MIDDLE AGES

Why The Middle Ages Unit Is Important

The Big Idea of this unit is that the period known as the Middle Ages was an important time in the history of Europe. Many of the developments that occurred during that time still influence Western society today. This unit orients students to historical events and developments following the fall of the Roman Empire, such as the rise in power of the Christian Church, the development of the feudal system, the Norman Conquest, the growth of towns and the subsequent weakening of feudal ties, the creation of modern legal concepts, and the Black Death. The content in this unit will serve as the basis for studying Islam. It also serves as a basis for units in later grades about the Renaissance and the Reformation.

THE BIG IDEA

The time period known as the Middle Ages was an important time in the history of Europe. Many of the developments that occurred during that time still influence Western society today.

LESSON 1

What are some important events that led up to The Middle Ages?

LESSON 2

How were the lives of the lords and serfs different from each other?

LESSON 3

Why did lords provide protection and the use of land for serfs who worked for them?

LESSON 4

Why are knights and castles needed?

LESSON 5

Why did towns develop as a result of trade during the Middle Ages?

What were the positive and negative aspects of medieval towns?

LESSON 6

How did the development of towns and the middle class change life in the Middle Ages?

LESSON 7

How did the Christian Church influence the daily lives of people in medieval Europe?

LESSON 8

What practices in the Middle Ages show the influence and power of the Church?

LESSON 9

How did the Battle of Hastings change history?

LESSON 11

Why was King Henry II such an important English King?

LESSON 13

Why is Magna Carta such an important document?

LESSON 14

How are our lives today affected by things people created or invented in the Middle Ages?