Lesson Introduction

Grade Level: 9

Subject area: World History

Resources: Castles at War video, DVD, and DVD player

Research Process Helper: The students will use this model to assist them in finding details on the daily life of a monarch, noble, knight, or peasant living in the middle Ages.

Blog: Students will describe rights, responsibilities, and duties of merchants, craftsmen and bakers in Medieval Guild on the blog. 

Success of Unit and Lessons: Student will be assessed based on accuracy and teamwork during their presentation. 

Teacher Collaboration: I will collaborate with the general education teacher on curriculum materials and a specific lesson plan that integrate technology.   

Lesson Activities

Overview/Annotation:

In this lesson students will explore the feudal system of the Middle Ages.  They will learn the way the people lived and how and their responsibilities to other members of the feudal system.  Students will then research information about their character’s privileges and disadvantages.  Students will experience the feudal system through activities and presentations to relay what they learned to their class.  Students may choose a variety of creative outlets to express the character’s life in their own creative way with a group or separately. In conclusion to this lesson, students will be able to reflect and discuss their experience, feelings, and what they learned from this lesson about life in the Middle Ages.

Content Standards(s):

1.17. Objective: Economics/History/Political Science

Explain how events and conditions fostered political and economic changes in the late Middle Ages and led to the origins of the Renaissance.

1.17.1. Grade Level Example:

Identifying changes in the arts, architecture, literature, and science in the late Middle Ages.

Local/National Standards:

9.12 Use digital tools to publish curriculum-related content on wikis, blogs, and podcasts.

9.13 Demonstrate collaborative skills using curriculum-related content in digital environments.

Primary Learning Objectives(s):

Students will:

·         understand the feudal system of the Middle Ages.

·         write a fictional account from the point of view of a king, noble, knight, or peasant.

Procedures/Activities:

1.   After watching the video, review with students when the Middle Ages began and how long it lasted.

2.   What was medieval Europe like without the Romans to provide protection?

3.   Ask students to describe how this situation gave rise to feudalism.

4.   Students need to understand the following terms: Fief, Lord, and Vassal.

5.   Have students talk about the different types of people or levels of the feudal system.  The list will be on the board.  Monarch, nobles, knights, and peasants.

6.   Discuss the obligations or responsibilities of the different levels within the feudal system.

7.   Have each student write a first-person account from the point of view of a monarch, noble, knight, or peasant.  They should describe their responsibilities to other member of the feudal system and any restrictions they may face and present it to the class (4 students per group).

8.   Lastly, they should provide some details about what daily life might have been like for that person.  

Assessment Strategies: students will be formally assessed by using a rubric on their ability to work together cooperatively with other students. 

Extension: student will be encouraged to do online research about the Feudal system and life in the Middle Ages.

Remediation: students will be working in groups, so they can draw support from one another.

Accommodation:  students with special needs will be allowed additional time to complete their class assignment up to 24 hours, and student will be placed with a peer tutor for assistance.

Modification: as the discussion about the feudal system is being done students will be encouraged to think of examples of books or movies they have seen that have the feudal system being used. One class suggestion is the Lord of the Rings movie.

Collaboration with Colleagues

As a library media specialist, my first priority is to collaborate with the classroom teacher on the lesson.  Next, I would use instructional strategies requiring collaborative activities for the Feudal system to promote teamwork, cooperation, and an understanding of the importance of working with others to achieve success.  Furthermore, I would provide effective explanations and demonstrations of key concepts, and skills to assist students in accomplishing the objectives of the unit.