Middle Ages for Elementary Students

Young students love castle, knights, kings & queens...this is a great unit to teach your elementary students all about the middle ages/medieval time period. Included:

Introduction to the middle ages, castles, knights, kings, children, and the middle age life.

Pictures to accompanied the introductions

Pictures of different type of castles, famous castles and castle parts

Pictures of knights, weapons, warhorse and etc.

Pictures of kings and famous Middle Age people

Pictures of everyday life: people, houses, fun, etc.

Vocabulary words with and w/o pictures.

Activity pages for students to complete

1. Introduce the middle ages. Discuss with students how the Middle Ages is different than today. Briefly discuss the different elements of the middle ages: castles, knights, kings, battles, etc. Just wet the appetite of your students. Explain to them that later they will learn more details about the middle ages.

Activity: Students write something about the Middle Ages that they just learned and draw a picture of it.

2. Introduce castles: explain why they were built and how they were built and how they have changed.

~ Different types of castles

~ Parts of a castle

~ Famous castles

Activity: Student label the castle

Activity: Students build a castle. Materials that can be used: Lego's, Popsicle sticks, Graham Crackers & icing, etc.

Students tell the type of castle they made: Motte & Bailey, Concentric, etc.

3. Introduce the people of the middle ages: Briefly discuss the different people from the middle ages. Spend more time and detail on the following people:

~ King: his duties, his court,

~ Children: what did the play, work, education

~ A Guild

Activity: Students are to write & draw:

If I were a king I would:

Compare/Contrast children of today & children from the Middle Ages

If I were a member of the guild what guild would I be a part of?

People of the Middle Ages: continued:

~ Knight

What is a knight?

How to become a knight: the different stages of a knight

Order of Knights

Armor and weapons

Coat of Arms

Knight activities

Code of Chivalry

Famous knights

Activity:

Student writes about being a knight. Draw a picture about your knight story.

Student draws a coat of arms.

4. Introduce living in the middle ages:

~ The church and its power

~ The homes

~ The food

~ Marriages

~ Clothes

~ Taxes

~ Social: festivals

~ Health: Black Death, ring around the rosies

~ Jobs

~ Marketplace

Activity: Write about one aspect of living in the middle-ages.

5. Vocabulary Words:

~ Vocabulary words with definitions; vocabulary words w/o definitions; vocabulary pictures