World Studies Middle Ages
(Feudalism and Transitions)
7th grade
World Studies Middle Ages
(Feudalism and Transitions)
Laura Orlowski
Table of Contents
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Introduction to the Unit
History
People in Societies
Geography
Economics
Government
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
Social Studies Skills and Standards
Introduction
The unit I chose to design was a 7th grade World Studies Middle
Ages (Feudalism and Transitions) unit. I selected this unit
because I felt it comprehensively covered the essential
information needed for the eighth grade Ohio Achievement
Test, and I found the information in this unit interesting
(personally).
The readings assigned to the students are all found in the
textbook Medieval Times to Today. This is the textbook used
to teach the 7th grade students at the school where I am
currently student teaching. To prepare for teaching this unit I
have designed this power point presentation to help guide
my lesson planning.
History: Benchmarks and
Activities
Benchmark A. Interpret relationships between events shown on multiple-tier time lines.
Indicator 1. Chronology Group events by broadly defined historical eras and enter onto
multiple-tier time lines.
Benchmark C. Describe the characteristics of feudal societies and the transition to the
Renaissance and Reformation in Europe.
Indicator 4. Feudalism and Transitions Explain the Lasting effects of military conquests
during the Middle Ages including:
a.
Muslim conquests;
b.
The Crusades;
c.
The Mongol invasions
Activity #1: As part of a pre-assessment activity, pass out a timeline
on a piece of paper to each pair of students. Have the pair fill in
the events missing from the timeline (word bank will be made
available to the students).
Activity #2: Have students skim through the text and illustrations in
Section 1 (Chapter Five) of their textbook, Medieval Time to Today.
Have them find answers to the following questions; What was life
like in the northern-Italian city-states? How did art change during
the Renaissance? Who were some important artists of the
Renaissance? What was the Reformation? Students who want,
may read more information about the Reformation on the website:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/reformation.htm
History Activities cont.
Activity #3: Have students create web diagrams based on the
information in Section 1 of their textbook, Medieval Times to
Today. The hub of each diagram should include one of the
three main headings of the section: the World that Made
Leonardo, The Renaissance Artist, or The Reformation. The
extension from each hub should provide supporting details
for each main heading. This activity should take about thirty
minutes.
Activity #4: Students will read the article, “Manuscripts, Books,
and Maps: The Printing Press and a Changing World: The
Development of Print Technology”, that teaches students about
the significance of printing with moveable type. To
understand the significance of the ability to print with
moveable type, students will complete the graphic organizer,
“An Invention-Causes and Effects” found in Danilel J.
Barnekow’s book, Graphic Organizers for Social Studies
History Activities cont.
Activity #5: Have students research one of the great
artists from the Renaissance time period on the
world wide web. Students may pick from;
Leonardo Da Vinci, Michaelangelo Buonarroti,
Raphael Sanzio, Caravaggio, Sandro Boticelli,
Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Breughel, Antonio
Corregio, Giovanni Bellini, Albrecht Durer, Titian,
and Giorgione. Each student will fill in the
information about the artist that they researched
on the graphic organizer, “A Biographical Profile”
from Danile J. Barnekow’s book, Graphic
Organizers for Social Studies.
History: Related Websites
Five Related Websites:
To be used with Activity #1:
http://people.timelineindex.com/content/view/540
This website provides a comprehensive and thorough timeline
that students may consult to check their guesstimates of
events on the Middle Ages Timeline. Students may add
interesting factoids to their timeline, based on the website’s
timeline.
To be used with Activity #2:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/reformation.htm
This website gives students access to important historical facts
regarding the Reformation. There are several clickable links
available to encourage discovery and exploration of key
terms and phrases.
History: Related Websites
cont.
To be used with Activity #3:
http://www.graphicorganizers.com/downloads.htm
This website allows students to download and print off their own web
map or concept map to use with the class activity. This site
provides students and teachers alike with access to free graphic
orgnaizers.
To be used with Activity #4:
http://communication.ucsd.edu/bjones/Books/printech.html
This website contains the article that students will read in order to
better understand the significance of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing
press. Students will read the article located on this website and will
use it as a reference while they complete their graphic organizers.
To be used with Activity #5:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/high-renaissance.html
This website provides students with a place to jumpstart their research
on their chosen Renaissance artist. Several of the links on this
page are clickable to aid in student research.
People in Societies:
Benchmarks and Activities
Benchmark A. Compare the cultural practices, products and perspectives of past civilizations in order to
understand commonality and diversity of cultures.
Indicator 2. Cultures Explain how the Silk Road trade and the Crusades affected the cultures of the
people involved.
Benchmark C. Explain how contact between different cultures impacts the diffusion of belief systems, art,
science, technology, language, and forms of government.
Indicator 3. Diffusion Give examples of contacts among different cultures that led to the change in belief
systems, art, science, technology, language or systems of governent.
Indicator 4. Diffusion Describe the cultural and scientific legacies of European (and Japanese)
civilizations.
Activity #1: Give students two minutes to list on a piece of
paper what they know about the Middle Ages in Europe.
Write these words on the board to help guide student
thinking: feudalism, knights, chivalry, lord and lady of the
manor, serfs. Ask students to add information to each of
these words or phrases.
Activity #2: Have students read “Reach Into Your Background”
in the Before You Read box on page 105 of their textbooks
(Medieval Times to Today). Discuss what makes Americans
feel like one nation. List on the chalkboard what we have in
common as students suggest ideas.
People in Societies: Activities
cont.
Activity #3: After students read Section 1 in their textbooks
(Chapter Five), have them contribute to a semantic map that
addresses the following questions: How did feudalism
develop? Why did it develop? What were the primary roles
and responsibilities of lords of the manor? Vassals? What
role did peasants and serfs play in the manor organization?
Activity #4: Let students debate the positive and negative
aspects of feudalism. Make a chart on the board labeled
positive and negative, ask students to contribute statements
to both sides. Ask students if they think feudalism was
basically a useful system for protecting people and society.
Allow students to debate this question. This activity should
take about twenty minutes.
People in Societies: Activities
cont. and Related Websites
Activity #5: After students read Section Four, have them discuss why
kings and popes were in conflict. How did kings gain power? How
did the Crusades make the nobles weaker? What part did the
Magna Carta play in helping to unite England as a nation?
Five Related Websites:
To be used for Activity #3:
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/feudalism.
html
This website provides students with vital facts and history concerning
feudalism. It will prove helpful for students who seek a more
detailed explanation than what the textbook offers.
To be used for Activity #4:
www.fandm.edu/departments/economics/
ahearn/152/152assignments/152MTans.doc
This website provides useful information regarding the pros and cons
of feudalism. Students can use this website as a resource to help
them find arguments to support their stance on feudalism for the
class debate.
People in Societies: Related
Websites
To be used for Activity #5:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.html
This website not only provides students with background
information regarding the Magna Carta, it actually contains
the text of the Magna Carta so that students can look at and
read the actual historical document.
http://www.thetreemaker.com/last-name-meaning/crusades.html
This website gives a thorough review of the Crusades.
Students can use this site to add to their knowledge and
information about the Crusades.
http://www.bible.ca/history/eubanks/history-eubanks-20.htm
This website provides an excellent overview of why the kings
and popes could not get along or work together during the
Middle Ages. Insight into the papal and monarchic conflicts
is thoroughly investigated here.
Geography: Benchmarks and
Activities
Benchmark A. Identify on a map, the location of major physical and human features of each continent.
Indicator 1. Location For each of the societies studied, identify the location of significant physical and
human characteristics on a map of the relevant region.
Indicator 2. Location On a map, identify places related to the historical events being studied and explain
their significance.
Benchmark B. Define and identify regions using human and physical characteristics.
Indicator 3. Places and Regions Describe the changes in the physical and human characteristics of
regions that occur over time and identify the consequences of such changes.
Benchmark C. Use physical and historical maps to analyze the reasons that human features are located in
particular places.
Activity #1: Show students pictures of some of the great
cathedrals built in the Middle Ages in Europe, such as
Chartres, Reims, and Notre Dame in France, and
Canterbury, Salisbury, and St. Paul’s in England. For
students interested in how Cathedrals were built, use David
Macaulay’s book.
Activity #2: Invite students to preview this section by reading
the first three paragraphs and then skimming the headings
and looking at the maps and illustrations. Discuss the
location of the holy land on the map and where the
crusaders came from. Ask students to write down two
questions they have or want answered as they read this
section.
Geography Activities cont.
Activity #3: Have students read “Reach Into Your Background” in the
Before You Read box on page 117 of the textbook (Medieval Times
to Today). Give students time to think about their position on this
subject. Then have the whole class debate whether wars are ever
justified.
Activity #4: After students read Section Three, have them discuss the
reasons for the Crusades and their results. How did the Crusades
change European life? Ask students to debate whether or not the
Crusades were justified and to evaluate how they were conducted.
Which actions should have been avoided?
Activity #5: Assign student partners the task of filling in the graphic
organizer located on the website:
http://www.graphicorganizers.com/downloads.htm
in regards to the Crusades. This activity should take about twenty
minutes.
Geography: Five Related
Websites
To be used for Activity #1:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~m
atc/math5.geometry/unit9/0940.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.dartmout
h.edu/~matc/math5.geometry/unit8/unit8.html&h=384&w=580&sz=5
7&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=FKBHqmxadxUZM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcathedrals
%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bmiddle%2Bages%26svnum%3D10%26um%3
D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN
This website provides background information regarding symbolism in
the churches built in the Middle Ages. This particular site also
provides a sampling of images from the Chartres Cathedral.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://deeptiskrishnan.tripod.c
om/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/notredame6.jpg&imgrefurl
=http://deeptiskrishnan.tripod.com/deepti/id10.html&h=576&w=720
&sz=54&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=EMIdG6PVjKkjpM:&tbnh=112
&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcathedrals%2Bfrom%2Bthe%
2Bmiddle%2Bages%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%
26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN
This website provides background on churches during the Middle Ages
and contains some beautiful images of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Geography: Five Related
Websites cont.
To be used for Activity #3:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/25348/war_is_it_ever_justifie
d.html
This website is helpful to students wanting to research background
information concerning the debate over whether or not war is ever
justifiable. This site provides credible sources for the kids to read.
To be used for Activity #4:
http://history-world.org/crusades.htm
This website provides interesting historical information about the
Crusades. Students can use this website to research background
information to complete Activity #5 (graphic organizer).
To be used for Activity #5:
http://historymedren.about.com/od/crusades/Crusades.htm
This site provides several links to sites concerning the origins and
history of the Crusades. It is a great resource for the students to
use in their research and study of the Crusades.
Economics: Benchmarks and
Activities
Benchmark A. Indicator--Scarcity and Resource Allocation 1: Compare the endowment of productive
resources in world regions and explain how this endowment contributed to specialization, trade, and
interdependence in ancient times.
Benchmark B. Indicator--Markets 2: Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes
in Asia, Africa, and Europe; the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (such as
spices, textiles, paper, precious metals and new crops); and the role of merchants.
Activity #1: Have students and their partners make two charts
to summarize important information in Chapter Five of the
students’ textbook, Medieval Times to Today. Model the
chart for the class up on the board.
Activity #2: Have students read Chapter Four, “Civilizations of
Asia”, in their Medieval Times to Today textbook. Write the
following list on the board: government, trade, technology,
important ideas. Have students discuss how the merit
system gave China good government, why China was
sought after in world trade, what its chief technological
inventions were, and how they changed the world, and why
the ideas of Confucius were valuable.
Economics: Activities
Activity #3:Tell students that they will be making a map of
Europe and Asia, identifying medieval trade routes on
these continents. Each map should trace at least three
different routes and must identify the cities at the ends of
each route and the goods traded between these cities. Talk
about ways to identify these goods (writing the names of
the goods on the map or using symbols and a key). Have
students draw their maps on a large piece of white
construction paper. Suggest that each trade route be
traced in a different color for easy identification. Allow
students to identify additional cities and commodities along
the routes. In addition to geography and history texts,
students may use the following Web sites to research their
maps:http://history.smsu.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20101-Lecture%2024-- Maps_of_medieval_trade_routes.htm･
http://www1.enloe.wake.k12.nc.us/enloe/CandC/showme/
trading.html#trade･
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb
/society/structure/ routes.jpg･
http://sumy.net.ua/History/map/6!.php･
http://www.ucalgary.ca/HIST/tutor/imagemid/hanseaticSm
all.gif･
http://www.blackstudies.ucsb.edu/antillians/trade2.html
Economics: Activities cont.
Activity #4: Assign each pair of students a city along the Silk Road
Trade route to research. Explain that each pair should use the
available resources to create a collage of products available in its
assigned city. Provide students with access to textbooks, trade
books, reference books and Internet resources. To create collages,
provide students with drawing paper, glue, scissors, drawing
materials and/or magazines to cut pictures from.
https://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ODE/IMS/Lessons/Web_Content/CSS_LP_
S02_BA_L07_I02_01.pdf
Activity #5: Discuss dissemination of products and ideas and how
they affected cultures. For example: Whey was purple clothing
associated with royalty? Because purple dye came to Europe via
the Silk Road and was expensive, only royalty could afford to use it.
Economics: Five Related
Websites
To be used for Activity #1-5:
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21300/SilkRoadTOC.pdf
This website provides students with comprehensive historical facts
about the Silk Road and its products. Students could use this site
as part of their research for Activity #4.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579956/Silk_Road.html
This website provides students with useful information concerning the
development of the Silk Road and the route that the Silk Road
followed. Students may find this website helpful regarding their
research.
http://archaeology.about.com/cs/asia/a/silkroad.htm
This website contains important information regarding the history of the
Silk Road. Students should use this site as a reference when they
are researching their city for their partner project.
Economics: Five Related
Websites
To be used for Activities #1-5:
http://www.silk-road.com/toc/index.html
The Silk Road Foundation Homepage. A major site for
information on the silk road and its historical legacy.
Highlights include an interactive time line that contains hot
links to topics concerning the Silk Road, including Marco
Polo's travels, the spread of Buddhism, and historical events
from 5000 BC to the present. Also featured is a slide show of
paintings found in the Mogau Caves in China. The
presentation offers 24 images found in the caves, many on
Buddhist themes.
http://www.chinapage.com/silkroad.html
The Silk Road and Dunhuang China. A service of "China the Beautiful"
web-site, this page offers links to a map of the Silk Road and an
exhibition of art at the Mogau Caves.
Government/Citizenship Rights
and Responsibilities: Activities
Activity #1: Have students read Chapter Five in their textbook,
Medieval Times to Today. Discuss how government and
economic leaders are trained in contemporary universities.
Point out that these universities can be supported by state,
private, and church or other religious group funds.
Activity #2: After students read Section 2, ask them to discuss
how the Roman Catholic Church influenced life in the Middle
Ages. Have them list the jobs done by the church that are
now done by governments. Then ask the students how
international trade again became active in the later Middle
Ages. How did this change society of that time?
Activity #3: Discuss how the government knows what the
people need. List the services people receive from
government and what they give the government back (taxes,
serve on juries, and as soldier in wartime, work for the
government).
Government/Citizenship
Rights and Responsibilities:
Activities cont.
Activity #4: Assign student partners the task of writing a letter
to a king in the late Middle Ages, telling him how to unite the
nobles in his kingdom under his leadership. Tell them to use
the information in the text and the graphics for suggestions.
This activity should take about twenty minutes.
Activity #5: Have students re-enact an authentic feudalistic
society. Students must research what societal role they will
fulfill. Students must attempt to dress the part and act out
their appropriate societal class/role.
Government/Citizenship
Rights and Responsibilities:
Five Related Websites
To be used with Activity #1-5:
http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture23b.html
This website gives significant amounts of background history
concerning feudalistic societies in the Middle Ages.
http://library.thinkquest.org/J003226F/jewel.htm
This website is a good resource for students as they search for sites to
research their societal role in feudalistic society.
http://www.learninghaven.com/middle_ages.htm
This website provides students with information regarding the nature of
daily life during the Middle Ages.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/endmiddle/feudal.html
This website provides a comprehensive list of terms for students to
familiarize themselves with as they study social order during the
Middle Ages.
http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/mahome.htm
This website provides links to various different social classes/ranks.
Useful for students researching their feudal role.
Study Skills and Methods:
Activities
Activity #1: Invite students to imagine that they are advisors to a king.
The king wants to unite the many lords in his kingdom under his
leadership. What should he offer to these lords to get them to
pledge loyalty to him as their king? Tell students that money is not
the issue. List ideas students think of on the chalkboard.
Activity #2: The students will read a summary of the ideas of
John Wycliffe (1328-1384). Wycliff’s influence was later felt
in Bohemia, where John Huss led a large following and was
ultimately excommunicated and condemned by the Council
of Constance for refusing to yield to his conscience based on
his views of Scripture and his insistence that the cup be
administered to the laity at the Lordﾕs Supper. Huss was
condemned and burned at the stake in 1415. A resulting war
against Hussite followers in Bohemia lasted twenty years
and proved indecisive. Half of the class will argue from the
perspective/point of view of John Wycliffe or John Huss, the
other half of the class will argue from the point of the church.
Study Skills and Methods:
Activities cont.
Activity #3: Half of the class must argue from the perspective
of the church during the Reformation, while the other half of
the students argue from the vantage point of the monarchy.
Students will debate who should have more power.
Activity #4: Students will place themselves in the shoes of a
serf from the past. In their journals, they will respond to their
rights and the various inequalities that they must contend
with on a daily basis.
Activity #5: Students will read about the daily life for vassals,
serfs, and nobles and will contrast social order in the Middle
Ages with the social order that we have in place now.
Study Skills and Methods:
Five Related Websites
To be used with Activity #1-5:
http://www.themiddleages.net/
This website is a great resource for the students for all the
information that they are studying during this unit. This
website provides links to numerous different topics and
subheadings related to the Middle Ages.
http://www.medieval-life.net/life_main.htm
This website provides insight into the information and history
available to students regarding daily life in the Middle Ages.
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/
This website provides a virtual tour of a Museum site with facets
of Medieval life relating to Knights, Merchants, the Church
and Peasants.
Study Skills and Methods:
Five Related Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/
BBC History - Middle Ages index page. ... from Magna Carta
to the horrors of the Black Death.
http://historymedren.about.com/
Comprehensive directory of medieval art, literature, music,
philosophy, history, religion, science and militia, and the
individuals who made it all happen.
Additional Sources
Barnekow, Daniel J. Graphic Organizers for Social Studies. J. Weston Walch.
1998. Portland, Maine
Hodges, Margaret, and Margery Evernden. Of Swords and Sorcerers: The
Adventures of King Arthur and His Knights. 1993. Margaret Hodges and
Mary Evernden.
Kozlowski, Gregory C. The Concise History of Islam and the Origin of Its
Empires. The Coley Publishing Group. 1991.
Lacroix, Paul. Manners. Custom and Dress During the Middle Ages and During
the Renaissance Period. Harvard. 2004. Harvard, Mass.
Medieval Times to Today. Teacher’s Edition. Prentice Hall. World
Explorer.2001. Needham, Mass.
Medieval Times to Today. Teaching Resources. Prentice Hall. World Explorer
2001. Needham, Mass.
Miyazaki, Ishisada. China’s Examination Hell. Yale University Press. 1981.
Sato, Hiroake. Legends of the Samurai. Hiroake Sato. 1995. The Overlook
Press. Woodstock, NY.