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Review the types of medieval people studied in Activities 1 and 2.
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You will also need access to a chalkboard or whiteboard and/or an overhead projector. Ideally, the activities in this lesson should be done by the class as a group under your direction, with one or two students at each computer. For additional background information about the Middle Ages visit Professor Paul Halsall's course on Medieval Europe available through EDSITEment-reviewed resource Internet Medieval Sourcebook. Select several passages, beginning with line 9, to read and comment upon with your students. This material is written in the English spoken during the 15th century, but when read aloud it is not difficult for students to determine its meaning. Select sections to be read aloud by students in Activity 2 from The Little Children's Little Book. You might wish to bookmark specific web pages so that students can access relevant online materials directly. Download and duplicate any online materials you will need. Prepare to teach this lesson by reviewing the activities and accessing the websites. This lesson focuses upon several aspects of the lives of both the upper class of medieval society and the commoners - clothing, daily occupations, dwellings, and leisure activities. The Middle Ages is also known as the Age of Faith, since the Catholic Church dominated the lives of rich and poor.
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Those among the peasants who were particularly talented became specialists, such as blacksmiths, fletchers, and coopers.
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Medieval society was organized into a pyramid of feudal relationships, with the king and his nobles at the top and the hard-working peasants comprising the bulk of the population.
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During much of this time fighting and warfare were rampant, and the castle, defended by armies of fearless knights, stood as a bastion of security. The historical era known as the Middle Ages covers nearly a thousand years, stretching from the fall of Rome in the 5th century CE through the Renaissance in the 15th century CE.
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