SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON PLANS
Date:
Period:
#:
Topic/Title: Economic
and Social Changes in the High Middle Ages
Question this lesson will answer:
What economic and social changes occurred in the High Middle Ages?
Purpose/Rationale/Goals of the day’s lesson:
To work within a cooperative group and use the information from a
short lecture to and notes to create a medieval town charter.
How does this lesson fit into the unit?
Where have we been and where are we going?
Unit encompasses the Middle Ages. The class has discussed feudalism
and the manor economy. After this
lesson the class will study the growth of royal power in England and France.
Objectives:
ü The student will be able to brainstorm the issues necessary for creating a medieval town charter.
ü The student will be able to list the rights and privileges of the town for the following groups: merchants; runaway surfs; innkeepers and small shop owners; and artisans.
ü The student will be able to list what the king will give in order for the charter.
ü The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter in order to document the elements of a medieval town charter.
ü The student will be able to work with a cooperative learning group to create a charter for a new medieval town.
ü The student will be able to present with their group a part in a role-play in order to “sell” their charter to the king.
NCSS themes with indicators: VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Enable learners to explain how the scarcity of productive resources (human, capital, technological, and natural) requires the development of economic systems to make decisions about how goods and services are to be produced and distributed;
Provide opportunities for learners to assess how values and beliefs influence economic decisions in different societies; and
Challenge learners to assess how values and beliefs influence economic
decisions in different societies.
Standards of learning:
8.7 The student will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of Europe during the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000 A.D., in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with the emphasis on
The structure of feudal society
and its economic, social, and political effects.
Key concepts and generalizations:
capital, usury, guild, apprentice, charter
Methods and Activity
Anticipatory set
Put the following questions on the overhead or black/white board. Describe what you think concerning a trade fair or crafts show. What kinds of products were exchanged? What kind of products do you believe were traded in the Middle Ages?
Short lecture – see attached outline.
Divide class into groups of five (have them count off or group according to mixed abilities) Each group will complete a medieval charter and role-play its presentation to the class.
Students should take notes during lecture and use any classroom references if necessary or desired that might help them prepare a charter for a new medieval town and role play the presentation to the king. Each group will have the opportunity to “sell” their charter to the king in the role-play. Each person in the group should be responsible for one part of the assignment:
1. Brainstorming: Example- may the king stop goods from reaching the town? How big a town? Etc.
2. List rights and privileges of town for following groups:
Merchants;
Clergy;
Runaway serf;
Innkeepers
Other small business owners
Artisans
3. List what the town will give the king in return for the charter
4. How should town be governed?
5. Prepare draft of charter
6.
All students will take a role: such as king, merchants, etc. for the
role-play.
Assessment of student learning – When and where do you
check for understanding/learning?
Teacher reflection / self-assessment.
How will I improve this lesson?
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