Julia Burke

SLM-521

Web Drop-in #1

June 26, 2009

The Medieval Age on the Internet

Retrieved from http://www.morguefile.com/ 6/26/09

What do you “see” when you hear the words “medieval age”—knights on horseback rescuing damsels in distress? An evil magician keeping a hero imprisoned in the dungeon of a castle? A dragon threatening a kingdom? The reality of this historical period, sometimes referred to as the Middle or Dark Ages, can be just as incredible and terrifying as any fictional story. Using the Internet as a doorway we will begin to explore this magnificent and complex age.

The purpose of this activity is to provide an overview of what we are referring to when we speak of the Medieval Age.

Directions: Read the information contained on Mr. Dowling’s Middle Ages Page http://www.mrdowling.com/703middleages.html and answer the following questions. * Please note that there is more than one page containing information about the Middle Ages on this site!*

1. Approximately, when did the Medieval Age begin and end?

2. Why are these dates usually used? (significant events)

3. Where do we usually focus geographically when we study this topic? Name some of the countries.

4. Who are some of the different groups of people (nationalities) that had influence on the development or destruction of society during this time? What did they do and why is this significant?

After reading the information and answering the questions, why do you think that this time period is sometimes called “the Dark Ages?”

Write a list of topics that you might like to explore further within this subject.