Medieval Europe Unit Plan
Social Justice Goals:
Students will analyze how Europe evolved through the feudalism economic system and see how the balance of power reflects on
American society today. Students will further see the far-reaching causes and effects of the Christian Crusades on the various people in
and around Europe. Finally, students will understand the importance of the rise of modern democratic thought and representative
institutions and their affect on society today.
Standard(s) Addressed:
7.6.1 - Study the geography of the Europe and the Eurasian land mass, including its location, topography, waterways, vegetation, and
climate and their relationship to ways of life in Medieval Europe.
7.6.2 - Describe the spread of Christianity north of the Alps and the roles played by the early church and by monasteries in its
diffusion after the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire.
7.6.3 - Understand the development of feudalism, its role in the medieval European economy, the way in which it was influenced by
physical geography (the role of the manor and the growth of towns), and how feudal relationships provided the foundation of political
order.
7.6.4 - Demonstrate an understanding of the conflict and cooperation between the Papacy and European monarchs (e.g., Charlemagne,
Gregory VII, Emperor Henry IV).
7.6.5 - Know the significance of developments in medieval English legal and constitutional practices and their importance in the rise
of modern democratic thought and representative institutions (e.g., Magna Carta, parliament, development of habeas corpus, an
independent judiciary in England).
7.6.6 - Discuss the causes and course of the religious Crusades and their effects on the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations in
Europe, with emphasis on the increasing contact by Europeans with cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean world.
7.6.7 - Map the spread of the bubonic plague from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe and describe its impact on
global population.
7.6.8 - Understand the importance of the Catholic church as a political, intellectual, and aesthetic institution (e.g., founding of
universities, political and spiritual roles of the clergy, creation of monastic and mendicant religious orders, preservation of the Latin
language and religious texts, St. Thomas Aquinas’s synthesis of classical philosophy with Christian theology, and the concept of
“natural law”).
7.6.9 - Know the history of the decline of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula that culminated in the Reconquista and the rise of
Spanish and Portuguese kingdoms
CC.7.R.H.1 - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CC.7.R.H.3 - Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how
interest rates are raised or lowered).
CC.7.R.H.6 - Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance
of particular facts).
CC.7.R.H.7 - Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts,graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
CC.7.R.H.8 - Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
Concepts/Thematic Goals/Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
1. Who has power in society and how do they maintain power?
2. How are people actors in history?
3. How does history affect your life?
Enduring Understandings:
1. Understand that power is often held by the few and they hold onto it through many means.
2. Understand that human choices and actions shaped history and it is not just a series of unrelated events.
Student Learning Objectives (include literacy, ELL, academic language and technology):
Students will be able to analyze and evaluate primary and secondary source documents, with the goal of using these sources to write
expository articles.
Students will be able to analyze, using sources, how democratic innovations from Medieval Europe led to modern democratic
innovations.
Students will be able to analyze, using sources, how and why the Crusades happened and what their affects were.
Students will be able to critically analyze fictional sources.
Assessment(s):
Medieval Europe Newspaper Project
Assignment/Assessment: You are a newspaper editor and writer present at the end of the Medieval Era in Europe and it is your job to
create the front page of your newspaper. Your front page should include a newspaper title, a date, at least 4 short articles and at least 2
pictures or illustrations. Your short articles should include information on at least 4 the following 5 topics:
 How and why the Crusades occurred,
 How Christianity affected European Growth,
 The development of Feudalism,
 The development of Democratic thought, and
 The causes and effects of the bubonic plague.
Each article should be at least 15 sentences long.
You must also include at least 1 primary source per article within your articles to serve as your “proof” for your story. I will provide
you with possible resources and help you choose which sources to use. Before writing your articles, you must get your resources
approved by me. I will also provide a sample newspaper for you and we will work in class on the assignment. You will further be
given 1 full class day to work on this project and find sources.
Tips For Success:
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There is no maximum page size requirement, so feel free to use bigger sheets of paper in order to have more room to write.
In fact, if you want, you can use other types of writing surfaces, such as poster-board, as long as the writing on it is legible.
If you cannot fit all the articles and pictures on one page, you can use multiple pages
You can type any part of the newspaper you want, it does not have to be handwritten! If you need help with using word
processors, please ask!
Before you create your final paper, write down a draft of what you plan to write and show it to me! I will give you guidance!
During our work day in class, I will ask to see what you are writing, but after that, it is up to you to show me your work!
I will give extra credit for extra articles as long as they are related to Medieval Europe! I will give up to 10 points extra
credit per extra article, for up to 3 articles. These could be advertisements, obituaries, opinion pieces, etc. Ask me if you want
some suggestions for extra credit ideas!
Please be creative! You can use different colors, make your own drawings for the illustrations, create your own borders, and
more! I will give up to 5 points extra credit to creative projects! Don't forget, however, that the majority of the project grade
will be based on the articles, format, and writing (see Rubric for full grading table).
My main focus is on Content, so if you are short on time, focus on the articles rather than the format or pictures.
Timeline and sequence of unit:
Lesson Design
Activity
Standards
Addressed
The Geography of Europe
7.6.1
Start Word Wall
Time
(Based on
Compton's
Calender)
2 Days (90
Mins)
Primary/Secondary
sources
http://www.medievaleurope
online.com/maps/2-1.pdf
http://historymedren.about.c
om/library/atlas/natmapeur1
346.htm
Other resources
needed
Projector
Preview Assignment/Do Now –
KWL and Think/Pair/Share: Why would
living near a river be beneficial to
Europeans? What are some advantages and
disadvantages of living near mountains?
What famous cities in Europe can you name?
http://www.mapsofwar.com/
images/EMPIRE17.swf
http://www.mapsofwar.com/
images/Religion.swf
SS Skill Builder - Analyze Geography of
Europe Maps/Powerpoint With Worksheet
Analyzing Map of Europe – Blank map that
they fill in based off of their notes
Introduction to Final Project
Feudalism – What is it?
7.6.3
4 Days (200
Mins)
http://duffystirling.files.wor
dpress.com/2012/06/feudalpyramid-of-power.png
Projector
7.6.2
7.6.4
7.6.8
3 Days
(140 Mins)
Pictures of Church
Innovations
Projector
Preview Assignment/Do Now – Alignment
activity: Go to the left if you think one
person having all the power is a good idea,
etc.
Visual Discovery – Feudalism Pyramid
Experiential – Feudalism
Feudalism Jeopardy
Final Project Sources on Feudalism
The Spread of Christianity
Preview Assignment/Do Now –
Think/Pair/Share: Should religion play a role
in the government?
Artifact: Dollar Bill (In God We Trust)
Play enacting standard relationships between
kings, peasants, and the papacy.
Powerpoint Lecture – Using Videos and
Pictures to inform. Fill in the blank pictured
worksheet.
Gallery Walk – Catholic Church Innovations
DIGA
Christianity Team Mini-Jeopardy
Final Project Sources on Christianity
The Crusades
Preview Assignment/Do Now –
Think/Pair/Share: What do you know about
knights? What have you heard about the
Crusades? What are “good” reasons for war?
Why do wars happen?
Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources
about the Causes and Effects of the Crusades
Effects of the Crusades Gallery Walk
Socratic Seminar – Small group discussions
about whether the Crusades were good or bad
and why.
7.6.6
7.6.9
3 Days
(140 Mins)
Crusades Pictures
Accounts of the Crusades
Movie trailer about
Crusades (Robin Hood)
Projector
Comparing Portrayals – How media portrays
the Crusades vs. What Actually Happened.
Final Project Sources on Crusades
Rise of Modern Governmental Practices
and Other Innovations
7.6.5
4 Days
(190 Mins)
Pictures of the documents
(Habeas Corpus etc.)
7.6.7
1 Day
(50 Min)
http://wadsworth.cengage.c
om/history_d/templates/stud
ent_resources/0534600069_
spielvogel/InteractiveMaps/
swfs/map11_1.html
Preview Assignment/Do Now – Finger Vote
on People's Rights (e.g. Should the King
have absolute power over his people? Should
Habeas Corpus Exist?)
Gallery Walk of Innovations
Powerpoint Parallel Lecture and Venn
Diagram – Students create Venn Diagrams
comparing innovations from then and our
government today, based on information
provided in Presentation.
Fingers for Understanding – Innovations
Community Circle
Final Project Work Day
The Bubonic Plague
Preview Assignment/Do Now – Plague MiniExperiential: Show how many people died
comparative to the classroom from the
plague.
Projector
Analyze Sources – Sources that explain how
and where the plague spread as well as its
results. Deciding which sources are most
reliable (e.g. which explanation of the plague
are most likely true, which recounting of the
plague is most accurate, how many people
died from the plague)
Thumbs for Understanding
The Medieval Europe Newspaper Project
Presentations
1 Day (50
Mins)
Theory:
Critical thinking
Haberman Good Teaching
Cognitive Learning Theory
Sociocultural Learning Theory
Rationale:
I chose these goals, concepts, assessments, and topics because I feel that my students will enjoy the varied methods of learning and
getting intimately involved with the materials. I further wanted group work to play a vital role in learning, in order to build a
classroom community and build interpersonal working skills. I based the learning goals off both the State Standards and the Common
Core, focusing on primary and secondary sources. I further worked to incorporate the UCLA TEP Core Practices within the lessons.
Bibliography:
Reflections: