 1&2
Crusader Kings 1&2
ICT / Visual Resources
Glossary of terms
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
Week 9-10
Revision and Exam
SCSA





The way of life in medieval Europe (e.g. social, cultural, economic
and political features) and the roles and relationships of different
groups in society (ACDSEH008)
The role of significant individuals in the medieval period (e.g.
Charlemagne) (ACDSEH052)
Significant developments and/or cultural achievements, such as
changing relations between Islam and the West (including the
Crusades), architecture, medieval manuscripts and music
(ACDSEH050)
Continuity and change in society in one of the following areas:
crime and punishment; military and defence systems; towns, cities
and commerce (ACDSEH051)
Key features of the medieval world (feudalism, trade routes,
voyages of discovery, contact and conflict) (ACOKH009)
Possible Activities
Purpose


Revise the skills learnt throughout the term in preparation for their
exam.
Prepare for the Medieval Fair on Wednesday 6th April (Week 10)
Textual Resources
Revision of skills; Primary and Secondary sources, Timelines, Perspective, Critical Thinking
Homework Focus
Gamification
Revision Package
Age of Empires 2
Medieval Total War 1&2
Crusader Kings 1&2
ICT / Visual Resources
Glossary of terms
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
Internet Sites:
1.
Fall of the Roman Empire US History.Org http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6f.asp
A good site with further material AND further links on the left hand side scroll at the bottom of each page.
2.
What’s Your Dark Ages Character? http://www.history.com/interactives/dark-ages
A great interactive site where students choose a character, dress them and then read information about their position in society
3.
Britain Express: Anglo-Saxon England www.britainexpress.com/History/dark_ages_index.htm
A great site on Anglo Saxon Britain with brief histories of key figures.
4.
Welcome to the Middle Ages: Overview
www.middleages.pppst.com/overviews.html
A collection of Middle Ages PowerPoint presentations and games.
5.
Medieval Europe www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/
This site has four different groups of people from the period which guide you through life at the time. It is a good site for looking at the daily lives of people in medieval times (nobles, nun and
monks, peasants, merchants) and contains some useful links.
Feudal Life: What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages? www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html
This site uses different headings to allow students to enter the medieval world
6.
The Middle Ages www.themiddleages.net/
This site contains many links which students can easily follow and use in their research.
7.
The Middle Ages www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/
8.
Black Death, Castles, Knights, Arthurian Times www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/
9.
Life During the Middle Ages www.medieval-life.net/life_main.htm
This site provides a great overview of the key topics of this depth study and students can easily explore the site to find a wide range of information.
10.
Middle Ages
www.historylink101.com/midieval.htm
This site has a links page with a considerable number of links; some very good. Students may need guidance.
11.
Middle Ages Timeline
www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-timeline.htm
Uses different headings to allow students to enter the medieval world
12.
Medieval Times: An Exploration Through the Middle Ages http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/index.html
An interesting site for students to explore, although be mindful as it has been put together by students.
13.
Medieval Life – Quick Quizzes
www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/quickquizzes.htm
A number of quiz questions on various Medieval topics including housing, clothing, food and castles.
14.
Castles of Britain: Castle Learning Centre
www.castles-of-britain.com/castle6.htm
A site with a wide variety of information about castles and is particularly good for information on medieval jobs in castles.
15.
Medieval England www.historylearningsite.co.uk/england_medieval.htm
Comet Bay College
Year 8 History Course Outline – Teacher Edition
A useful site with a wide range of topics related to the course. This site is suitable for students to use to obtain information.
16.
Historical Timelines
http://www.historicaltimeline.com/
Headings include World, Leaders, Religion, Wars & Inventions
17.
The Medieval World
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Medieval.htm
An organic encyclopaedia on Britain in the Middle Ages. Each entry contains a narrative, illustrations and primary sources. The text within each entry is hyper texted to other relevant pages in
the encyclopaedia. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. So far there are sections on Anglo Saxons, Normans, Medieval Warfare, Medieval Farming,
Monarchs and Medieval Literature.
18.
Kid's Castle
kotn.ntu.ac.uk
The home page has an aerial view of the castle. Clicking on a part of the view takes you to that part of the castle. Students can find out about the people that lived there and what they did.
Sometimes there will also be more information about an aspect of castle life, a game to play or puzzle to solve. Subjects covered include different parts of a castle (gatehouse, great tower, royal
apartments, great hall, chapel, kitchens, etc.). There is also an interesting section on tournaments.
19.
Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval Britain
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide12/index.html
This Channel 4 website claims to provide "everything the intrepid traveller needs to know to explore the age of chivalry". The material is organized under the headings: Timeline, Basics, Words,
Age of Chivalry, Class & Customs, Hazards & Dangers, Movers & Shakers, The Arts, Castles & Cathedrals, Sex & Sleaze and Three Kingdoms.
20.
The History Channel
www.thehistorychannel.co.uk
The online accompaniment of the excellent UK History Channel, this website provides a comprehensive history resource for both student and enthusiast alike. Visitors can listen to history's
greatest speeches, re-live battles blow by blow with the animated battle guides, find events and exhibitions in their local area, or test their knowledge with the history quiz. The debate
chamber is a popular place for regulars to voice their opinion, and for students "The History Study Stop" is the place to go to make revision fun.
DVD & Videos
Worst Jobs in History DVDs
Season 1 Episode 1: Dark Ages
Tony Robinson presents a series examining some of history's least pleasant employment opportunities. He begins in the first millennium, trying his hand at everyday tasks including backbreaking mining by ancient Roman methods, and Saxon ploughing using wooden implements and oxen. He also enters the world of the Viking egg collector, which involved scaling cliff faces in
search of guillemot eggs.
Season 1 Episode 2: Middle Ages
Some of the least pleasant employment opportunities open to people in the Middle Ages. Tony Robinson discovers how fullers spent their working lives stomping on newly woven cloth in vats
of stale urine, while leech collectors risked infection by wading into marshes and letting the bloodsuckers cling to their legs
Dark Ages DVD - Join THE HISTORY CHANNEL on an unforgettable voyage through one of the most desolate periods in human history as the rulers, conflicts, and cataclysmic societal breakdown
of THE DARK AGES are brought to light. At its height in the second century A.D., the Roman Empire was the beacon of learning, trade, power and prosperity in the western world. But the oncepowerful Rome-rotten to the core by the fifth century-lay open to barbarian warriors who came in wave after wave of invasion, slaughtering, stealing, and ultimately, settling. As chaos replaced
culture, Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. THE DARK AGES profiles those who battled to shape
the future, from the warlords whose armies threatened to case the demise of European society, like Alaric, Charles the Hammer, and Clovis; to the men and women who valiantly tended the
flames of justice, knowledge, and innovation including Charlemagne, St. Benedict, Empress Theodora, and other brave souls who fought for peace and enlightenment. It was in the shadows of
this turbulent millennium that the seeds of modern civilization were sown.