Medieval Times
Unit Goal: Students will become acquainted with the
medieval period through their studies in various subject
areas.
Reading
Goal: At the end of this unit the learner will comprehend the material in both The
Midwife’s Apprentice and the information on King Arthur. The learner will be able to
put him/herself into situations that others may encounter and use higher-order literacy to
develop a play about King Arthur and medieval times.
Week 1 (reading is everyday for approximately 1-1 ½ hours)
Objective(s):
1. The learner will be able to summarize the first half of the novel The Midwife’s
Apprentice.
2. The learner will be able to pretend he or she is in the situations presented in the novel.
? Students will read chapter 8 in The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman and
answer daily questions developed by the teacher or themselves. These can be answered
through discussion, worksheets, quizzes, etc. Comprehension
? Students will acquire vocabulary that the teacher picks out of the novel and they will
use these as spelling words.
? Students will keep journals of how they would feel if they were in the situations that
Alyce, the main character, is in during the book. These journals would be written in on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the last 20 minutes of the reading/language
arts time block. Writing & ESL & Disabled learners
Week 2
Objective(s):
1. The learner will be able to summarize the second half of the novel.
2. The learner will be able to pretend he or she is in the situations presented in the novel.
? Students will read chapters 9-17 of The Midwife’s Apprentice and continue to answer
daily questions. Comprehension
? Students will continue to acquire vocabulary and spelling words from the novel.
? Students continue to journal. Writing & ESL
Weeks 3 & 4
Objective(s):
1. The learner will be able to explain the story or myth of King Arthur.
2. The learner will be able to compare and contrast (see below).
3. The learner will be able to write a play about medieval times. (1 group for the play)
? Students will either be read aloud, or will read silently, stories from King Arthur and
His Noble Knights by Mary Macleod or another source of Camelot stories. Each student
will be required to read aloud once during the week for decoding/sight word recognition
(1 paragraph).
? Students will compare and contrast The Midwife’s Apprentice and King Arthur or King
Arthur and His Noble Knights and The Sword and the Stone. Writing, anti-bias
elements, and higher-order literacy
? Begin watching the Disney movie The Sword and the Stone. This will help students get
an idea for the play that they will put together about the Middle Ages. Learning styles
? Rewriting play group: these students will put together a play about King Arthur and
Medieval history in their own words. Higher-level literacy, writing & comprehension
? Week 4: Students will have a test on vocabulary and spelling words from all weeks.
ESL/LEP readers—do oral vocabulary test instead of written
Sample Lesson Plan – Reading
Title: Intro to The Midwife’s Apprentice
Subject: Reading
Grade: 5-6
Objective(s): The learner will be able to summarize the first two chapters of The
Midwife’s Apprentice and visualize him/herself in the situations presented in those
chapters.
Materials needed: overhead, copies of The Midwife’s Apprentice, notebooks (journals)
Anticipatory set: The teacher will activate the prior knowledge students have about the
medieval period (ask them what they know and discuss). –use overhead to write
suggestions
Procedures:
1. Teacher reads aloud first chapter of novel.
2. Ask students how they would feel, what they would do, etc., if they were facing the
situations the main character is.
3. Read second chapter of novel aloud. (modeling—they will read silently after a few
days of oral reading)
4. Model journal writing to students—help students visualize themselves in the novel.
Conclusion: Students write first journal entry.
Social Studies
Goal: At the end of this unit, the learner will understand England’s feudal system of
government in the middle ages, become acquainted with the activities of the rest of the
world during this time period, and learn the functions and main features of castles.
? Weeks One & Two: Feudalism – Government System
Week One Objectives:
~ The learner will explain the basic Feudalism system of social organization and land
tenure and begin to examine the roles of men and women. Anti-bias elements
~ The learner will examine more in depth the difference between social classes and how
Feudalism determined these relationships.
~ The learner will draw the hierarchy of King, Barons, Bishops, Abbots, Knights, and
Peasants and briefly describe the role of each.
Week Two Objectives:
~ The learner will write a compare and contrast paper describing his/her life first as a
King/Queen and then as a peasant living on the same manor. Writing & Higher Order
Literacy
~ The learners will be divided into groups to research what life was like in other countries
during Europe’s Medieval Time Period (1066-1485) such as China, Japan, Greece, etc…
This will involve cooperative group work and a presentation with some form of visual
aid. This research will take place throughout the unit. During week four, another
component on castles will be added to the projects. Anti-bias/ Multicultural Elements &
Visual learning style
? Weeks Three & Four: Castles
* Before the lessons on Castles begin, do a quick K-W-L with the students to build
background knowledge and prepare the students for learning. Disabled readers
Week Three Objectives:
~ The learner will describe the threefold function of castles: domestic, civil, and military.
~ The learner will identify the principle features of castles and the specific details of
military architecture.
~ The learner will retell in his/her own words why castles are obsolete today.
~ The learner will memorize the vocabulary words related to castles. This will be
accomplished by playing games using the words and incorporating this terminology into
presentations. Recognizing the words will aid in their research projects and in their
construction of castles in math class. Vocabulary Acquisition & Decoding and Sight
word recognition, Spelling
Vocabulary list:
Bailey- courtyard or ward
Barbican-outward extension of gateway
Bastle- fortified farmhouse
Crenallation-opening in upper part of parapet as part of fortification
Curtain- wall enclosing a courtyard
Garderobe-lavatory
Motte-castle mound of earth or turf
Oubliette-pit dungeon
Portcullis- iron-shod wooden grille suspended by chains to add to defense of gateway
Sally port or Postern- a back door
Week Four Objectives:
~ Go through the LEARNED part of the K-W-L as a review for the entire class.
~ The learners will divide into their previous groups to continue their research about
different countries and now focus on the different architecture and features of the castles
in their country. If their chosen country did not have castles, they will do further research
on England’s castles by studying information we did not cover in class. Books from the
bibliography can be used for research items. Multicultural elements
~ To accommodate disabled and ESL/LEP readers, this week will be used as a review
and catch-up time where the teacher can work one-on-one with students, helping them
make connections. Going through the K-W-L should also help them.
~ Students who need an extra challenge will be put into a group to research the attack and
defense methods of castles and demonstrate some of the methods to the class. Refer to
the bibliography for useful books to use in research.
Sample Lesson Plan – Social Studies
Subject Area: Social Studies Grade: 5th-6th
Lesson Title: Medieval Society Lesson Length: 40 min
Objective:
~ The learner will explain the basic Feudalism system of social organization and land
tenure and begin to examine the roles of men and women.
Materials: any of the books from the bibliography are great resources, especially
Langley, Andrew. (1996). Medieval Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Procedures:
~ Anticipatory Set & Modeling the Skill:
Break the class into groups. Have one person be the King, then have a few students be
Barons, Bishops, and Abbots, choose more students to be the Knights, and have the rest
of the class be the Peasants. Make sure that all the females are in the Peasant category, or
that they are wives of the Noblemen, so the students begin to see that very few women
actually had any power over men. Now tell the King that he owns the entire school and
he has to divide the different areas of the school into ‘estates’ called fiefs, or grants of
land. He must give them to the Barons, Bishops, and Abbots to rule over. Now the King
subdivides each estate into Manors which the Barons, Bishops, and Abbots give to the
Knights to look over. After that is established, the Manors are further divided into strips
of land and given to the individual Peasants to farm.
~ Teaching the Skill:
Once each person has his or her land, explain the way the feudal system works. The
King owns all the land, which is divided into estates and subdivided into manors. The
Barons, Bishops, and Abbots each hold a large number of estates given to them by the
King. In return, they give service to the King and promise to supply him with soldiers in
time of war. They also pay feudal dues. These important noblemen often divided their
land among lesser nobles, called Knights, who gave service to their immediate overlord
and became his vassal. The Peasants were who worked the land and they had few rights
and little property. They served the lord of the manor because he protected them.
~ Practicing the Skill:
Now ask the students why all the women are among the peasants or are wives to those
who own land. See if they can come up with their own explanation. Ask the students to
make suggestions of the role of women in each of the four categories. Explain to them
that the medieval Church looked on women as inferior to men and they were to be
obedient to all the men in their lives. Peasant women farmed the land with their
husbands and made clothing for their family. Noble women mostly acted in a position of
show but many took on the responsibility of running large estates if their husbands died.
A few fought in battle defending their castles, although this was rare. An unmarried
woman of wealth had equal rights as men but once she married, she forfeited all of her
land and rights to her husband. Before she was married, she lived on her father’s estate.
~ Assessment:
Assess the students by having them explain in their own words the way the Feudalism
system was organized and how the land was divided. Make sure they refer to the social
organization and the role of women and men.
Unit Goals and Objectives – Math
Main Goal: The learners will be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide several kinds
of numbers, work with graphs, make measurements in metric and customary units, and
figure perimeter, area, and volume.
Week 1
The learners will add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, decimals, and
fractions by
keeping a vassal’s journal of lands, serfs, knights, and war.
The learners will demonstrate their knowledge of the week’s mathematical concepts by
writing a
story about the equations in their number journals. Stories will include procedures used
to
figure equations. Higher order
Week 2
The learners will identify components of a graph.
The learners will graph the data in their individual number journals.
The learners will work in the small groups to graph the combined data of the group.
The learners will write a group creative story about the group’s graph data. Higher order
*may be the poem required for music class
The learners will demonstrate their knowledge of the week’s mathematical concepts by
answering
questions using the class graph (that the teacher has compiled from the group graphs).
Week 3
The learners will identify metric units of measurement.
The learners will measure various objects throughout the classroom using the metric
system.
The learners design their own castle using metric units.
The learners will identify customary units of measurement.
The learners will measure various objects throughout the classroom using the customary
system.
The learners will begin to design and create sets and costumes for the culminating
presentation
while keeping a journal of each measurement they used, how they used it, and why.
Writing
Learners who need extra help – use blocks to create their own castles
Learners who need a challenge – their individual castles can be 3D
Week 4
The learners will describe how to find the area of an object.
The learners will calculate the area of various objects such as the rooms of their
individual castles
or the boxes of the set for the play, etc.
The learners will describe how to find the perimeter of an object.
The learners will calculate the perimeter of various objects such as the rooms of their
individual
castles or the boxes of the set for the play, etc.
The learners will calculate story problems dealing with volume.
The learners will write story problems involving volume, area, and perimeter. Higher
order
Learners who need a challenge – work with circumference
Sample Lesson Plan – Math
Subject Area: Math Lesson Title: adding whole numbers, decimals, fractions
Grade: 5 and 6 Lesson Length: 50 minutes
Goal Statement: The learners will add whole numbers, decimals, and fractions.
Objectives:
The learners will begin writing a vassal’s journal of number sentences and stories
accompanying
the number sentences.
To begin, the learners will add whole numbers, decimals, and fractions in the journal.
Materials and Resources:
a journal (notebook or stapled pages, etc.) for each student
a math curriculum guide may be helpful
Assessment Plan:
The teacher will view and correct number sentences in the journals.
Anticipatory Set:
Pose the question, “If you were a vassal of a king, why would it be important for you to
use math?” Accept a variety of answers.
Time: 5 minutes
Objectives and Statement of Purpose:
“It’s important to use math to keep track of what lands you own, how many serfs you
have to work those lands, how many knights you have to fight wars, how much food your
lands must produce to feed everyone, etc. Each of you will keep a vassal’s journal.
We’ll practice number sentences in this journal and write stories about some of them.
Today we’ll work on addition of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions.”
Input, Modeling, and Guided Practice:
Adding whole numbers should be review for most of the students. Ask volunteers to
make whole number addition sentences on the board for the class to solve together.
Write a decimal addition problem on the board. Ask students to give suggestions on
how to solve the number sentence. Write other decimal addition problems on the board
and ask students to copy them into their journals. The teacher will solve some, while the
students solve others.
Ask students for suggestions on how we might add fractions. Solve samples on the
board. Students can copy them in their journals. Invite the students to solve a few.
Time: 40 minutes
Independent Practice:
For homework, the teacher will give five of each problem (whole, decimal, and fraction)
for students to complete in their journals. Two of each type of problem must be written
into a story problem involving number sentences a vassal would use. For example, onethird of the land a serf works grows grain. Another serf works a different piece of land.
One-fourth of that land also grows grain. How much of the land grows grain?
Reflection:
Was the lesson paced too quickly?
Were the students bored?
Science
Goal: At the end of this unit, the learner will know about different types of diseases
common during the medieval period. They also will know about how germs spread and
ways to prevent spreading disease.
Week 1 (two days/week)
Objective(s):
1. The learner will be able to identify disease issues in The Midwife’s Apprentice.
2. The learner will be able to list diseases that were common during medieval times.
? Discuss germs—use The Midwife’s Apprentice for examples. Do glitter lesson (see
science lesson 1). comprehension
? Start researching bubonic plague and other diseases rampant during the Middle Ages.
(students should be in groups of 3-4 to research and compile their information)
Week 2
Objective(s):
1. The learner will be able to construct the information they collect about a specific
disease in the following ways:
? Students will compile information on diseases (symptoms, causes, effects on
population, etc.)
? Students will write a short (1 page) summary of their information.
? Students will make posters to demonstrate their information. (illustration, neatness, and
correct information are important)
Sample Lesson Plan – Science
Title: Germs
Subject: Science
Grade: 5-6
Objective(s): The learner will be able to identify the ways germs are spread along with
researching to find out what types of diseases were common during the medieval period.
Anticipatory Set: Put glitter on hand. Go around and shake students’ hands. Ask them
what happens when you shake their hand (they get glitter on their hands). Lead into
discussion about how the glitter represents germs. Brainstorm with students how germs
are spread.
Procedure:
1. Ask students if they can think of any ways that germs may be spread in The Midwife’s
Apprentice.
2. Discuss ways NOT to spread germs.
3. Tell students about the bubonic plague and how it affected the people during the
medieval period.
4. Have students begin small group (3 to 4 students per group) research on other diseases
that may have been common during this period.
Conclusion: Tell students to continue doing research. They will eventually be writing a
short paper and making a poster about their disease.
Physical Education
? Foil Fencing
Goal: The learner will become acquainted with the background and basic terminology of
the sport foil fencing and demonstrate his/her ability to participate in a duel against an
opponent.
* For the final presentation, a group of students will write a script that leads up to a duel
and then carry out the fight using what they learned in P.E. class. They will work on
their scripts during drama time. Writing
Week One Objectives:
~ The learner will briefly explain the background and purpose of foil fencing as a sport.
~ The learner will demonstrate how to hold the foil correctly and how to use the four
hand positio>
Transfer interrupted!
rst.
~ The learner will be introduced to the vocabulary words and told to memorize them by
the end of the unit. See below for words.
Week Two Objectives:
~ Review and practice what was previously learned.
~ The learner will successfully demonstrate the three basic positions: Initial, Salute, and
On Guard.
~ The learner will explain and demonstrate the basic footwork: advance, retreat, lunge,
recovery (if time and ability – advance lunge, balestra).
Week Three Objectives:
~ Review and practice what was previously learned.
~ The learner will state the four target areas and demonstrate the eight guard positions in
engagement and change of engagement.
~ The learner will successfully demonstrate attacks, parries, returns, and counterattacks.
Week Four Objectives:
~ Review everything previously learned.
~ The learner will practice all moves and then exhibit his/her ability to participate in a
judged duel against an opponent.
~ The learner will recall the vocabulary words that have been used throughout the entire
unit and be able to spell them correctly. Vocabulary Acquisition & Spelling
Vocabulary Words:
Foil- a blunted weapon used in fencing
Bout- combat between two opponents with the purpose of scoring touches
Balestra- forward jump and lunge
Lunge- basic attack used to reach the opponent from middle distance
Supination- thumb to the right, nails up
Normal- thumb up, nails to the left
Pronation- thumb to the left, nails down
First- thumb downward, back of hand toward face
Engagement- crossing of the blades in any of the eight guard positions
Change of engagement- moving the opponent’s blade from one guard position to another
by passing over or under the adversary’s blade
Feint- false movement, threat, or pretense
Parry- a defensive actions by which the attacking blade is diverted from the target and
followed by a return
Return- a thrust, with or without a lunge, executed immediately after a parry in reply to
an attack
Sample Lesson Plan – Physical Education
Subject Area: Physical Education Grade: 5th-6th
Lesson Title: Introduction to Foil Fencing Lesson Length: 45 min
Objectives:
~ The learner will briefly explain the background and purpose of foil fencing as a sport.
~ The learner will demonstrate how to hold the foil correctly and how to use the four
hand positions: supination, normal, pronation, first.
~ The learner will be introduced to the vocabulary words and told to memorize them by
the end of the unit.
Vocabulary Words:
Foil- a blunted weapon used in fencing
Bout- combat between two opponents with the purpose of scoring touches
Balestra- forward jump and lunge
Lunge- basic attack used to reach the opponent from middle distance
Supination- thumb to the right, nails up
Normal- thumb up, nails to the left
Pronation- thumb to the left, nails down
First- thumb downward, back of hand toward face
Engagement- crossing of the blades in any of the eight guard positions
Change of engagement- moving the opponent’s blade from one guard position to another
by passing over or under the adversary’s blade
Feint- false movement, threat, or pretense
Parry- a defensive actions by which the attacking blade is diverted from the target and
followed by a return
Return- a thrust, with or without a lunge, executed immediately after a parry in reply to
an attack
Materials: For pictures of correct positions refer to the book, Vince, Joseph. (1962).
Fencing. New York: The Ronald Press Company. Foil fencing equipment, list of
vocabulary words on a handout.
Procedures:
~ Anticipatory Set & Modeling the Skill:
Grab the students’ attention by coming out dressed in fencing attire and demonstrating
some basic movements. Pretend as if you are fighting against an imaginary person so the
students can begin to see what correct fencing looks like. After you have the students’
attention explain that they are going to learn how to fence during P.E. class to keep with
the theme of Medieval Europe.
~ Teaching the Skill:
First give the students a brief background about fencing by explaining to them that in the
Middle Ages Germany and Spain began using weapons larger and lighter than those used
by the Greek and Romans. They used these weapons in what they called duels and
eventually fencing spread throughout Europe. Italy and France have had great influence
on the sport and today fencing is considered a highly competitive sport, which not only
challenges a person to remain in physical shape, but also to remain mentally. Fencing is
not only to exercise the body, but also to exercise the mind so it is perfect to help students
sharpen their analytical and thinking skills.
Second, pass out the vocabulary list so the students can become acquainted with the basic
terms used in fencing. Go over the words and explain that they will be used throughout
the unit so the students will have plenty of time to become familiar with them.
Third, begin to demonstrate how to hold the foil correctly and show the difference
between the four hand positions. Refer to the book for a complete description of how to
hold the foil and pictures. The four hand positions are described in the vocabulary list.
~ Practicing the Skill:
Have each student practice holding the foil correctly and maneuvering it in the four hand
positions. Watch to see if the students understand the concept and correct their form as
needed. Make sure they are away from each other as they practice this and remind them
that foils can be dangerous if not used properly.
~ Assessment:
Assess the students by asking them to briefly explain the background and purpose of foil
fencing as a sport and by watching to see if they can successfully demonstrate how to
hold the foil and use the four hand positions.
Art/Drama/Music
Main Goal for Art/Drama/Music: The learners will appreciate clothing, architecture, and
music of the period not only in Europe, but also in other parts of the world.
Unit Goals and Objectives – Art
Week 1
The learners will find (using encyclopedias, books, internet, etc.) and view various
drawings or
photos of costumes and architecture of the Middle Ages that occurred both in Europe
and in
other parts of the world.
The learners will write about their favorite costumes and architectural designs of the time.
Writing
Learners who need extra help – can vocalize their favorites to a teacher or aide
Week 3
The learners will begin to design and create sets and costumes for the play based on
trends of the
Middle Ages.
Unit Goals and Objectives – Drama
Week 3 and 4
The learners will work as a class to create a presentation for friends and family at the end
of
the unit.
The learners will practice and rehearse their parts for the presentation. Fluency
The learners will keep a journal for these last two weeks discussing their feelings toward
the
presentation, their group, what they hope others learn, what they have learned, etc.
Writing
English language learners – place students with English speakers to help with fluency and
verbal skills
Learners who need extra help – instead of writing everything in a journal, they may be
allowed
to use a tape recorder at the teacher’s discretion
Unit Goals and Objectives – Music
Week 1
The learners will read and discuss the lyrics of various songs from the period.
Comprehension
The learners will decode, record, and discover the meanings of unfamiliar words or
phrases in the
lyrics. Decoding and Vocabulary
The learners will write about what they like or do not like about the songs. Writing
Week 2
The learners will listen to music from other areas of the world that was composed during
the
Middle Ages.
The learners will write an individual or group poem concerning the Middle Ages that can
be
made into a song. Higher order
Week 3 and 4
The learners will choose a musical piece to play/sing as a class for the final presentation.
The learners will practice and rehearse this piece.
The following is our idea of how the class’s final presentation will formulate.
Subject Area: Art/Drama/Music Lesson Title: the final presentation
Grade: 5 and 6
Goal:
The purpose of this presentation is to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their
knowledge of the Middle Ages and to give friends/family the opportunity to learn about
the Middle Ages.
Assessment Plan:
Assessment will take place throughout the month on each subject area level. For the
presentation, the teacher will assess cooperation and completion of each group
presentation.
Format:
The number of small groups formed is based on the number of children in the classroom.
Ideally, there will be six groups of four children; one group for each subject area
(reading, science, social studies, math, art, physical education). Each group will make a
presentation based on what the class has learned in each subject area. For example, the
reading group may write and perform a short play from the King Arthur stories. The art
group may make a short presentation on the costumes and architecture of the time. The
social studies group may present information on other areas of the world during the
Middle Ages. To form groups, we thought it would be best to let the students choose two
groups in which they would like to participate. Then the teacher will place students into
groups, based on their preferences. The set of the presentation will consist of the
buildings designed during math and art. Costumes will also be those made during math
and art. The final presentation will involve the mini-presentations from each group and a
class musical performance, chosen during music.
Bibliography: This bibliography contains a variety of books for all levels.
*Note: These are suggested resources for each subject area. The teacher may use these at
his/her discretion.
Reading:
Cushman, K. (1995). The Midwife’s Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books.
Macleod, M. (1949). King Arthur and His Noble Knights. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
White, T.H. (1939). The Sword in the Stone. New York: Dell.
Social Studies:
Baines, Francesca. (1995). Worldwise Castles. New York: Franklin Watts.
Biesty, Stephen. (1994). Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Sections Castle. New York: Dorling
Kindersley.
Gravett, Christopher. (1994). Eyewitness Books Castle. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Hicks, Peter. (1999). How Castles Were Built. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.
Langley, Andrew. (1996). Medieval Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Pipe, Jim. (1996). Mystery history of a Medieval Castle. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech
Books.
Smith, Beth. (1988). Castles. New York: Franklin Watts.
Steele, Philip. (1948). Castles. New York: Kingfisher.
Unstead, Robert John. (1979). See Inside a Castle. New York: Warwick Press.
Vaughan, Jenny. (1984). Castles. New York: Franklin Watts.
Physical Education:
Vince, Joseph. (1962). Fencing. New York: The Ronald Press Company.
Napoli, Donna Jo. (1997). On Guard. New York: Puffin Books.
Sandelson, Robert. (1991). Olympic Sports. Combat Sports. New York: Crestwood
House.
Bower, Muriel & Torao Mori. (1966). Fencing. Physical Education Activities Series.
Dubuque, Iowa: WM. C. Brown Company Publishers.
Math:
Math in My World. (1998). Grade 5, part 2 & Grade 6, part 1. New York: McGraw-
Hill.