Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
Term
Definition
Feudalism
Crown
Barons
Hierarchy
Knights
Commoners
Manor
Freemen
Serfs
Monastery
Journeymen
Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
Copy the diagram showing the feudal hierarchy from page 18 in the space below.
Based on your reading so far, what
do you think of peasant life under
the manorial system? If you had
the chance to live for a week back
in time, would you choose to be a
medieval peasant? Explain your
thinking.
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Read “Voices: The Manorial System” on page 20.
Summarize each viewpoint:
Viewpoint #1
Viewpoint #2
Which writer do you find most persuasive? Explain why you think as you do.
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Where do you think a lord and a peasant would put
themselves on this scale? Explain your thinking.
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Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
Read about medieval country life on pages 18 and 19 and read about town life on pages 22 and 23. Complete a
Venn Diagram comparing country life and town life. What is the same? What is different?
Country Life
Town Life
Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
The Peasants’ Revolt (page 24)
Why did the peasants revolt?
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The Black Death (page 25)
When did the Black Death occur?
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In at least two sentences describe how the Black Death changed life for serfs.
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Continue reading pages 26 and 27 (“Time and Money” and “Wealth in Society”)
Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
In what ways do religious beliefs shape a society’s worldview?
Does religion shape your worldview? If so, how?
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Compare and contrast how the Black Death was handled at the time to how a
similar outbreak might be handled today:
The Black Death Then
An Outbreak Today
Why did people in medieval times turn to the church?
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Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
The Church Community (page 31)
List some of the tasks that religious leaders had:
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Fill in the diagram below:
What similarities can you see between the feudal system and the organization of
the church?
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Members of the church had to obey its rules and respect the authority of the priest,
paying him a tithe.
Define the word tithe:
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Between the years ______ and _______, more than ________ churches were built.
Bishops and citizens took ________ _________ in their local cathedral.
Grade 8 Social Studies
Chapter 1 – Times of Change
The Monastic Life (page 32)
List three important facts about the monastic life:
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
Learning and the Church (page 33)
How did the Church contribute to learning?
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St. Francis of Assisi
How did St. Francis’s religious beliefs affect the way he lived?
What kind of behavior was the church encouraging in people?