Assessment
Completion of short story. See attached rubric.
Learning Context/ Introduction
This unit will cover the time period between the Fall of the Roman Empire up to the Renaissance. It will focus on the Feudal System and its impact on the development of Europe. Students will be exposed to all levels of this social pyramid and the roles and responsibilities of each level. They will understand the expectations of each social class. Through this course of study, students will understand the role of government in a society and how the Feudal System developed and fulfilled this role.
Duration
Six- 43 minute periods
Essential Question
- Why do we study history?
- What are the roles and responsibilities of government?
Instructional/Environment Modifications
- Shared reading experience for struggling readers.
- Use of graphic organizers for note taking.
- word processor for writing assignment to assist with grammar and spelling.
Procedure
In whole group instruction, the students will access the web sites and work through the various social classes presented, taking notes as they go on a teacher provided organizer.
After a broad overview of the social pyramid, and looking through the web sites, the students will be given the direction to pick a character that they would like to write about. (The teacher could assign characters to have an even distribution of social classes.)
Each student will then consult their notes and determine if they need further information. If further information is needed, they will return to the sites provided and continue their research in the computer lab or by consulting the textbooks or other text sources in the school library.
Using their notes, the rubric, and Microsoft Publisher, the students will work in the computer lab developing a short story that discusses the Feudal System through the eyes of their character. In this story, they will show an understanding of the social, political, economic, and religious elements of the time period. The teacher and teacher's assistant will circulate to provide feedback and pointers to all students.
Students will complete their story in the computer lab and print them out for submission to the teacher.
Reflections and Feedback
This unit was used in an inclusion classroom with 18 students. There are 5 special education students, all these students are classified LD. They will be given extra time, access to the Special Education teacher for pre-teaching and small group instruction when necessary. All IEP directives will be adhered to.
Student Work
After completing the 6 days of lessons and given access to their notes and a computer with Microsoft Publisher, the student will create a story with the main character of a lord, lady, knight, merchant, priest, apprentice, or serf. In this story, they will give at least two details pertaining to all of the following aspects of Medieval life: social, economic, political, and religious, for their chosen character.
Related Resource
