Young detectives are given the "clues" to investigate whether King John should be remembered as a poor ruler of England, particularly in comparison in King Richard. They analyze historical informational texts and work in groups to...

Everyone loves the tales involving King Arthur and his knights. After reading Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross, learners draw inferences and conclusions, analyze story elements, and discuss figurative language, including...

The early Medieval period began around the 6th century and went until about the year 1100. This image-driven presentation covers those years in terms of art and architecture. From churches to the Book of Kells, this functional,...

Upper graders get a glimpse into the amazing time period known as The Middle Ages. In this history lesson, learners use video, engage in hands-on activities, and access websites to get a good look at this mysterious, and rather violent...

Discover a wonderful series of lessons on castles, life during medieval times, and finish by having your learners actually construct a castle. First, they look at the importance of castles during medieval times. Next, they study certain...

Fourth graders examine the myths of King Arthur. They compare/contrast versions of the story, The Sword in the Stone, write a letter, identify and analyze characters, sequence events, and write observations and answer questions in a...

Students create living artifacts dealing with different times and cultures. They explore Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, Islam, Africa, and the United States.

Students investigate the evolution of the King Arthur stories and analyze them as a window into the culture that preserved them. They trace the legends through their earliest versions through medieval and Victorian times and into the...

Students complete a variety of online activities surrounding their study of the Middle Ages. They focus on the various levels of the class sytem and then role play a member of a given class.

Life for serfs and peasants during the Middle Ages wasn't easy. Even knights, monks, and nobles faced challenges. To better understand the lives of the various classes during the time period, young historians research and then craft an...

Religion and politics have a complicated history. How were they intertwined with wealth in Europe and Asia in the Middle Ages? Learners explore the question using a prompt based on primary sources. Other activities allow individuals to...

In the Middle Ages, theater left the church of moved outside to a secular stage. An interesting video describes the transition from pulpit to public venue, discussing common plot lines and other aspects of medieval drama. Animated...

Byzantine princess Anna Komnene took the motto, “If you want it done right, do it yourself,” to heart, penning a 500-page history of her father’s reign. Her tales of Byzantine Emperor Alexios’s reign attempt to balance truth with family...

Long before modern labor unions, guilds worked to ensure that workers had a fair wage. But, in medieval Europe, they also cooperated with the government. Using a simulation and primary source analysis, young scholars become hatters in...

Laborers used common materials to build London's first performance venues, including sticks, plaster, and ... hair? Using an informational handout, scholars learn about the construction of different types of playhouses where actors...

How are so many medieval buildings still standing today? And, how did ancient builders learn such skills? Discover the amazing feats of medieval engineers with part 11 in a 15-installment History of Science series. The narrator describes...

Long live the king! A video summary of The King's Two Bodies by Ernst Kantorowicz discusses political theology during the medieval period and how body politics could survive the body natural. The video uses illustrations and clear...

Do you believe in magic? Scholars, through the use of a short video clip, investigate the use of magic in the medieval time period as a way to solve problems. They read Keith Thomas' Religion and the Decline of Magic and they analyze how...

When your class thinks of medieval history, they probably think of European castles and knights. But they may not know that the Heian period in Japan, which coincided with the Middle Ages in Europe, saw a significant development in...

Have you ever noticed that babies in paintings from the Middle Ages look a little...strange? Find out why with an informative and amusing video about the moment artists decided to make babies look cute again.

Discover the complex, rich legacy of fourteenth century African king Mansa Musa, who is said to have been one of the wealthiest individuals who has ever lived. Young historians will learn about trade routes between the Mediterranean and...