Lesson Plan
Delivery Date: -
Tahnis Cunningham
Subject: Soc./Eng. 9
Topic: Coat of Arms and Heraldry
Lesson Length: 1.5 hours
Materials/Preparation:
● Powerpoint
● Flip chart paper and markers
● Prompts for brainstorm
● Coat of Arms Assignment Package
● Coat of arms templates
● Coloured pens and pencils
Outcomes:
English Outcome CR9.1a. View, listen to,
read, comprehend, and respond to a
variety of texts that address identity.
Indicators:
Students view medieval coat of arms and
try to decode some of the symbols to learn
about the people they represent.
English Outcome CC9.1a. Create various
visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts
that explore identity.
Student brianstorm symbols that represent
their personalities, their families, their
cultures, where they are from and their
strengths and likes to create a personal
coat of arms.
Social Outcome IN9.3. Analyze the ways a
worldview is expressed in the daily life of
a society.
Investigate the worldview of the local
community as represented through
features including literature, the arts,
cultural celebrations and traditions,
education (including Elders’ teachings of
indigenous peoples), sports and
recreation, and architecture.
Lesson Presentation:
15 mins.
Development: Powerpoint/Lecture/Class Discussion
Slide: Medieval knights wore armor that completely covered them from head
to foot and even their faces were covered. In their armor no one could tell
who they were. So on their shields they painted a coat of arms that had
symbols to identify them. The coat of arms had personal or family symbols.
Slide: Show some examples of Medieval coat of arms. Each person or
family had their own. The symbols and colours had meaning for the people
who carried these coat of arms - they were representations of who they were
– talk about identity.
Slide: If you have a last name that comes from Europe you might be able to
find your family coat of arms.
Slide: Some examples of modern-day versions of a coat of arms. Grafitti
tags, sports or school logo, Apple or Nike logo, Canada’s coat of arms, flags,
tattoos.
Slide: Treaty 4 flag - why is it divided into four parts? What does each part
represent? Show a medicine wheel and talk about symbols and meanings
found in each quadrant. Talk about symbolic meanings found in Aboriginal
culture.
Slide: Symbols and colours have meaning.
-Group brainstorm possible meanings for a colour.
-Sometimes it is a universal meaning and sometimes it is particular to an
individual and only they know what it means. Talk about the different
meanings for colours or animal heraldry in different cultures (a wedding dress
is white in western culture but may be red in some Asian cultures, why?)
-Show an image of a fist and one of a hand outstretched in friendship. What
is the difference between these two symbols using hands?
Colours and images have different meanings for different cultures. As you
create your own coat of arms use symbols that have personal meaning for
you.
15 mins.
Development:
Students are divided into groups of 3. Each group is given a list of 4 items words to create a symbol for or images to brainstorm possible meanings for.
They put their ideas on flip chart paper.
Group 1
What can the colour red represent?
What words or ideas can a tree represent?
Create a symbol that represents intelligence.
Create a symbol that represents Canada.
Group 2
What can the colour blue represent?
What words or ideas can the sun represent?
Create a symbol that represents courage.
Create a symbol that represents cooperation.
Group 3
What can the colour green represent?
What words or ideas can a bear represent?
Create a symbol that represents love.
Create a symbol that represents summertime.
Group 4
What can the colour black represent?
What words or ideas can fire represent?
Create a symbol that represents strength.
Create a symbol that represents freedom.
Group 5
What can the colour yellow represent?
What words or ideas can a book represent?
Create a symbol that represents happiness.
Create a symbol that represents safety.
Group 6
What can the colour white represent?
What words or ideas can an eye represent?
Create a symbol that represents danger.
Create a symbol that represents balance.
15 mins.
Development:
Each group presents the words, ideas, and images that they came up with.
10 mins.
Break:
35 mins.
Development:
Introduce the coat of arms assignment. Students may use a medieval crestshaped template, a circle template, or create a design of their own choosing.
Work period for students to begin work on their own
5-10
mins
Closure:
Allow students to share their brainstormed ideas and rough drafts with the
rest of the class.
Classroom Management:
● Hands up for questions/comments.
● Students may find their own groups or the teacher may place them in groups.
Assessment:
● Circulate during brainstorm and listen to presentations.
● Heraldry Assignment is for marks.
1. You will always obey the laws of religion.
2. You will always defend the church (religion)
3. You will always be kind to and defend people who are weaker or less advantaged
than you.
4. You will always be proud of and loyal to the country you were born in.
5. You will always fight for what is right.
6. You will always complete your responsibilities unless they are against the law
7. You will never lie and will always keep your word.
8. You will always be generous and give help to those who need it.
Who is your knight in shining armour?
Write about a person (friend, coach, parent, teacher) that you think lives their life in an
honourable way (follows the code of chivalry). Explain how they demonstrate the code
of chivalry.
OR
Write about a fictional character (character from a TV show, movie, book, comic, video
game) that you think lives their life in an honourable way (follows the code of chivalry).
Explain how they demonstrate the code of chivalry.