Medieval Time Traveling WebQuest

Jennifer Sisco-Smith, November 2014

Abstract

The WebQuest I created will focus on the Medieval Times. This is a WebQuest designed for my 7^th grade Language Arts classes. The purpose of this WebQuest is that students will be learning about different aspects of everyday life in Europe during the Medieval Times in preparation for reading the historical fiction novel “Crispin: The Cross of Lead” by Avi. Students will be assigned to groups of five and will be completing a “jigsaw” activity. They will each have a different aspect of life in the Middle Ages that they will become an expert in. To become an expert, they need to research their aspect of Medieval life by following the links provided in the WebQuest. They will then go back to their groups and take turns teaching one another about what they learned about Europe in the Medieval Times.

Once they have each completed the “jigsaw” activity by teaching their group members about their areas of expertise, they will then work as a group to select one project and use their newly learned knowledge to complete it. Groups have to choose one of the following projects and work on it together in order complete the WebQuest:

Write a diary entry from the perspective of a noble and a second diary entry from the perspective of a serf. Each diary entry should be 3-5 paragraphs long. Each diary entry needs to describe what daily life was like for that individual. Each diary entry should include at least 4 facts based on the various topics covered in links from the webquest.
Create a story set in the Medieval Times. Your group’s story should have a main character that is either a serf/peasant or a noble and should be at least 300 words long. Once your group has written the story together, you should each illustrate a picture to turn your story into a picture book. This picture book should include at least five illustrations to accurately show different aspects of life in the Medieval Times. The pictures should help tell the story and should be historically accurate based on the information you gathered. There should be at least 8 facts based on the various topics covered in the links presented throughout the book.
Imagine that your group is a band of traveling minstrels. Compose a poem/song in the same fashion as a Medieval minstrel. Your group will then perform this poem/song for the class. This performance should be entertaining and the poem/song should have a medieval rhythm/melody. It also must explain at least 8 facts about different aspects of the Medieval Times based on the various topics covered in the links in order to express what your group learned.

Performance Objectives

SWBAT –

Complete an individual simulated research task focused on an area of the Medieval Times that they each choose to specialize in.
Determine what information is essential for their group members to know about their given topic.
Teach the group members about his/her individual area of expertise.
Synthesize their newfound knowledge of life in the Medieval Times.
Create and work collaboratively on a group project.

Outcomes

Throughout this lesson, students will be working both individually as well as collaboratively. The information they gain will focus on the Medieval Times in Europe. So their knowledge of life during that time period and place will be deepened and broadened. This topic goes along with the 7^th grade social studies curriculum in my district.

Additionally, students will be developing skills that they can take with them into other classes. Students will be doing individual simulated research tasks to become experts in their categories. Also, students will be isolating essential information from the research they did and teaching their group members about it. This individual work will help them complete research assignments in other subjects as well as complete the simulated research tasks on the PARCC test.

Lastly, once the individual aspects of the lesson are complete, students will be working collaboratively to teach one another about their different areas of expertise. They will evaluate the information presented in order to complete the learning log as a group. They will then go a step further in order to synthesize their information to complete a group project. These skills will help them in future language arts assignments as well as in other subjects like social studies and science. Plus working collaboratively as a team is a “real world” skill that they can use as their lives go on and they face future tasks in secondary school, college, careers, and life in general.

Scaffolding Knowledge

Essential Question: What was daily life really like for people living in Europe during the Medieval Times?

Tips on Scaffolding Verbs: http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/time_savers/bloom/

Level	Activities
Remembering	Recall the information from the readings of the various websites
Understanding	Discuss and explain information from the different areas of expertise (jigsaw activity); Determine essential information in order to complete first column of learning log
Applying	Illustrate pictures that are historically accurate based on the readings (requirement for one of the group projects)
Analyzing	Compare and contrast life in the Medieval Times to life in our world ( on learning log)
Evaluating	Assess why the pieces determined as essential information are necessary to understand (on learning log)
Creating	Develop and create the group project (i.e. choice of project: compose a diary entry from the perspective of a serf and noble, imagine you are a minstrel and perform an original song/poem, or compose an original short story)

Multiple Intelligences

Intelligence	List the activities in the lesson that will address this intelligence….
Linguistic	Reading the information on the various websites; Writing notes on the reading (learning log); One of the choices of group projects involves writing an original story; One of the choices of group projects involves writing diary entries from the perspective of a noble or serf
Musical	One area of expertise focuses on Medieval music & entertainment; One of the choices of group projects involves writing and performing a poem/song
Bodily-Kinesthetic	One of the choices of group projects involves performing a poem/song for the class
Spatial	One of the choices of group projects involves drawing historically accurate pictures of aspects of the Medieval times
Interpersonal	Collaborative group work (jigsaw activity and group project)
Intrapersonal	Individual students each take on a role and become an expert in a different aspect of Medieval life

Mind Styles

Concrete Sequential	Reading, researching and gaining information; Becoming an expert in a particular subject
Concrete Random	Determining which information is essential and why; Analyzing how the Medieval Times was similar and different to our world
Abstract Random	Listening to others in their group; Working collaboratively on a group project
Abstract Sequential	Teaching and thoroughly explaining information from area of expertise to others; Working collaboratively to determine which group project would be best to work on; Working collaboratively to discuss various ideas and information to complete the project of choice

Difficulty vs. Complexity:

Students must read through several documents and remember information from what they read in order to become an expert in a particular topic of the Medieval Times. This activity may pertain more to the concept of “difficulty” in a lesson. The complexity, though, is increased in a number of ways throughout this WebQuest. Students must be able to analyze the documents from their areas of expertise in order to determine which information is essential for their group members to learn. Additionally, complexity is also increased in the group project aspect of this WebQuest. Students will work as a team to select a project from the list of choices and complete it. Each project choice requires students to synthesize the knowledge they have learned, evaluate which facts are most necessary and important to understand, and use their knowledge to create their project from the perspective of someone from the Medieval Times.

Sense and Meaning:

Sense – Students will read the material and learn facts about the Medieval Times.
Sense – Students will learn the definition of previously unfamiliar terms through their individual research and the “jigsaw” teaching activity.
Meaning – Students will access their prior knowledge of Medieval Europe as they work on both the individual and group aspects of this WebQuest. (The Medieval Times is one of the first topics covered in my school’s 7th grade social studies program.)
Meaning – Students set goals both individually and as a group to complete a project of their choosing.
Meaning – Students are aware that the information they gain through this WebQuest is all in preparation for the reading of an upcoming historical fiction novel entitled “Crispin: The Cross of Lead” by Avi.

Standards Addressed

CCSS (for Grade 7 ELA):

Reading – Informational Text (RI) : 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.10

Writing (W) : 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10

Speaking & Listening (SL) : 7.1, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6

Language (L) : 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6

Teacher Preparation

Students will be assigned to groups of five. Once in a group, each student will select one aspect of the Medieval Times to become an expert in. They will be completing a “jigsaw” activity first and then using their newly learned information to complete a group project. The roles/areas of expertise that students will be choosing from are the following:
- Food and Fashion Expert
- Music and Entertainment Expert
- The “Black Death” Expert
- Nobility Expert
- Serfdom Expert
Click here for the group learning log handout
Click here for the group project rubric

Key Terms

Medieval Times – (AKA: Middle Ages) Time period in Europe lasting from the 5th century to the 15th century

Feudalism – The hierarchical, social system of Medieval Europe

Serf – Medieval laborer bound to work the land/farm belonging to a lord in exchange for their protection

Noble – Member of the noble/ruling class

Minstrel – Medieval entertainer who typically traveled from village to village performing singing, instrumental music, juggling, etc.

Teacher Instructional Process: Focus and Review Lesson Outline

Lesson Plan:

Open and project the WebQuest. Show the “home” page. Have students read the title and discuss their thoughts about what they think this WebQuest will be about.
After the discussion, show students to the “introduction” page and read it aloud to them.
Then divide the class into groups of five. Students should sit with their group members.
Once students are settled in their groups, draw their attention again to the projection. Show them the “task” page and read it aloud to them.
Discuss any questions that students have about the instructions.
After students’ questions have been answered, they may begin working on the WebQuest.
Monitor students’ progress and guide them along the way as they work to complete both the individual and collaborative aspects of the WebQuest.
At the end of the WebQuest, students should work in groups to complete their project of choice. If giving a presentation is part of that, have those groups present for the class.
End the unit with a discussion of what students have learned from this WebQuest.
The WebQuest from start to finish should take approximately 1 ½ to 2 weeks of class.

Guided Practice

Throughout the group work parts of the lesson, remind students to stay on task and to work as a team. Also remind them that their grade is a group grade and participation as well as preparation is a part of it.

Independent Practice

Throughout the individual simulated research (aka: “becoming an expert) part of the lesson, remind students to read carefully and take notes. Also remind them that they will be the “teacher” of this topic to the rest of their group-mates.

Closure

At the end of the unit, hold a class discussion in which students take turns sharing what they have learned.

Alternate Outline – Accommodations

For students with visual impairments, computers/Chromebooks may be set to read text aloud (headphones will be provided)
Modifications for various language disabilities (as per IEPs) will be followed. (For example: allowing for grammatical or spelling errors, modifying length of writing requirements, etc.)

Teacher’s Page