A Trip Back in Time to
Castles, Knights &
The Crusades
http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html
This is a three part Virtual Field Trip back into the time
of castles, knights and the crusades. This lesson is an extension activity to
accompany the 6th grade class’ study of Medieval Europe.
Objectives:
http://www.chronique.com/
To give the students a greater sense of what it was like to live in Medieval Europe.
The students will explore various websites and learn about Chivalry, Heraldry, Life in a
castle, The Crusades, The technology of the time, King Richard and St. Francis.
The students will create an original legend that combines these components, create a
costume and then give an oral presentation of their story.
Part One: Life in a castle, Castle Battle Tactics, Heraldry and Chivalry
Activity 1: Visit this site about the castles of Wales and discover what life was
really like in a castle http://www.castlewales.com/life.html .
I recommend you move through the site as follows:
Read the entire page and then scroll back up to the top and click on the link to
Fitz Osbern's. Here you will learn about him and his significance as a builder.
Then click to the link on Chepstow. On this part of the site you will learn about
this Historic castle. Make sure to not miss the the evolution of Chepstow Castle
Chepstow I: 1067-75 Chepstow II: c1200 Chepstow III: 1219-45 Chepstow IV: 1270-1300
(Note: If you want to spend more time touring a real castle head out to the main page of this site
http://www.castlewales.com/home.html and scroll toward the bottom and take a virtual tour of either the
Raglan castle or the Dolwyddelan castle)
Activity 2: Visit this website by PBS & NOVA and explore the tactics of castle
seige. Build a Trebuchet, the most lethal weapon to a castle and see how
strategy and placement could mean victory or defeat.
1. First read about the medieval arms race – Castle battle tactics
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/race.html
2. Now go onsite as NOVA actually constructs one of the deadliest weapons to a
castle – the Trebuchet. See if they get it to work.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/builds.html
3. It’s your turn now to build your own Virtual Trebuchet and try to knock the
walls of the castle down. It takes fine tuning and adjustment. Decide how much
weight, the length of the sling, it’s counter weight, your distance from the castle
and if you want it to have wheels.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/destroy.html
(Also on this website, if you didn’t get your fill of castle life there is a great question and answer
session with Professor Richard Holmes, a British military historian featured in the NOVA film
"Medieval Siege," http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/castle.html )
Activity 3: Read the Code of Chivalry
http://www.chronique.com/Library/Chivalry/code.htm
Discuss as a class what each part if the code really
means. Take notes and chose four that you think are
worth living today. Rewrite these in your own words.
Activity 4: Read and learn about Heraldry and Blazonry
On this site you will get a brief history and some meanings behind symbols and
colors. http://members.tripod.com/~Whitehead/heraldry.html#symbol
This site goes into more detail about Blazonry
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/heraldrygame/gamehelp.htm
This site will lead you through creating a Sheild that you can display proudly.
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/her_act.htm
Assessment 1: Create a crest on a shield that depicts characteristics that you
value. Take into account the four aspects of Chivalry that you wrote about and
attach activity 3 to the back of your shield.
Part Two: The Crusades, Story of King Richard and the Story of St.
Francis
Click the link to see the map
http://www.newadvent.org/images/04543ccx.jpg
Activity 1: The Crusades
There is so much information on the Crusades that only a brief discussion will
happen in this Virtual Field Trip. The information provided is meant to build on
the study of the Crusades that has already taken place in class.
First we will visit this site and get a general overview of the Crusades and
what they were. I suggest reading the opening paragraph and then discussing
the eight major divisions. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04543c.htm#I
After that I would jump to sections I. Origin of the Crusades; and V. The
crusade against Constantinople (1204); These are pretty heavy reading and
should probably be lead by the teacher and discussed. I chose section V
because these are the battles that St. Francis could have been involved in. This
was the time that he left to fight. This background will be helpful when we read
later about life of St. Francis.
Activity 2: The story of King Richard
Read the story of Richard the Lion Hearted
http://www.templarhistory.com/richard.html
Image Copywrite 2000
www.templarhistory.com
Activity 3: The story of St. Francis
Visit this site about the life of St. Francis. It has several pictures taken in
Assissi. http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/fra/FRAmain.html
Here is additional information on the life of St. Francis
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
http://members.nbci.com/katslair/freebies/medieval/pictures/medipict.htm
Assessment 2: Choose one of the following:
1. Write a postcard home from your tour of
duty in the Crusades. Write of a battle telling
those at home how it was to have gone
through it. Create this postcard in Printshop
importing a graphic from one of the websites
we have already visited. Make sure to site
your reference for the picture (copy the URL if
there is no artist listed and place it below or
next to the graphic)
Pictures & Clipart that may be useful
1.http://members.nbci.com/katslair/freebies/medieval/vignett
e/illum/royal/illuroyl.htm
2.http://www.godecookery.com/clipart/people/clpeop1.htm
3.http://www.godecookery.com/clipart/people/clpeop2.htm
4.http://www.godecookery.com/clipart/misc/clmisc.htm
These next sites are the best sites for battle scenes and are provided by the National Library of France
5. http://www.bnf.fr/enluminures/themes/t_1/st_1_02/a102_006.htm
6. http://www.bnf.fr/enluminures/themes/t_1/st_1_02/a102_007.htm
7. http://www.bnf.fr/enluminures/themes/t_1/st_1_02/a102_009.htm
Castles
8. http://www.bnf.fr/enluminures/themes/t_5/ast_5_03.htm
2. Compare and constrast the life of Richard the Lion Hearted and that of St.
Francis. What did they have in common? How was their early life the same?
What were their reasons for fighting in the Crusades? How was Richards’
imprisonment like Francis’ conversion? Compare their deaths.
Write this in Word and insert a graphic from one of the wesites we have already
visited. Make sure to site your reference for the picture. Use the websites listed
above as well. (copy the URL if there is no artist listed and place it below or next
to the graphic)
Part Three: Medeival Technology
Visit this site and explore and discuss the inventions and the dates at which they were
discovered. What do you think people did before they had these advances? Discuss as a
class which one you think had the most impact on society at that time?
http://scholar.chem.nyu.edu/~tekpages/Timeline.html
Culminating Assessment
Name:__________________________
As a final culminating activity create a legend of a person who lived during medieval
times. Take this character on the quest that makes him/her a legend. This project can take
the form of a short story, a poem or a song. You will perform your legend as part of the
passing on of oral tradition of the time. This activity should pull from all areas we have
explored and will be graded as follows.
Quest Components
Points
Possible
Describe their life as a child, living in a castle.
Develop a history for your shield and include it in your
story.
15
20
Pick one advancement from the Technology Timeline
and pretend that your character was it’s inventor.
Make this invention part of your story. How does it
help them on their Quest?
Have your character become a legend by acting on two
elements from the Code of Chivalry. Choose from the
ones you wrote on in activity 3.
Include the Crusades as part of your Characters Quest.
Does he/she take part in a famous battle? Do they
conquer a castle?
Have your character meet St. Francis. What effect does
this have on your character? Does it change him/her?
What does St. Francis tell him/her?
You will also be graded on spelling, grammar,
capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, word
usage and overall compostition.
Points
Earned
15
20
15
15
10
Oral Performance of Legend
As part of the Oral presentation component you will be required to create a costume in
which to perform your legend. You can either become the character in your legend or
dress as a storyteller of the time. You do not need to memorize your story, poem or song
but points will be given for your “performance”. Have Fun!
Oral Components
Flow of Composition
Legend Presentation
Costume
Possible Points
12
12
26
Points Earned