Life in the Middle Ages

Introduction

Hello FORM 1.

Every day we use our imaginations to understand how people around us are feeling, what they are thinking or why they do the things they do. However, to make good guesses, we need to know what those people's lives are like. That's what historians do, too! Historians investigate and research what life was like years and years ago. Through research, they may find that the lives of people in the past are similar to their own lives even though there is a difference in time and circumstance. By finding similarities and differences, historians can understand people in the past better: their feelings, thoughts, actions and circumstances. This is called empathy.  

Task

PART I: Describing a Medieval Character (150 words)

Choose ONE of the following medieval characters:

  • Nun
  • Monk
  • Knight
  • Town dweller
  • Villager

For your character:

1) Describe what his or her life was like.

2) Answer the following question: How is your character's lifestyle different to their lifestyle today?

(If you chose to write about knights, you should compare the medieval knight's lifestyle with ONE of the following modern-day characters:

      • Officers in the army
      • Athletes who use weaponry in their sport (i.e. archery, shooting)
      • Knight Bachelors
      • Orders of the Bath)

3) Illustrate the text (Hand-drawn)

PART II: Describing a Daily Life Topic (150 words)

Choose ONE of the following aspects of everyday life in the Middle Ages:

  • Sport
  • Music and Dance
  • Fashion
  • Food
  • Crime
  • Health

For the aspect chosen:

1) Describe what it was like in medieval times.

2) Answer the question: How is it similar to everyday life today?

3) Illustrate the text. (You may use Illustrator and Photoshop).

Process

PART I: DESCRIBING A MEDIEVAL CHARACTER

Resources about monks and nuns:

Textbook, p. 50-53

Medieval

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/morelign.html

http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/monks.html

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/day_in_life-of-nun.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXac4oB2Qo

Modern-Day

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series7/monastery.shtml

http://anunslife.org/blog/nun-talk/what-day-life-sister

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2518262/Extroverts-make-best-nuns-A-rare-insight-cloistered-lives-silent-sisters-Londons-Tyburn-Convent.html

From the Library:

  • The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland, "Monks, Nuns and Friars," p. 106-108.

Resources about knights:

Textbook, p. 80-85

Medieval:

http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/becoming_a_medieval_knight.php

http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/knight_armor_and_weapons.php

http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/tournaments_jousts_chivalry.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtCxl9leYQ4

Modern-day:

Knight Bachelors:

https://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/Knighthoods.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPtCemr7y9I

http://www.iskb.co.uk/

Order of the Bath:

https://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/OrderoftheBath.aspx

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2014/may/09/order-of-the-bath-service-in-pictures

From the Library:

  • The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland, "Tournaments and Chivalry," p. 94-95.

 

Resources about town dwellers:

Textbook, p. 62-65

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_towns.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/everyday_life_middle_ages/revision/5/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/everyday_life_middle_ages/revision/6/

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Townlife.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZimXhjGshI

From the Library:

  • Oxford Children's History of the World, "European Towns," p. 64-65.
  • The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland, "Working in Country and Town," p. 115-117.

 

Resources about villagers:

Textbook, p. 58-61

Medieval

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/everyday_life_middle_ages/revision/7/

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_peasants.htm

http://history.parkfieldict.co.uk/medieval/medieval-villages

http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/daily_life_in_the_middle_ages.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuwaXWcX1L8

Modern-Day

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/peru

http://www.virtualexplorers.org/ard/people/andes.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/03/peru-mountain-farmers-winter-cold

From the Library:

  • British History - Early Britain 500, 000 BC - AD 1154, "Domesday Village Life."
  • Oxford Children's History of the World, "Everyday Life in Medieval Europe," p. 62-63.
  • The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland, "Working in Country and Town," p. 112-115.

PART II: DESCRIBING A DAILY LIFE TOPIC

 

Resources on sport

Textbook, p. 68-71

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5reqNb00TQU

http://www.livestrong.com/article/360994-football-soccer-history-development/

http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/the-game/Britain-home-of-football.html

http://www.2020site.org/history/sports-in-the-middle-ages.html

 

Resources on music and dance

Textbook, p. 72-73

http://www.gaita.co.uk/downloads.html

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-music/minstrels.htm

http://www.themedievalclassroom.com.au/?page_id=1073

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiE17pvisBg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXAKNgMF0tg

http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html

 

Resources on fashion

Textbook, p. 74-75

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/clothing/

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/clothact.html

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/clothing.html

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/homepage/273/the_history_of_shoes

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz52_RosMaM

 

Resources on food

Textbook, p. 78-79

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/food_and_drink_in_medieval_engla.htm

http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/booksforcooks/med/medievalfood.html

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jckLJ06u8M

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4HFu_bkUak

Video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAowHhIwMd0

 

Resources on crime

Textbook, p. 130-133

Medieval

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_law_and_order.htm

http://www.camelotintl.com/village/crime.html

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/candp/crime/g01/

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/01/31/justice_medieval_style/

Modern-day

http://open.justice.gov.uk/how-it-works/sentencing-and-rehabilitation/

http://open.justice.gov.uk/how-it-works/courts/

 

Resources on health

Textbook, p. 124-129

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/health_and_medicine_in_medieval_.htm

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/health.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/shp/middleages/medievalpublichealthrev1.shtml

http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2012/08/medieval-women-as-physicians.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVmNJgAuRg

 

 

Evaluation

A Guide for Success in this Project

Writing

  • Use your OWN words.
  • Use several sources of information.
  • Identify and explain more than one similarity and difference.
  • Use books from the library (if applicable).
  • Be clear and specific.
  • Write your ideas in a logical sequence.

Illustrations

  • Match your illustrations to a main idea in your text.
  • Draw detailed, eye-catching and creative pictures.
  • Write captions for your illustrations.

Attitude

  • Organize your time wisely.
  • Be on task at all times.
Conclusion

Were medieval people's lives very different from yours?

Were you able to find at least one similarity?

Now that you know more about their lives, you can better understand how they might have felt, thought or acted in a given situation. Better is not perfect however! Historians have limitations when they try to understand the people of the past. And so do we when we try to understand the people of the present! When we make guesses about other people's feelings, thoughts or motives, we don't always have enough information to draw the right conclusion.

Check out this video:

Empathy - Stand in Someone Else's Shoes

Credits

I do not own the rights to any of the pictures used in the making of this WebQuest.

The images were taken from the following websites:

Empathy Can Improve Life, http://ezradew.com/mind/empathy-can-improve-life-is-it-true/ (accessed 11/05/2014).

Ancient and Medieval People, http://people.historyforkids.org/ (accessed 11/05/2014).

Medieval Histories, http://www.medievalhistories.com/ricard-iii-music/ (accessed 11/05/2014).