Name__________________________________________Period_______Due Date_____
Middle Age Stations
Directions:
1. Complete the activities at each station.
2. Use specific information from the text and/or details from your
observations. Neatness, grammar, spelling and punctuation are important.
Hint: Remember to read the questions to be answered at each station before you start
the activity….that way you know what you are looking for.
Station A: The Fall of Rome – 476 A.D. (C.E.)
1. Examine the picture: “Map: Roman Empire” and read Section A of
“The Fall of the Roman Empire” to understand how large it was.
2. Examine the picture: “Huns at a Feast” and read Section B.
a. What did the Romans call the people that invaded their empire along the eastern
and western borders?__________________________
b. What was the name of the famous Hun leader?_____________________________
c. What three problems did the Romans have which lead to the fall of their empire.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
d. In what year did the Western Roman Empire collapse?___________________
e. What happened to the eastern part of the Roman Empire?
______________________________________________________________
Station B: Feudal Europe - 476-1400 A.D. (CE)
Put the “Triangle of Feudalism” together.
1. What are the 6 classes of feudal society?
________________
_________________
________________
_________________
_______________
_______________
2. Which section of society had the greatest population?__________________________
3. Now, take turns and read about each of the feudal classes. As one person in the group
reads, the others listen and:
Identify the role of each member of feudal society. (or, what each person does)
King:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Nobles: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Clergy: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Knights: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Serfs:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Based on what you read, is feudalism a simple or complex political system? Write
feudalism under the “simple to complex” symbol where you think it belongs.
Station C: Siege Warfare (or attacking a castle) .
Watch “Castle” by David MacCauley and answer the following questions.
1. Describe four strategies used to attack a castle.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________________
2. Identify three strategies used to defend a castle.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
Station D: Cathedrals
Examine the slides and read the corresponding placards. Name and describe six
characteristics of a Gothic cathedral.
1. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Station E: Gregorian Chants.
Listen to the tape and examine the picture.
1. Look at the tape’s cover and identify the singing group.
____________________________________________
2. Suggest five adjectives to describe the music.
__________
__________ __________ ______________ _______________
3. Who were monks? List 3 things you think they did with their time.
a.________________________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________________________
c.________________________________________________________________
Station F: The Byzantine Empire – 726-1095 A.D. (C.E.)
Examine the picture: “Trade Routes to Constantinople” and read Section A.
1. Constantinople was the capital of ______________________________________
2. Who overthrew the Western Roman Empire in 476 ?___________________________
3. Constantinople was an ideal port for trade. What were the 3 areas that utilized
Constantinople as a center of trade ? a._________________________________
b._________________________________
c._________________________________
4. How did the Byzantine Empire become so wealthy?__________________________
5. Based on what you read, was the Byzantine Empire a simple or complex political
system? Write Byzantine Empire under the “simple to complex” symbol where you
think it belongs.
Read Section B and examine the overhead: “Hagia Sophia”.
6. a. Originally, the Hagia Sophia was a ________________.
b. Later, when Constantinople fell to the Muslims, it became a _____________.
c. Today, it is a _________________.
Station G: Facts about Islam
Read “Facts about Islam” and examine the artifacts.
1. Who is the prophet of Islam?_____________________________________________
2. What does Islam mean?_________________________________________________
3. What are the 5 pillars of Islam?
a.________________________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________________________
c.________________________________________________________________
d.________________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________________
4. What is the holy book of the Muslims?____________________
5. How many Muslims are there in the world today?____________
Station H: The Mongol Empire – 1200-1447 A.D. (C.E.)
1. Read Section A of “The Mongols” and examine the map: “Mongol Empire,
1200-1294 “. Use the map scale and a ruler to estimate the east-west extent of the
entire Mongol Empire.
__________________
2. Turn to pages 52 and 68 of the atlas and examine the maps of Europe and Asia.
List 5 modern countries included in the Mongol Empire.
________________ _______________ ________________
________________ _______________
Read Section B of “The Mongols” and examine the picture of Genghis Khan.
3. Who was Genghis Kahn?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What does “Genghis Khan” mean? ________________________________________
5. Identify two reasons why Genghis Khan was such a strong leader.
a.____________________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________________
6. True or False. Many religions existed in the Mongol Empire.
7. True or False. The Mongol rule promoted trade.
Station I: The Islamic Empire – 635-750 A.D. (CE)
A. Examine the size of the Islamic Empire and the trade routes. Then, read the
information page about the Islamic empire and answer the following questions:
1. What cultural achievements were significant?
__________________________________ ________________________________
__________________________________
________________________________
__________________________________
________________________________
2. What beliefs and values were important?
__________________________________
_________________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________
3. How did the political system support trade?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. Examine the alphabet poster and write your own name in Arabic letters.
C. Based on what you read, did the Islamic Empire have a simple or complex political
system? Write Islamic Empire under the “simple to complex” political system symbol
where you think it belongs.
Station J: The Magna Carta – 1215 A.D. (C.E.)
Examine the picture: “Barons Presenting Magna Carta to King John” and read
the article.
1. What is the literal translation of the Magna Carta?_____________________
2. What is the Magna Carta?________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Who signed the Magna Carta?______________________________________
4. In what year was it signed?________________________________________
Station K: The Crusades 1095-1291 A.D. (C.E.) The Atlas of the Medieval World
Pages 28 and 29
Read the section titled (in large letters) “The Crusades”.
1. What were the Crusades?________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. When did the Crusades take place?________________________________________
3. Skim the rest of the pages. Based on this information, generate a question that might
be used on a test about the Crusades. Then, write the answer.
Q.________________________________________________________________
A.________________________________________________________________
Station L: “Life and Times in the Year 999”
The Washington Post 5/12/99
1. Skim the subtopic, “Life Span”. What was the life expectancy in the Middle
Ages?_____
2. Skim the subtopic, “Marriage Vows”. In the year 999, at what age did a person
become a legal adult?_____
3. Skim the subtopic, “Personal Hygiene”. What were the only colors peasants were
allowed to wear?___________________________________________________
4. Skim the subtopic, “Church and State”. What was the most influential force in Europe
in the year 999._____________________Why?______________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. Skim the subtopic, ”Elsewhere: The Vikings”. The Vikings (pirates) were from
_________________________.
6. Skim the subtopic, “the Byzantine Empire”. What was the capital of the Byzantine
Empire ?__________________.
Station M: Making Wool
Watch the video and examine the artifacts to learn about making wool.
1. Indicate two problems shepherds face when caring for their sheep.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. How long did it take a medieval shearer to shear a sheep?
__________________________________________________________________
3. Feel and smell the wool (a moment in a peasant’s life). Decide on three adjectives
that best describes the wool. No slang please.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Station N: Medieval Food
Read “Medieval Food” and examine the pictures on the back.
1. During the Middle Ages, poor people mostly ate______________________________.
2. Drinking water was often unclean and considered unsafe to drink. Instead, the poor
drank____________________.
3. While not a spice, ____________was so important that when serving a meal, it was
considered a privilege to sit close to it at the dinner table.
Read “Medieval spices” and smell the samples.
1. Name 5 spices that were used by the nobility during the Middle Ages.
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
2. Name 2 places from where these spices came from.
______________
_______________
3. What was the name of the guild that to some extent controlled the availability and
prices of the spices.__________________________________________________