This week's reading is in the book Castle. It is a fictional story about the construction of Lord Kevin's new residence in Wales. Breakup the reading over two weeks. Read to page 45 in week seven and finish the book in week eight. Week eight is a busy week with studying Romanesque design and Castles. Review the books images and learn about the middle ages construction process.

Castle Terms

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 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.
  • Battlement- A narrow wall built along the outer edge of the wall walk to protect the soldiers against attack.
  • Belfry- A tower used to attack tall walls or used to hold a bell.
  • Daub- A mud or clay mixture applied over the wattle to strengthen and seal between timbers.
  • Finial- A decorative element used at the top of the merlons.
  • Half-Timber- The most common form of middle ages construction which walls were made of a wood frame filled with wattle and daub.
  • Hall- A main space in a castle for large groups of people.
  • Merlon- The high segment of the alternating high and low portions of a battlement.
  • Moat- A ditch around a castle full of water to protect the castle from invaders.
  • Mortar- A mixture of sand, water, and lime used to bind stones together.
  • Palisade- A sturdy wooden fence built in enclose a site until a permanent wall can be constructed.
  • Section- A cut of a drawing showing a part of the interior of a building.
  • Truss- A timber frame covering the great hall of open spaces in a structure.
  • Turret- A small tower rising above and resting on one of the main towers, usually a lookout point.
  • Wattle- A mat of woven sticks and weeds.

Your project for Topic 8 is building a mini-castle.

Easy-to-Make Castle

Take your time and follow the directions. DO NOT punch everything out at once. Pieces can become very confusing. Use tape on the tabs so it can be disassembled if needed. HAVE FUN EXPLORING YOUR CASTLE.