UNIT PLAN: The High Middle Ages
SUBJECT: SS8
NAME: Aaron Beckingham
GRADE: 8
DURATION: 7 lessons
Desired Results
Transferable Big Ideas
Canadian society as we know it can find some of its roots in changes and events in Europe in the 11th-13th centuries.
Understandings
Students will understand:
Essential Questions (guiding questions for inquiry)
How and why feudalism developed in Europe (Britain
specifically)
The elements of the feudal contract
The rights and responsibilities of different people on a feudal
manor
The importance of faith to medieval people
Something of the nature of early legal systems – and their
connection to Canada’s legal system
Some of the consequences of the Crusades
More of the geography of Europe – how the different states
were/are spatially related in addition to the other relations learned
How did social and political ideas develop and migrate in medieval
Europe?
What were the social relations amoungst the classes and between the
genders?
In whom or in what institutions was authority and power vested?
What checks/balances governed the relations of power?
How did the people consider life differently? And, in what way did they
share our current Canadian views?
Students will be able to (skills acquired as a result of this unit):
Describe how feudalism migrated to Britain.
Describe the feudal contract.
Compare the roles of different people within the feudal system (at the scale of manor and kingdom)
Explain the important of faith to medieval people.
Make connections (both comparisons and contrasts) between medieval society and contemporary Canadian society
Assessment Evidence
Summative:
Formative:
Low-stakes review quizzes
Active questioning and classroom discussion
K(now)T(hink I know)W(ant to know) chart
Pair-Share
Reading response questions
Reflective sentences (mini paragraphs in response to learning)
Letter writing assignment (letter written as by a medieval peasant)
Lesson
Big Idea
Learning Activities/Methods
1
Nov. 4
Introduction
Expectations
A New Man in
Town (William)
2
Nov. 6
The Feudalism:
the three Fs
Introduce myself
Get to know the class through name-based ice-breaker
Discuss expectations
Introduce the unit topic
KTW chart on the middle ages
Pair-Share, Group-Share
Segue into the Norman invasion
Horrible Histories video and short lecture
Time permitting (short): sentence reflection
Time permitting (long): Bayeux Tapestry reading and discussion from the
textbook
Final thought: next class we will see how the Normans brought Norman ideas
with them.
Assign: (optional) read ahead p.44 (from, “William the…”) to top of 47
Intro activity – vocabulary match in pairs
Mini lecture: Feudalism’s three Fs: fief, fealty, faith
Connecting to the introduced vocabulary
Activity – writing a feudal contract in partners (new partners)
Handout: completed vocabulary sheet at the end of class
3
Nov. 8
REM.
DAY
ASSEM
-BLY
The Manor system
Mini lecture of the manorial system
Intentional focus on the French-Canadian connection.
Outline the key elements of this self-contained unit (the manor)
Outline the key players (commoners, Manor Lord/Lady)
Activity – Manor mind-map web. With big poster paper, draw the main
elements of a manor from a bird’s eye view, and connect each part of the
drawing to the other parts and write down what the connections are. (6
groups).
Assign: Bodo and Ermentrude letter writing assignment
Leave adequate time to discuss this assignment at the end of class.
Materials/
Resources
Projector, PPT,
any ice-breaker
materials,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks,
Assessment for,
as, of
Engagement in
questions,
discussion, and
activities, PairShare, KTW
chart.
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks, vocab
chopped up in
envelopes, vocab
sheets (53)
Vocab matching
activity,
engagement with
lecture
(discussion and
questions), feudal
contract written
in pairs for
submission
Group mind-map
activity – to be
presented when
complete,
engagement with
lecture through
discussion/questi
oning,
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks, poster
paper, poster
markers, letter
assignment sheets
(53)
Lesson
Big Idea
Learning Activities/Methods
4
Nov. 13
Belief and
devotion - legal
connections
5
Nov. 15
Belief and
devotion - legal
connections
(cont’d) +
Medieval
geography
If need be, begin by completing the mind-map activity. Use this time for the
groups to present/explain their maps – an active review of previous learning.
Mini-lecture (p.56-58): The Law
Short activity option: Textbook reading response questions
Long activity option: Play read-through – scene 7-13
This would have to be adequately scaffolded and adequate time
provided.
This is day left available for catch-up.
Opportunity to debrief the play read-through
Opportunity to complete the Law section.
Sentence reflection on the medieval legal system (p.59)
Lighter, fun discussion on the medieval world view, trade connections with
Asia, narrowly averted Mongol invasion of Europe, Medieval maps (T in O).
Format will be engaging PowerPoint presentation with built-in discussion
points. Students will
Materials/
Resources
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks,
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks,
Crusades video
Assessment for,
as, of
Review through
presentation, two
types of activities
planned for
different types of
learning
assessment
Bodo and
Ermentrude
letters submitted
for assessment
today
(considering if
some sort of
peer-evaluation
would be
possible),
Lesson
Big Idea
Learning Activities/Methods
6
Nov. 19
Belief and
Devotion military
connections
Crusades video
Post-video Pair-Share reflection questions
Followed by group discussion
Combination map/timeline to be completed as seat work connected to
readings
If need be, this could be completed for homework – to be submitted at start of
next class
7
Nov. 21
Shifting power
relations – Magna
Carta, an
evolution of the
feudal contract.
Mini-lecture on the evolution of the feudal contract and the shift in power
relations
Summative assessment through one or two paragraph-length mini-essay short
answer questions.
Materials/
Resources
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks, blank
map/timeline
worksheets,
Projector, PPT,
whiteboard,
markers,
textbooks,
Assessment for,
as, of
Video reflection
questions, group
discussion,
personal seat
work connecting
reading, lecture,
with mapping
(bridging visual,
spatial, and
linguistic
intelligences)
30 minutes left at
end of class to
respond to one or
two summative,
thematic
questions.
Potentially opennote (or even
open textbook).
Having to make
connections and
draw out
evidence.