Part One Cathedral Tour This is a tour of a church in New Orleans that is similar to a Medieval cathedral, and will help students get into the mindset of people in the Middle Ages
Part Two Castles This quest takes students through some excellent castle sites. I have my students do this prior to building castles in class.
Part Three Life in the Middle Ages This quest takes students through a good site on everyday life in Medieval times. After completing this whole excercise, my students build a Medieval town that includes a castle, a cathedral, and a village. For real fun, build the castle and cathedral out of sugar cubes. Students love that, they are easy to use, inexpensive, and best of all, biodegradable.Part One--Cathedral Tour
In the Middle Ages, people thought differently than we do today. Our lives are compartmentalized, but they saw connections in life that we don't readily see today. The world around them was a book that would teach them about life and God. In order to help students get an idea of the Medieval mindset, here is a "tour" of a local church built along the lines of a Medieval cathedral. The church is Holy Name of Jesus in New Orleans. Set on the campus of Loyola University, it provides an unexpected Medieval experience. This assignment is designed for 7th grade, but can be adapted to any grade level.
Go to www.loyno.edu/~MidAges
(If that doesn’t work, go to www.loyno.edu, and in the search box,
type in wasserman, then scroll down to Making the Middle Ages Fun for Teachers
and Students and click there.)
When you get to the MidAges home page, scroll down to An Architectural
and Symbolic Tour of a Local “Cathedral” (Holy Name Church)
A pilgrim is a person on a journey to a particular place. In the Middle Ages, people went on pilgrimages to religious shrines. In this tour of Holy Name of Jesus Church on St. Charles Avenue, you will go on pilgrimage through a Medieval town to a church that was built along the lines of a Medieval cathedral.
You may skip the first paragraph, because it is too difficult. In fact, the writing in this site is very challenging, but the information I have asked for is attainable. Read through everything, but don’t expect to understand everything. We will talk about it in class.
Paragraph 2
What new meaning did you find for cathedral? Explain.
How does this tie in with what I told you about Medieval thought?
First two pictures
What is the first picture?
How is the picture of the approach to HNJ like the approach in the
first picture?
Second, third, and fourth pictures continue to show the approach to the "cathedral."
Fifth picture
How does this resemble the approach in the first picture?
Why is the management of space important?
Sixth and seventh pictures
What is a cloister?
Eighth picture
What is the purpose of a cloister?
Go to Part II
First picture and paragraphs above it and below it
How is HNJ an “Active” building?
2nd picture and paragraph
What is the effect of the arches in the cloister?
3rd picture and paragraph
What do the tops of the arches point to?
What does the number 4 represents?
Read the paragraph that follows, and I will try to explain it more clearly
in class.
4th picture
This may be confusing for you
Look at the battlements. The words to remember here are “material
meets spiritual.”
5th picture
What number dominates here? Talk about the contrast between “solid”
and “hollow” forms.
Paragraph following #5
This may be confusing. How are the triangles dynamic? What
is the optical illusion?
Blank Pictures : Ignore this. It is not that significant.
Go down to the stained glass pictures.
What do the pointed arches represent?
Look at the rotation. Look at the next level of windows. How have the quatrefoils changed? Why?
Last picture
Look at the transformation of the squares. Explain if you can.
Read about the numbers. Be sure to read the last part, especially about the “tenness.”
Go to Part III
Top of church
What does the corona represent? How does this fit in with the
idea of a pilgrimage?
Photos below (6)
Where is this cathedral?
Go to Part IV
Read the first two paragraphs. The picture of the front is missing
at this time.
First 2 pictures
Where do the pointed columns direct our vision?
What does the elongated quatrefoil suggest?
3rd Picture
How is the quatrefoil different and what does it represent?
4th and 5th pictures
What does the pointed arch point to?
Sixth and seventh pictures
Quatrefoils in the square
What are squares representative of?
8th picture
Doors: Explain the optical illusion.
Use the next two pictures to help.
Scrool down to the next three pictures below the columns. What is the round window called?
Go down to the baptismal fonts. Why are they usually 8 sided?
Go down to the second to last picture. What is the quote of Hugh of Saint Victor?
Explain: The cathedral is an image of this world in relation to the world beyond.
Read the last sentence. Burn it into your mind, because we will be thinking Medievally for a while.
Part 2 Castles Quest
The purpose of this search is to help you to learn what a castle looks
like and how it is built, so that you can build one for class.
Go to www.castles-britain.com
click on Learning Center
Click on each of these, read the information, and do the assigned work.
1. Parts of a Castle: List the parts
2. Concentric Castles
Motte and Bailey Castles Draw or
describe each of these
3. Castle Defense: Define these terms.
a. battlement
b. moat,
c. drawbridge
d. keep’arrow slit
4. Chapel: Why did they have this in the castle
5. Furnishings: How were the ceilings and walls decorated?
What was on the floor?
How was the lord’s bedroom furnished? How did the servants sleep?
What was the most
elaborately furnished room?
6. Hall: What was the purpose of the hall?
7. Kitchen: Where were the kitchens
8. Walls: What was the purpose of the walls? How were they
made
9. Solar: What was it? What was its use?
10. Dungeon: What is the derivation of the word? Where
were they located?
11. Medieval Food: Read this. It is interesting.
What did the nobles eat? What did peasants eat? When were meals?
This next section will give you an idea of life on a feudal manor. After completing these two searches, we will build a castle surrounded by the buildings and the Medieval town.
Go back to castle-of-britain page
Click on Castle Links
Go down to Castles of Wales
Scroll down to Please Select A Topic
Click on Castle Terminology
Define:
drum tower, garderobe, belfry, murder holes, palisade, bastion, parapet,
ram, turret, wall walk
Return to main page, link to castles, and look at pictures and try to identify parts of a castle
Part 3 Life in the Middle Ages Quest
This next section will give you an idea of life on a feudal manor.
After completing these two searches, we will build a castle surrounded
by the buildings and the Medieval town.
Go to www.learner.org/exhibits
Click on Middle Ages
Read the paragraph, and click on Enter.
You will see a page titled Feudal Life. Beginning with the essay
on “Feudal Life”, read all topics on the side and answer the following
questions. At each site, read the essay, and then click on the link
at the bottom that says “More information on...” and read that information
as well.
Answer these questions using the information on this site.
Feudal Life
What did the people do for safety and defense?
What did a manor consist of?
What is a fief?
Who were the serfs?
What did the lord offer in return for the work of the peasant?
Click on More
What was the Magna Carta and when was it signed?
What were some hardships of the serfs?
What was life like for women?
Go back to Feudal Life.
Religion
Click on Religion
What was the only church at this time?
What did village priests do?
Click on More..
Who wrote the rules followed by monasteries?
When did this person live?
What was the life of a monk like?
What vows did the religious take?
What were pilgrimages?
What is a famous story about pilgrims?
Click on Homes
Homes
What were the peasant homes like?
Click on more
How did the wealthy live?
Why is the garbage of the homes important?
Click on Clothing
Clothing
What were most clothes made of?
Describe the clothing of
a. wealthy
b. religious
c. peasants
Click on Health
Health
What happened as towns grew, and what did this lead to?
Whad did people believe about bad odors and sins?
What were the four humors?
What did many people do for illness?
Click on More...
Who received treatment?
Read about surgery. What was the most common form of surgery?
Click on Arts
Arts
How did Medieval drama begin. Explain.
Click on Town Life
Town Life
When did towns begin to expand and why?
What effect did growth of towns have on feudal life? Why?
Click on More...
Why were guilds established and how did they function?
Who belonged to guilds?
How did people learn crafts?
What contributed to the spread of learning?
What happened to the serfs?
What was the advantage to the growth of town life?
Other links: castles-of-britain.com
http//sunsite.berkley.edu/OMACL/
Go back to homepage for Making
the Middle Ages Fun for Teachers and Students