Julia Burke

SLM 521

Web Dropin #5

July 6, 2009

Medieval Life

Think about the things you “need” in order to live your life. Everyone needs food and shelter—most people need clothes. People need to go to work or school. You probably need to do certain chores (feed your pets, clean your room, etc.) and most people would probably say that they need entertainment. People who lived during the Middle Ages needed these things, too. In this activity we are going to explore how these needs were provided for (or not provided for) during the Medieval Age.

Part One: For each topic listed, read the information provided on the web link and fill in the chart below. A copy of the chart will be provided on a separate sheet of paper.

	Lord/Lady of the Manor	Knight	peasant/serf	townsperson	Monk
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Work/School
Entertainment

Web Links

Food

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm

Shelter

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/homes.html

Clothing

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/clothing/index.htm

Work/School

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/people/index.htm

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/townlife.html

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/morelign.html

Entertainment

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/games/index.htm

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/artsentr.html

Overview

http://www.themiddleages.net/people_middle_ages.html

Part Two: Using the information that you have gathered, choose one person from the chart and write an essay describing what one day in their life might be like. Make sure to answer the following questions:

1. What did they eat?

2. What type of shelter did they have?

3. What did they wear?

4. What type of work did they do, if any?

5. Did this person have access to education?

6. What types of entertainment did this person have access to?

Part Three: Think About It Answer the following questions using complete sentences and make sure to explain your thinking.

1. What factors determined the role in life people had in the Middle Ages? Explain.

2. Compare and contrast your experiences with that of a young person during the Middle Ages. Would they be in school right now? What are some similarities and differences between their opportunities and yours?

3. If you lived back during the Medieval Age, what do you think your life might be like?

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