Description

Have you ever wanted to travel back to the time of kings and knights? This lesson plan provides students with a look back in time into the feudal form of government. Aspects of family life from the different classes are presented. Life styles of nobles and commoners are compared and contrasted.

Materials

- Online Student Web Lesson, A Knight in the Night

- PowerPoint Presentation for this lesson from the unit's associated files

- Presentation system

- Student Information Checklist from unit's associated files

- Teacher information packet from associated files

- Timeline transparencies or posters from the associated files to the lesson plan,Travel Back in Time

- Overhead

- Vocabulary cards from the associated files to the lesson plan, Travel Back in Time

- Drawing paper and crayons

- Venn diagrams from the associated files

- Assessment assignment cards (one per student) from unit's associated files

- Power pyramid from assoicated files

- K-W-L chart from day 1

- Notebook paper

Procedures

This lesson plan contains learning activities and assessments for days 2-5 of the unit In Days of Old, Before Columbus. For day one activities, see the introduction lesson plan, In Days of Old, Travel Back in Time.

Day 2 -
(Note: The day's review may be done using the PowerPoint for the day's lesson.)

1. Orally review the Student Web Lesson from day 1, Travel to Days of Old. The link is available from the Weblinks section of this lesson plan.

2. Orally discuss the feudal system of government. Use the PowerPoint as a visual aid to gain and keep student attention. The Student Information Checklist may be helpful as well. Please see Preparation for further information. Middle Ages content information is available in the teacher information packet attached to this lesson plan.

* The most important concept is that land means power. The more land owned, the more powerful the individual. Be sure to emphasis the need for protection from invaders as that is the reason this form of government became necessary.

3. To assist students in understanding the system of government, turn the classroom into a feudal manor. See the instructions and diagram in the associated files.

4. Students complete the worksheet, Feudal Government, Power Pyramid. This can be used as a formative assessment of the students understanding of the feudal system of government. The associated files contain the pyramid worksheet and a completed pyramid that can be used as a transparency while discussing the exchanges of service, land, and protection.

5. Review all vocabulary that relates to the feudal government. This will serve as a formative assessment as students explain the various words, and the teacher gives feedback. Remember to give both expanded praise and corrective feedback. Vocabulary words are provided in the associated files to the introductory lesson plan.

6. Students use the online Student Web Lesson, A Knight in the Night. (See Weblinks.) This lesson is most effective when used by pairs of students as it promotes peer discussions. Whole group participation can be used but is not as affective. Use of this lesson will continue through day 5 to enable all students to have an opportunity to engage in active practice of the standards presented in the Student Web Lesson.

7. Write new knowledge on the K-W-L. Remember to discuss the K-W-L entries and correct any misunderstandings. This is an excellent tool for generating discussions and feedback opportunities.

Day 3
(Note: The day's review may be done using the Power Point for the day's lesson.)

1. Review the Feudal system of government by asking questions about their individual role in the classroom model. Remember to change roles within the manor. The process is described in the associated files.

2. Review the Pyramid of Power. Day 3 will focus on the noble classes of people.

3. Review the importance of land to noble class status.

4. Discuss kings, lords, and knights.

* Use the PowerPoint as a visual aid to gain and to keep student attention. The Student Information Checklist may be helpful as well. See Preparation for further information.

* In the discussion, be sure to include birth-rights, dress, homes, food, and daily activities of both the males and females. All information is available in the associated files.

5. Discuss the development of a knight from birth to warrior. Remind students that all men of noble birth become knights. No commoner can become a knight. Be sure to include the oath the knight takes to gain knighthood. Detailed information is available through the associated files.

6. Review all vocabulary that relates to the feudal government and the noble class. This will serve as a formative assessment as students explain the various words and the teacher gives feedback. Remember to give both expanded praise and corrective feedback.

7. Since knights cover as much of their body as possible with armor, their coat of arms was displayed on their breastplate or shield for identification purposes. This same coat of arms was often designed into a tapestry (wall hanging) for home display. Students design a coat of arms following the guidelines in the associated files.

8. Students use the online Student Web Lesson, A Knight in the Night. (See Weblinks.) This lesson is most effective when used by pairs of students as it promotes peer discussions. Whole group participation can be used but is not as affective. Use of this lesson will continue through day 5 to enable all students to have an opportunity to engage in active practice of the standards presented in the Student Web Lesson.

9. Write new knowledge on the K-W-L.

Day 4
(Note: The day's review may be done using the PowerPoint for the day's lesson.)

1. Review the timeline using transparencies/posters #1 and #2 from the associated files. Be sure to reference the time frame that includes the Middle Ages.

2. Review the class model of the Feudal government. Remember that the individual role in the manors rotate each day.

3. Review the Pyramid of Power.

4. Focus today's attention on the peasant and serf classes at the bottom of the pyramid. Use the PowerPoint for this lesson as a visual aid to grab student attention. (Further information available in Preparation). Also, the Student Information Checklist will be helpful.

5. Discuss the peasant and serf classes. Remember to discuss the need for peasants to swear an oath to a lord in order to gain protection. Be sure to include birth-rights, dress, homes, food, and daily activities of both the males and females. Information is available in the associated files.

6. Review all vocabulary that relates to the feudal government, nobles, and commoners. This will serve as a formative assessment as students explain the various words while the teacher gives feedback. Remember to give both expanded praise and corrective feedback.

7. Students complete the Venn diagram, available from the associated files, comparing and contrasting nobles and peasants. Students must make entries on the Venn diagram for the areas of home, food, clothing, work, and play. This will prepare students for the Summative Assessment #1.

8. As students complete their Venn diagrams, have volunteers read their entry. Compare and contrast their descriptions of life as a peasant or serf to what their lives would have been like had they been a king, lord, knight, squire, page or women of noble birth. This oral review prepares students for their assessment on day 5.

9. Students use the online Student Web Lesson, A Knight in the Night. (See Weblinks.) This lesson is most effective when used by pairs of students as it promotes peer discussions. Whole group participation can be used but is not as affective. Use of this lesson will continue through day 5 to enable all students to have an opportunity to engage in active practice of the standards presented in the Student Web Lesson.

10. Write new knowledge on the K-W-L. Remember to discuss the K-W-L entries and correct any misunderstandings. This is an excellent tool for generating discussions and formative feedback opportunities.

Day 5
(There are no graphics on the PowerPoint for this slide; however, a slide has been created to introduce the assessment and may be useful as a focal point to gain student attention.)

1. Administer Summative Assessment #1, Parts 1 and 2. Assessments and rubrics are attached to the unit plan. (See Extensions)
Part 1 - Students are instructed in the use of the attached rubric that will be used for assigning a grade to activity. Each student receives one blank power pyramid model. The teacher displays the following list of words, in random order, for the student's use during this activity: peasant, moat, wall, armor, shield, tapestry, knight, home, king, lord, castle, serf, manor, pledge, and protect. Students complete the power pyramid. Students then complete the short response questions concerning laws and government in the feudal system. Students are given 20 minutes to complete the model depicting government in the feudal system and answer all questions.

Part 2 - Students are instructed in the use of the attached rubric that will be used for assigning a grade to their writing. As a reminder of the topics to cover in the writing, the teacher writes the following on the board: class, home, food, dress, and daily activity. Teacher prepares slips of paper with the following classes from the feudal system: king, peasant man, peasant woman, peasant child, knight, page, lord, serf, squire, noble woman, noble girl, noble baby, and peasant baby. Place the slips of papers in a bag. There should be one slip of paper for each student so some duplication will be necessary. Students blindly select one paper and have 20 minutes to write about the person selected.

Extensions

1. Kings, Knights, and Countrymen is the second lesson plan in the unit In Days of Old, Before Columbus. Two more lesson plans will follow this one to complete the unit.

2. The Beacon Unit Plan associated with this lesson can be viewed at the Unit Plan menu. Once you select the unit’s link, scroll to the bottom of the unit plan page to find the section, “Associated Files.” This section contains links to the Unit Plan Overview, Diagnostic and Summative Assessments, and other associated files (if any).

2. The software Castle Explorer by DK (Scholastic) may be helpful.

3. Sitemaker can be used as an alternative form of publishing various summative writings. Be sure to register for use by completing the form on the site. Students' finished writings will have an appropriate graphic and will be published to the World Wide Web. Completed pages can be printed for assessment scoring.

5. Times may vary according to the uniqueness of each class. It may be helpful to do students' journal writings during language arts time.

6. The Student Information Checklist will be useful to the teacher to make sure important information is covered. Student copies assist students with review.

Attached Files

Teacher Information     File Extension: pdf

Feudal Classroom - activity 1     File Extension: pdf

Power Pyramid - activity 2     File Extension: pdf

Coat of Arms - activity 3     ile Extension: pdf

Venn - activity 4     File Extension: pdf

Graphics     File Extension: pdf