The teachers involved agreed to create a class in Classroom where all the students were added using a link.
We used Classroom to have a solid and easy communication between teachers and students.
Classroom was organised using topics where we attached all the information needed, the tasks that students had to fulfill and the rubrics used to assess the work.
Teachers built a sample castle. The castle chosen was "Carrickfergus Castle" located in North Ireland.
We showed it to students so that they had a rough idea of what we asked them to do. Another reason was to motivate them to build something more complex than just a carboard with information written in it.
We used paper, cardboard, foam cardboard, brochettes, adhesive tape and white glue.
1st step: measuring, marking and cutting
2nd step: tower designing
3rd: Assembling tower with the keeps
4th step: information gluing and aesthetic finish
Front view
Gates opened
Left view
Right view
Tower opened
Left side
Right side
Back view
Tourist information
View of the right gate
View of the right gate
Map and coordinates
As we did with the castle, we built a catapult as an example of what they had to do.
We used wood as main material, but there were more materials involved: rope, nails, elastic bands and a piece of metal.
Torsion through a rope was used as an energy accumulation effort.
Ratchet
Rope
Wheel made of a branch of cherry tree
Scoop
Teachers used rubrics in order to assess both the castle and catapult presentation.
Several items were taken into account to assess the work.
REFERENCE BOOKS FOR THE STUDENTS:
COOMBS, Rachel, A year in a Castle, Orpheus Books Ltd., 2009.
GRAVETT, Christopher, Castle. Eyewitness Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 1994.
GRAVETT, Christopher, Knight. Eyewitness Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 2003.
GUITART APARICIO, Cristóbal, Castillos de Aragón, CAI, 1999.
MACAULAY, David, Castle, Houghton Mifflin, 1982.
MATTHEWS, Ruppert, Knights and Castles, Dorling Kindersley, 2016.
MAULE, David, Knights and Castles, London, DK, 2000.
MIGUEL LONGÁS, Sergio et al., King of Kings. Alfonso I the Battler. Caballeros de Exea, 2020.
PLATT, Richard and BIESTY, Stephen, Cross Section Castle, DK, 2013.
STAR, Fleur, Castle and Knight, Dorling Kindersley (Eye Wonder), 2005.
WEBOGRAPHY:
http://castlefacts.info/default
http://www.castlestudiesgroup.org.uk/
http://www.castlewales.com/home.html
https://www.experienceloire.com/
http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/home.html
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm4mn39/revision/3
TEXTBOOKS:
GRENCE RUIZ, Teresa (Ed.), History, Madrid, Santillana Educación 2017.