This week is focused on the book A Year In A Castle.

During the middle ages many of the rulers lived in large complexes of buildings called castles. This week you will learn about several countries, time, and life in a castle. Your book is A Year in a Castle. Read the book and look at the pictures and how the people interact in the spaces. A castle in the middle ages is a community behind walls. As you read look at all the people that it takes to run a castle. Notice how defense and war was a part of their lives. Would you like to live in a middle ages castle? Architectural Words to learn:

  • Bailey- An area where people work and access the castle. Also called a courtyard.
  • Belfry- A tower used to attack tall walls or used to hold a bell.
  • Hall- A main space in a castle for large groups of people.
  • Moat- A ditch around a castle full of water to protect the castle from invaders.
  • Section- A cut of a drawing showing a part of the interior of a building.

 

Assignment

The assignments and process for the week revolve around the Book A Year In A Castle. The best way to approach the information is review the assignments. If you need these converted to PDF contact the course Instructor. If you have time to watch, a video is included from PBS by David Macaulay.

If you complete all assignments and watch the video allocate 2:30 hours for the week. Without the video- 1:30

Geography

Purpose: Students will identify how places and things vary according to location.

 

Time Allocation: 10 Minutes

 

Read

(students) • Read Time Goes By A Year in a Castle.

 

(teacher) • Show pictures of three castles.

• Discuss the similarities and differences.

• Discuss the period of time and the countries.

• Discuss how historical changes can happen quickly or take a very long time.

 

Practice

(teacher, students) 

• Show students the pictures of the castles.

• Point out the first place on the map, and discuss the location. Reference important historical figures an their contributions.

• Allow students time to learn areas of the map.

• Have students label the country.

 

Discuss

(teacher, students)

• Why are countries different?

• Why are castles built different in the three countries?

 

Evaluate

(teacher)

• Assess map for accuracy and completeness

Materials

• Time Goes By books

• pictures of castle

• picture of map

• colored pencils

• whiteboard

 

Objectives

• Identify differences between pictures.

• Describe how things vary according to the country.

• Explain how weather and resources effect building.

• Arrange events in sequence.

 

Activity Procedures

Prepare

(teacher)

• Print pictures of castles and map.

• Research the history of the castles. Note significant dates and events on a whiteboard.

Historical Changes

Purpose: Students will identify how places and things change over periods of time. They will create a timeline to identify those changes.

 

Read

(students) • Read Time Goes By books.

 

Model

(teacher) • Show pictures of houses over time.

• Discuss the similarities and differences between past and present-day houses.

• Discuss the period of time between the changes.

• Discuss how historical changes can happen quickly or take a very long time.

• Show the timeline and explain the purpose and structure of a timeline.

• Tell students they will be creating a timeline of a landmark.

 

Practice

(teacher, students)

• Pass out construction paper strips.

• Show students the picture of the landmark.

• Point out the first significant date on the whiteboard, and explain what happened at that time.

• Allow students time to label their timelines with the date and a short caption or drawing for the event. Continue until you have discussed every date.

• Have students label their timelines with a title.

Discuss

(teacher, students)

• Why do places and things change?

• Are changes good or bad?

Evaluate

(teacher)

• Assess timeline for accuracy and completeness.

Materials

• Time Goes By books

• pictures of houses

• picture of landmark

• colored pencils

• whiteboard

 

Objectives

• markers

• light-colored 11"✕18" construction paper

• a timeline poster

• Identify differences between pictures.

• Describe how things change over time.

• Explain why things change.

• Arrange events in sequence.

• Judge the importance of change.

 

Activity Procedures

Prepare

(teacher)

• Print pictures of houses from the late Ancient Greece to the present.

• Research the history of a local or national landmark. Note significant dates and events on a whiteboard.

• Find a picture of the landmark.

• Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Each student will get one long strip.

(teacher, students)

• What do you think houses looked like when your

great grand parents were kids? Were they the same as they are now?

Numbers and Time

 

Purpose: Students will demonstrate knowledge about measuring time by filling in missing information.

 

Time Allocation: 20 - 30 Minutes

 

Read

(students)

• Read Time Goes By book A Year in a Castle.

 

Model

(teacher)

• Explain how people measure time in different ways.

• List the measures of time from short to long: seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years. The concept of weeks are not introduced in the Time Goes By series but could be incorporated into the lesson.

• Write a chart on the board to show how the measures of time relate. For example, an hour has 60 minutes, a day has 24 hours, etc.

 

Practice

(students)

• Students use the numbers in the number box to complete the facts on Time Goes by the Numbers p. 12.

 

Discuss

(teacher, students)

• What is the longest measurement of time we’ve talked about? The shortest?

• Why is it important for people to measure time?

 

Evaluate

(teacher)

• Assess Time Goes by the Numbers p. 12 for accuracy and completeness.

 

Materials

• Time Goes By books •

• pencils

 

Objectives

• Time Goes by the Numbers p. 12

• Identify time measurements.

• Identify the length of time measurements.

• Compare the length of time measurements.

• Convert time measurements.

• Judge the importance of measuring time.

Activity Procedures

Prepare

(teacher)

• Copy Time Goes by the Numbers p. 12 for each student.

Pretest

(teacher, students)

• How many hours are in one day?

• How many months are in one year?