You will complete activities at each step along the way to progress through the following positions of Medieval life:
Males: 1. serf 2. monk 3. merchant 4. knight 5. king
Females: 1. serf 2. nun 3. princess 4. lady 5. queen
Your first task is to research the Feudal System. You must learn all you can about life on a manor and in Medieval towns. You must also research and record information about art, music, literature, and architecture of Medieval Times. The life of a serf was extremely harsh. As a serf, you must work diligently and take precaution to not anger the lady of the manor!
To advance to the position of nun or monk, you must take notes and record your findings in a Word table which will be provided in the Process section of this WebQuest. The table must be presented to and approved by the lady of the manor (aka Teacher).
Nun or Monk
As a nun or monk, you will research the causes and effects of Black Death. You must locate a website which displays the spread of Black Death on a map. You must also be able to describe how it spread. Watch for symptoms as you are exposed to this deadly disease!
Another task as a nun or monk is to research the Crusades. On your pilgrimage you will discover the causes and effects of the Crusades. You will learn reasons why various people joined the Crusades. Even though the Crusades failed from a military standpoint, you will see why they were important for Europeans.
You will use Inspiration software to create cause and effect diagrams of the Black Death and the Crusades. These diagrams must be presented to the lady of the manor for approval to proceed to the position of merchant or princess.
Merchant or Princess
It is now time to choose either the Black Death or Crusades for deeper study. You must imagine yourself being a Medieval citizen involved in one of these topics. If you choose Black Death, be sure to think about how you came in contact with the disease and what your symptoms would be. How would you be treated by others if you had the disease? If you choose the Crusades, imagine yourself a knight going into battle for Pope Urban II in a quest to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims.
When you have done enough research to feel like "you were there", use your cause and effect diagram and your research notes to help you write an essay about the causes and effects of your chosen topic. With approval of the lady of the manor, you may then proceed to the position of knight of lady.
Knight or Lady
As a knight or lady, you are free to travel to other places. Now would be a good time for you to discover where and when events happened around the world. You must use several references to research history in both Europe and the Americas to compare times and historical events. Use the information you found to create parallel timelines for Europe and the Americas for the years A.D. 400 to A.D. 1500. Show the major events and at least three illustrations for events on each timeline. Your life will be enriched by your travels through time and space. Hear ye! Hear ye! You are now in a processional ceremony to be crowned king or queen!
King or Queen
To become a virtuous king or queen you must be sympathetic of the living conditions of your loyal subjects. You will research daily living in Medieval times. Prepare yourself to become a citizen in a Medieval town or manor by choosing a role to research. Even though you were officially pronounced king or queen, you must experience Medieval life through the eyes of a peasant, nun, monk, merchant, knight, lady, or lord.
You will describe your life in this role by writing in a daily journal. Once your journal is approved, you will be ready to participate in a group project to answer the big question:
What was life "really" like in Medieval Times, and what do we know now that could have made their lives better?
Are you ready to test your ability as a serf?
If the answer is "Yes", go on to the Process Section.
