A Stroke in Time

 

Overview:            This lesson will take place in a seventh grade English class where the current unit of study is the Middle Ages.  This specific less is planned for the beginning of the unit where the students are just being introduced to the Middle Ages. By giving the students audio, tactile, and visual experiences with this time period they will be better equipped to start “thinking and responding” as if they were a person of this time. 

 

Goals:             *The student will be able to identify challenges faced by people of the Middle Ages in their day to day life.

                        *The student will be able to identify standard gender roles of the time.

*The student will be able to analyze the story from different characters points of view and compare it to their own lives.

*The student will be able to experience a part of the Middle Age way of life.

 

Materials:            *Picture books of the Middle Ages

                        *Music typical of the Middle Ages

                        *Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

                        *Feathers large enough to be made into pens

                        *Ink and inkwells

                        *Paper, parchment if available

 

Procedure:                                          Day One

Begin the class by asking the students what they know about the time period.  Write the answers on the board.  When the class is out of answers start the music.  Allow the students to listen for a minute or two.  Proceed by reading the picture book and showing them the drawings.  Then ask the class what they have learned and what they want to learn about the Middle Ages.  For the remainder of the class time, have the students read the pages that include the first month.

                                                            Day Two

Start the class by discussing what they found out during the reading.  Be sure to address the challenges faced by each character (if any), how they reacted to situations, and the gender roles that were in place at the time (how have they changed?).  Now have the students pick one character from the pages that were assigned and as that character, have them write a letter to someone involved in the activities in this part of the book.  Have the student consider how they would have felt/reacted to the situation, would they have done something different?  What would they do in the future as that character?  Allow the students ten minutes or so to write the letter.  Collect the papers and pass them back out to another student.  Next the student is to respond to the letter as the character it was addressed to.  With remainder of the class period, discuss this activity.

                                                            Day Three

Introduce the students to the quill and inkwell.  Explain to them that these are the materials that Catherine most likely used.  Give a lesson on how to properly use the tools then allow the students to write a note to a friend or family member explaining what they are doing.  After students are done, discuss what it might have been like to be a writer during this time.  Possible questions to ask:  would you like to write every day with this equipment?  What are the +/- to these tools?  What do you think other common tools were like?  How can you find out more about them?

 

Accommodations:     This lesson will allow students of all levels of skill to participate and contribute positive things to the class’s learning.  By asking the students what they know, the students with prior knowledge on the topic will be able to share this information with the other students, by asking what they would like to learn the students with even no knowledge should have something to add to the conversation.  This question also allows the teacher to draw out the usually silent student.  Also, having the student react personally to the text allows all students to have a correct answer to the assignment proposed to him/her.  Using numerous resources allows each type of learner a different way of responding positively to the ideas presented.    A visually impaired student will be able to better connect with music, a hearing impaired student with the use of quill and ink, etc. 

 

Extensions:            The letter writing activity may be repeated later in the text and then compared to the first letter the student wrote.  Is he/she more sensitive to the way things where then?  Has his/her views changed, if so how?  Another way to extend this type of lesson is to look at other tools, clothing, procedures (such as preparing food, washing clothes, bathing, etc.) used during the Middle Ages and have the student experience them first hand as they did with the writing.  Ask the students to find examples that interest them.

 

Assessment:            Through the everyday discussion that takes place in the classroom I will be able to judge how well the class is understanding, achieving and relating to the goals I have set for the class.  The letter will also allow me to evaluate how the students are doing.  For this lesson I do not feel that it is important to assign each student with a grade, rater it is important that they are able to connect with the way of life in the Middle Ages.