Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Unit Outline
Students investigate society in Medieval Europe, while acquiring basic skills of historical inquiry and
communication.
Big ideas/key concepts
Target outcomes


I want the students to learn to think like historians.
I want students to be able to transfer the research and
thinking skills, which they develop in this unit into other
units of work.
I want students to understand that history is important,
because it impacts on how societies are run today.

Unit duration
Approximately 10 Weeks – 9 lessons
4.1 describes and explains the nature of history, the main features of past societies and periods
and their legacy
4.5 identifies the meaning, purpose and context of historical sources
4.8 locates, selects and organises relevant information from a number of sources, including
ICT, to conduct basic historical research
4.10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written and other forms, including ICT, to communicate
effectively about the past.
Resources used throughout unit:
Retroactive 1 2nd Edition
Historyzone 1
Computers/ Laptops
Other books from the library about Medieval Europe
What do you want the students to learn?
Why does this learning matter?
To identify the origins of Medieval Europe
To describe how both men and women lived in Medieval Europe
To describe the way in which the people of Medieval Europe were
governed (feudal system)

To describe the rights and freedoms of different groups in Medieval
Europe

To explain the beliefs and values of Medieval Europeans

To explain the impact made by significant people in Medieval Europe

To outline the contacts that Medieval Europeans had with other peoples

To assess the legacy of Medieval Europe for our world cultural heritage
What are you going to get the students to do or produce?
So that students can be aware of how our own society has been
influenced by past societies and to see comparisons between
Medieval Europe and society today.
To choose three activities from the assessment sheet, regarding life in medieval
Europe and complete (William the conqueror, weapons, punishment, timeline Black
Death, newspaper article – jousting, diary entry – daily life).
OR
To complete a capacity matrix demonstrating their understanding of all the required
concepts for study.
I expect all student work to be of a high quality, but I want students to decide what
it means to be a quality piece of work (as we have discussed in class – see the
poster on the back of the door). If it is not, then I will provide feedback to the
students and ask that their work is re-submitted.



How well do you expect them to do it?
Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Students learn
about:
Students learn to:
 daily life of men
and women in the
society or period
 describe
how
both men and
women lived in the
society or period
 impact
of
significant people
and/or events
 explain
the
impact made by
significant people
and/or events on
the society or
period
 daily life of men
and women in the
society or period
 describe
how
both men and
women lived in the
society
Learning Experiences
Capacity Matrix:
Lesson 1 – Feudal government
Students and teacher reads through Capacity Matrix.
Students outline their prior knowledge in this topic.
Students complete Activity sheet on the feudal government
or an activity, which they have chosen themselves.
Lesson 2-3 – Bubonic Plague
Students given a choice of researching the Bubonic plague
and using their information to:
 Write a newspaper article
 Create a comic strip
 Write a diary entry about what it would be like to live
during the Black Plague.
OR
 Complete worksheets from the booklet
OR
 Complete work from Retroactive 1 (page 158-159,
160-161)
Evidence of
Learning
Resources
Completed
capacity matrix
Capacity Matrix
Students’
completion
of
either an activity of
their own choice,
or work from
textbook,
or
worksheet.
Photocopies of
worksheets
about Medieval
Europe
Laptops
with
internet
connection
Books
about
Medieval
Europe
Retroactive 1
Lesson 4 - The Black Death.
Discuss what we have learned about the Black Death so
far. Students to complete synthesis task (above or pages
192-195 Retroactive 1)
Lesson 5 - Jobs in Medieval Europe
Students to view the DVD The worst jobs in Medieval
Europe
Students to complete the worksheet:

List the jobs mentioned

Pick three of the jobs and describe what they involve

Rank the jobs from what you would most prefer to do,
to what you would least prefer to do.

Give reasons for your rankings (we did this as a
discussion).
Answers
questions
sheet.
to
on
Participation
in
discussion of jobs
in
medieval
Europe.
SMARTBOARD
DVD – The
worst jobs in
Medieval
Europe.
Quality Teaching
Intellectual Domain
- Deep knowledge
- Deep Understanding
- Problematic
Knowledge
- Higher-order thinking
- Metalanguage
- Substantive
communication
Quality Learning
Environment
- Explicit quality criteria
- Engagement
- High expectations
- Social Support
- Students’ selfregulation
- Student direction
Significance
- Background
knowledge
- Cultural knowledge
- Knowledge integration
- Inclusivity
- Connectedness
- Narrative
Reg/
Date
22-7-08
1-8-08
5-8-08
19-8-08
2-9-08
Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Students learn
about:
Students learn
to:
 the legacy of the
ancient, medieval
and early modern
world
 assess
the
legacy of the
society or period
for our world
cultural heritage
Learning Experiences
Lesson 6 - Castles for protection and control
Read through the information on page 162-3 of
Retroactive 1. Have a brief discussion about
castles.
Knight in Shining Armour
Knights were soldiers who fought on horseback against the
enemies of their feudal lord. They were not part of a
permanent army, as soldiers are in Australia today. There
are many stories and legends about knights and chivalry
(the system of knightly qualities). The most famous are
those about the mythical King Arthur and his knights of the
round table. But what was it really like to be a medieval
knight?
Mind-map: As a class, come up with a mindmap about what students already know about
knights. Have students copy this into their books.
Comprehension activities (Retro 1): Read
through the information on page 166-7 of
Retroactive 1, and complete the activities under
the headings “Check your understanding” and
using sources” on page 167.
Synthesis: Have students design their own coat
of arms using symbols that hold meaning and
importance to them to be depicted on a shield.
Have students complete a draft copy in their
books and then complete a good copy on a piece
of A4 paper. These should be coloured and
submitted with their justification (below).
Justification:
Students need to write a
paragraph (4-6 sentences) explaining their use of
symbols and colours on their coat of arms. They
need to mention at least 4 features on their
shield design.
Extension: Have students research the legend
of King Arthur and write a report about it.
Evidence of
Learning
Resources
Mind-map
Retroactive 1
CYU questions
SMARTBOARD
Coat of arms, and
written justification
Report about King
Arthur.
Quality
Teaching
Intellectual Domain
- Deep knowledge
- Deep Understanding
- Problematic
Knowledge
- Higher-order thinking
- Metalanguage
- Substantive
communication
Quality Learning
Environment
- Explicit quality criteria
- Engagement
- High expectations
- Social Support
- Students’ selfregulation
- Student direction
Significance
- Background
knowledge
- Cultural knowledge
- Knowledge integration
- Inclusivity
- Connectedness
- Narrative
Reg/
Date
12-9-08
Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Students
learn about:
Students learn
to:
civics
and
citizenship in the
society or period
describe the way in
which the people of
the society or period
were governed
rights
freedoms
and
describe the rights
and freedoms of
different groups in
the society or period
the legacy of the
ancient, medieval
and early modern
world
assess the legacy of
the society or period
for our world cultural
heritage
civics
and
citizenship in the
society or period
describe the way in
which the people of
the society or period
were governed
rights
freedoms
and
describe the rights
and freedoms of
different groups in
the society or period
Learning Experiences
Lesson 7 – Law and Order
Read through pages 172-173 Retroactive 1 as a
class. Discuss the various types of crime people
were guilty of committing in Medieval Europe,
and the way they were tried.
Venn diagram – as a class, construct a Venn
diagram comparing the way people were
punished in the past compared to today (for the
same crimes)
Students to complete questions 1-4 (Check your
understanding)
Students to complete questions 1-2 (Using
sources)
Lesson 8 – Crime and punishment
Read through pages 174-175 Retroactive 1 as a
class.
Discussion of the different types of punishment –
what they would involve, why they might be
given). Students to complete questions 1-4
(Check your Understanding).
Evaluation – As a class, rank the punishments
from the one you would most prefer to receive
and the one you would least prefer to receive.
Discussion of why people ranked things various
ways. Informal debate over which punishment is
the worst/ easiest.
Evidence of
Learning
Venn diagram
Resources
Retroactive 1
CYU questions 1-4
US questions 1-2
Participation in
discussion.
CYU questions 1-4
Evaluation and
justification
Retroactive 1
Quality
Teaching
Intellectual Domain
- Deep knowledge
- Deep Understanding
- Problematic
Knowledge
- Higher-order thinking
- Metalanguage
- Substantive
communication
Quality Learning
Environment
- Explicit quality criteria
- Engagement
- High expectations
- Social Support
- Students’ selfregulation
- Student direction
Significance
- Background
knowledge
- Cultural knowledge
- Knowledge integration
- Inclusivity
- Connectedness
- Narrative
Reg/
Date
16-9-08
26-9-08
Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Students
learn about:
Students learn
to:
Learning Experiences
civics
and
citizenship in the
society or period
describe the way in
which the people of
the society or period
were governed
Lesson 9 – Review
Medieval trivia - Divide students into groups of 3-4. Ask
them the following questions. The group with the most
correct answers wins a prize.
1. What is treason? (saying or doing something against
the king)
2. What was the punishment for treason? (death –
hanging or beheading)
3. List two things that people used to blame witches for
(Famine, plague, drought, harvest failure, still birth).
4. List three forms of punishment that they used in
medieval Europe (paying a fine, extra work, stocks, pen
with wild dogs, scold’s bridle, ducking stool, stretching,
beheading, hanging)
5. If someone was put in the stocks, what would happen
to them?
6. Why might a woman be put on the ducking stool (for
nagging her husband).
7. What was the name of the formal combat between two
knights, riding horses (jousting)
8. Where did nobles live? (in castles)
9. List one movie that talks about medieval Europe.
10. What was the name of the plague that killed thousands
in Medieval Europe
Mini-Task – Students to complete the cloze activity of the
Black Death
Extension – Students to read through pages 162-163
retroactive 1 and compete questions 1-2 (check your
understanding)
Lesson 10 – Knights and Castles
Watch the Clickview DVD – Knights and Castles. Stop the
DVD after each segment to answer selected questions from
the resource sheet linked to the DVD.
rights
freedoms
and
 daily life of men
and women in the
society or period
describe the rights
and freedoms of
different groups in
the society
 describe how both
men and women
lived in the society
Evidence of
Learning
Resources
Trivia mark
Prizes for trivia
Mini task results
Copies of the
mini task
Quality
Teaching
Intellectual Domain
- Deep knowledge
- Deep Understanding
- Problematic
Knowledge
- Higher-order thinking
- Metalanguage
- Substantive
communication
Reg/
Date
14-10-08
Quality Learning
Environment
- Explicit quality criteria
- Engagement
- High expectations
- Social Support
- Students’ selfregulation
- Student direction
Completion of
questions – as part
of discussion
SMARTBOARD
– Clickview
Knights and
Castles and
worksheet.
Significance
- Background
knowledge
- Cultural knowledge
- Knowledge integration
- Inclusivity
- Connectedness
- Narrative
24-10-08
Teacher: Lesley Barklay
Year 7 History – Medieval Europe
Term 3, 2008
Evaluation of Unit
Teacher Evaluation
Comments/Variations
How did the unit ‘rate’ in these areas?
Time allocated for topic
Student understanding of content


Opportunities for student reflection on learning

Suitability of resources

Variety of teaching strategies

Integration of Quality Teaching strategies

Integration of ICTs

Literacy strategies used

Numeracy strategies used

Date commenced: 12th July, 2008
Date Completed: 24th October, 2008
Teacher’s Signature:
Head Teacher’s Signature:
In this unit I began by using the Langford techniques with the capacity matrix. I offered
students a choice of activities that they could complete (e.g. diary entry, comic strip,
newspaper article), a choice of worksheets designed to move them through course content,
and textbook work. Students were also free to design their own activities to complete based
on their research.
Students conducted their research using:
 The internet
 Books from the school and town library
 Videos on Ancient Egypt
Students produced a variety of different work samples including:
 Reports on the Black Death
 Completed worksheets
 Diary entries from the perspective of people who lived in Medieval Europe
 PowerPoint presentations on William Wallace
 Comic strip - depicting the spread of the black death
 Timelines – about important events in Medieval Europe.
This method worked slightly better than last term, where I gave the students complete
freedom. I did not continue this way; however, because of the limited time, and the proximity
of the yearly examination. When students were learning independently it took them a lot
longer to get through the content, and although they went into great depth in one area, they
were not able to cover the breadth required in the limited time period.
I also switched over to more textbook/ teacher directed lessons due to the issues in booking
the laptops or computer rooms to enable students to research independently. We had some
excellent discussion on the DVD of the Worst Jobs in Medieval Europe, the Clickview DVD on
Knights, and also the two textbook lessons on law and order, crime and punishment.
Students were highly engaged, and had lots of questions. The ranking activity was
particularly popular.