World History Quarter 2 Project – Medieval Manor
Step 1: Create a Coat of Arms (Due Monday, November 10, 2014)
A coat of arms was not just pretty, but there was the following very good reason for knights to
paint certain symbols on their shields and helmets: identification. In a battle where everyone was
covered in similar looking armor, it could be difficult to distinguish between friend and foe.
Coats of arms fixed that problem. When a knight died, the coat of arms would be passed on to
the next generation through his son, and was a symbol of the history and nobility of the owner.
As years passed, new symbols were sometimes added as families were united in marriage, or the
coat of arms made more elaborate, but they kept some basic symbols that were supposed to
represent the family in all generations. Eventually the coat of arms came to be used on flags,
clothing, and even wall and door decorations for the noble’s/knight’s home.
You are to develop a coat of arms for your manor by using symbols that represent your group in
some way. Everything counts. Colors, symbols, shapes, it all means something! Do some
research, but you can start with this link: http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm
Step 2: Research and then construct a medieval manor. Be creative! Have fun with it! (Due
Monday, December 15, 2014)
Things that should be included in the manor:
People: The noble lord and his family, knights and soldiers, a priest for the chapel, the peasant
farmers and craftsmen, and the serfs.
Clothing: Noble/Rich clothing for men, women, children; armor for knights and soldiers; peasant
clothing for men, women, and children; priest’s robes.
Buildings: The castle, a gatehouse, the chapel, the mill, the smithy, the stables/barn, the peasant
and serf cottages, a water mill, and anything else you might care to add.
The land: The gardens around the manor house, the farm land and what would have been grown
there, the pasture or grazing land for cattle and sheep.
Animals: chickens, horses, cows, sheep (anything else you’d like to include such as goats or dogs
or even rats if you so choose etc.)
Other: Protective walls with watch towers and a moat, roads, a river or stream (near the water
mill, preferably), trees, flags on the watch towers with colors to match your Coat of Arms, and
any other interesting characteristics you can think of.