Core Knowledge is taking us back to the Middle Ages, which lasted fom the time of the fall of Rome in 476 AD until the Renaissance, which started around 1350 after the Bubonic Plague hit much of Europe. Students learn about Rome in third grade, the Middle Ages in fourth grade, and the Renaissance in fifth grade.
Middle Ages Fashions
Homes of the Middle Ages
A Medieval Castle A Castle Plan
COOL WEB SITES
The Middle Ages are usually said to have lasted from the fall of Rome in A.D. 476 to the beginning of the Renaissance, around 1350. During this period, Christianity was the dominant religion in Western Europe and feudalism, a system in which land was offered in exchange for loyalty and military support, was the dominant political arrangement.
It was an age of lords and knights, but also of nuns and monks, peasants and serfs. Religious figures, such as St. Benedict, Hildegard of Bingen, and Thomas Becket, played important roles - as did kings and queens such as Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
In the late Middle Ages, as feudalism weakened and kings grew stronger, some of the modern nations of Europe began to emerge. France and England fought the Hundred Years War, during which England gained a sense of itself as a nation, although Jean of Arc helped France to win the war. English kings, such as King Henry II and King John, worked to consolidate their power but were forced to make concessions to the nobles by establishing a Parliament and signing the Magna Carta.
The growth of cities and the rise of strong national governments, along with the ravages of the Black Death, helped to bring the Middle ages to a close."
Web sites suggested by the Core Knowledge Foundation that you may want to explore with your child include:
Questions students should be able to answer at the conclusion of our unit include:
Lesson 1
1. Why is the date 476A.D. important in the history of Rome?
2. What events helped lead to the fall of Rome?
3. Name at least two barbarian groups that attacked the Western Roman Empire.
Lesson 2
1. How did the lives o f people in Europe change in the first few years after the fall of the Roman Empire?
2. How did the lives of people of Europe change in the long run after the fall of the Roman Empire?
3. Why was the period from A.D. 500 to A.D. 800 referred to as the Dark Ages?
4. Why is the term Dark Ages rarely used today?
Lesson 3
1. In what city does the pope of the Roman Catholic Church live?
2. What were two differences between Christians in the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire?
3. What happened in A.D. 1054?
Lesson 4
1. Why is St. Benedict remembered today?
2. How did Monks and nuns who lived in monasteries or convents spend their days?
3. List three rules from The Rule of St. Benedict.
Lesson 5
1. Where did Charles, king of the Franks, and his people live.
2. Why did Charles become known as Charlemagne?
3. How did Charlemagne become Holy Roman Emperor?
4. What are two qualities that made Charlemagne a great leader?
5. What are some important achievements of Charlemagne?
Lesson 6
1. Describe they system of feudalism.
2. What is a vassal?
3. What is a fief?
4. What is the ìkiss of peaceî?
5. How did feudalism take root?
Lesson 7
1. What did the people who lived on a manor estate grow or make?
2. What buildings were on a manor estate in the Middle Ages?
3. What did the lord of the manor and the serfs exchange with each other?
4. Explain how the three-field system worked.
5. Why was cooperation important on a manor estate?
Lesson 8
1. What did the earliest castle consist of?
2. Why were castles built?
3. What was the center of a castle called? What did it consist of?
4. Why was living in an early castle somewhat like living in a cave?
Lesson 9
1. Who could become a knight?
2. What were advantages and disadvantages of a knight's armor?
3. What was the Code of Chivalry?
4. Why did the knights as warriors disappear?
Lesson 10
1. Where did serfs fit in the social structure of the Middle Ages?
2. How were serfs something like slaves, but yet different from slaves?
3. How would you describe the typical home of a serf?
4. How did serfs spend their days?
5. What did serfs do for fun?
Lesson 11
1. What would have drawn people to a city like Paris or London in the Middle Ages?
2. What were the disadvantages of city life?
3. What were guilds and what did they do?
4. How could a city get a charter?
5. Why would people want a city charter?
Lesson 12
1. How were the lives of women similar to the lives of men during the Middle Ages?
2. How were the lives of women different from the lives of men during the Middle Ages?
3. List some activities and occupations of women in the Europe during the Middle Ages.
4. What are some of the things that Hildegard of Bingen accomplished?
5. What were some of the things that Christine de Pisan accomplished?
Lesson 13
1. What was the Battle of Hastings and when did it take place?
2. What separates England from Normandy?
3. What was the Domesday Book?
Lesson 14
1. What line of Royalty in England began with Henry II?
2. What kind of a man was Henry II?
3. What changes did Henry II make in England?
Lesson 15
1. How did Thomas Becket begin his life?
2. Why was Henry II surprised after Becket became archbishop of Canterbury?
3. Who killed Becket and where was it done?
4. How was Becket honored after his death?
Lesson 16
1. What was Aquitaine and where was it located?
2. What two people did Eleanor marry?
3. Why was Eleanorís marriage to Henry important?
4. What did Eleanor do during the reign of her son Richard the Lionhearted?
Lesson 17
1. How was King John viewed in the past?
2. What did King John do to anger the barons and wealthy merchants?
3. How did the pope respond when =John refused to accept the archbishop of Canterbury?
4. What does Magna Carta mean and what is it?
Lesson 18
1. What was new about the first parliament?
2. Why did Edward 1 organize the Model Parliament in A.D. 1295?
3. How were representatives from counties, cities and towns chosen for the Model Parliament?
4. What are the two houses of Parliament called?
5. Where does Parliament meet today?
Lesson 19
1. Which two kingdoms fought each other in the Hundred Years War?
2. Why is the name Hundred Years War misleading?
3. Who won the Hundred Yearsí War?
4. How were the two kingdoms changed by the Hundred Yearsí War?
Lesson 20
1. What led Joan to leave home and try to meet with a local governor?
2. How did the French troops change when Joan arrived on her horse at the gat of Orleans?
3. What did Joan do after leading the French to victory at Orleans?
4. What was Joan tried for and what was her sentence?
5. What were three things that happened after Joanís death?
Lesson 21
1. What was the Black Death and when did it occur?
2. What portion of the European population died from the Black Death?
3. How did the condition of serf and other laborers change after the Black Death was over?
4. How did the Black Death affect cities and kings?
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