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The Medieval Castle Mini-Lesson
Objective: Students will learn that medieval castles provided both protection and a home for the lords who built them and the community who served them.
Suggested Time: 15 minutes
Reading Level: Upper Elementary
Teacher Background
Many of the great fortifications of the Middle Ages are still standing today, often dominating the surrounding countryside. Why were they MORE
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Print or Project
- A Visual Overview: Show the slideshow of photos to your class. Each has a descriptive caption and kid-friendly copy for your students to read. (Please note that there is also more extensive teacher note copy just for you.)
- Creative Caption Review: Once you've been through the slideshow for an overview, go back through it again. This time ask students to explain why the captions do (or do not!) work. (Example: Do you think the caption "Castle Sweet Castle" is a good one for the first photo? Why or why not?)
Click the thumbnail slides below to see the captions and kid-friendly copy up close.
- Continue the Conversation: Ask students to think about some of the movies or TV shows that showed a castle being defended (Robin Hood, Shrek, etc.). Then lead a discussion about why the castle structure provided such good protection.
- Write about it: Ask students to imagine they are a small mouse in a castle kitchen. Prompt them to write an imaginary paragraph about the sights, sounds, and smells they might see, hear, and smell.
Extension Activities
Reinforcements: These worksheets will be useful as you further develop your teaching unit. The Word Power worksheet will give your students vocabulary practice with key terms from this mini-lesson and the related activity will help reinforce key concepts on castles.
 | The Medieval Castle Word Power |  | Write a Lead Paragraph for Castle Chatter |
Excerpted from:
Eyewitness: Castle
Eyewitness: Castle provides an in-depth, comprehensive look at the history and structure of castles through a unique integration of words and pictures. Discover the mysteries of the medieval castle and what life was like for those living within.
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