A P MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY
IF YOU ARE OBTAINING THIS ASSIGNMENT FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE,
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU WILL NEED THE FIRST CHAPTER FROM THE
TEXTBOOK TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT. THIS CHAPTER WAS
PROVIDED WITH PAPER COPIES OF THE ASSIGNMENT. THERE WILL BE
EXTRA COPIES AVAILABLE IN THE MAIN OFFICE DURING THE SUMMER
BREAK
A P Modern European History Summer Assignment – 2014
You have been provided with the first chapter in your textbook. It deals with the Middle
Ages, a time of profound change on the European continent. Your first task is to read
the chapter. I would suggest that you do the reading one section at a time. It takes
time and effort to comprehend and absorb what you are reading. By doing it one section
at a time, you will allow yourself time to digest the material. Be an active reader.
Underline or highlight important sentences, make notes in the margins, look up words
that you do not understand. After reading a section, summarize, in your own words,
what the section is about (you don’t have to write this). Also, look at the illustrations
and captions – they will add another dimension to your understanding.
After you have finished reading the chapter, you will have to complete some written
work. You have been given a set of IDs (Identifications – you will do these for almost
every chapter). One group simply asks you for a definition of the term. Get your
definition from the text. An example would be:
Pasteurella pestis – this is the scientific name for the bacteria which was responsible for
the bubonic plague which swept Europe in the 14th century.
One group asks you to identify and provide the significance (why it is important) of the
term; an example would be:
Little Ice Age/Great Famine
 The Little Ice Age was a period in the 14th century which was characterized by
storms, torrential rains and lower average temperatures which ruined the crops
that provided food for both people and livestock.
 Almost all of Europe suffered the terrible famine from 1315-1322.
 Reduced calorie intake meant chronic malnutrition which left people more
susceptible to disease.
 This crisis was multiplied when waves of epidemics hit Europe during the next
hundred years.
 These events would have major social consequences including homelessness, loss
of land, labor shortages and other effects. (This last point is the significance –
why this event was important to history)
When doing IDs, start by identifying the term – what country, who was this person or
event, what happened. The last thing you should write should be the significance – this
means why this event or person was important in the history of Europe. And yes, you
may use these two examples in your assignment. It is important that you make the IDs
complete but not overlong. Too much information is as bad as too little. Identify the
important facts and use them without all the details.
Format:
 List the term and in some way highlight it – type in bold, underline or highlight if
you are handwriting the IDs.
 Skip a line or two between IDs especially if you are handwriting your IDs.
 If you are handwriting, only use one side of the page.
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It is easiest to do the IDs in the way the example shows – by listing the important
points.
The second part of the assignment requires you to answer several questions. You may
do these in paragraph form or bulleted lists like the IDs. The important thing to
remember is that the questions will require you to synthesize the information you read
in the chapter. You will not be able to open the chapter and find an answer in one
specific place – it will require some thinking. As you look at each question, go back and
check the chapter where you have highlighted main points and decide what is relevant
to the question. Then decide how you will answer the question. Write the question first
and then your answer.
General Instructions:
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It is preferred that the assignment be typed but you may handwrite it in ink, using
one side of the page. Make it as legible as possible.
Follow the directions given about each section.
You should be prepared to discuss this chapter during the first week of school. I
expect to do this by the second day of class.
This assignment will be graded and will appear with your 1st quarter grade.
The assignment should be turned in on the second day of class (I do not know
whether class is an A or B day class).
You should be prepared to discuss this chapter by the second day of class.
Do not wait until the last minute to do the assignment. Use your time
management skills and work on the assignment in stages and doing it carefully.
If you have any questions, you may email me at jbrewer@aacps.org or at
brewerjanis@gmail.com. I will answer your email as soon as possible (I travel
frequently during the summer but I do check my email on a regular basis).
If you are accessing this assignment on line and need a copy of the chapter, extra
copies will be left with Guidance and can be picked up there.
Define the following terms:
1. pasteurella pestis
2. Salic Law
3. nationalism
4. pluralism
5. schism
6. merchet
7. banns
8. guild
9. vernacular
Identify and explain the significance of the following terms:
10. Little Ice Age/Great Famine
27. Geoffrey Chaucer
11. Black Death
28. Francois Villon
12. flagellants
29. Christine de Pisan
13. Dance of Death
14. Agincourt
15. Joan of Arc
16. Babylonian Captivity
17. Great Schism
18. conciliarists
19. Marsiglio of Padua
20. John Wyclif
21. Lollards
22. Jan Hus
23. Jacquerie
24. Peasant’s Revolt of 1381
25. Statute of Kilkenny
26. Dante Alighieri
Chapter 12 Questions
1. What were the causes of the population decline that began in the early 14th century?
2. What economic difficulties did Europe experience in the 14th century (economic means
having to do with financial matters such as trade, labor, guilds, banking, etc)?
3. What was the source of the bubonic plague and why was it able to spread so rapidly
in Europe?
4. What impact did the plague have on wages, the demand for labor and land values?
5. Describe the psychological effects of the plague and how this affected the way people
explained this disaster.
6. What were the immediate and long term causes of the Hundred Years’ War? Who
were the losers and winners?
7. Some scholars maintain that war is often the catalyst for political, social and
economic change. Does this theory have validity for the 14th century?
8. How did the Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism weaken the power and prestige of
the church? What effect did these events have on the lives of ordinary people?
9. How did new national literatures reflect political and social developments?
10. Did peasants’ lives improve or deteriorate in the 14th and 15th centuries? In what
ways?