Turrets and Treachery

Social Studies Online

What was life like for the lord and his family? Read about the activities and routines people followed during a day, The roles of people who worked there.

Links:
Life in a medieval castle

Read the article on life in a medieval castle, and draw up a timeline that shows "A Day in the Life" of a person living in a castle.

Write a short Job Description for one person working at a castle. What special qualities would they need for the job? What hours could they expect to work? What daily tasks would they perform? Who do they report to? How would they be paid?

The Castle Banquet

• Find out about the food that was eaten. What food would the family and guests have eaten at a medieval banquet?

  Tales of the Middle Ages: Food and Drink

  Use a Double Cell Diagram to outline the similarities and differences of food eaten in medieval times and today.

• Compare the manners of that time to present day manners. Were they appropriate? Are there some manners that are still the same?

• Write up a menu for a medieval banquet. On one side write your food selections, and on the other a set of important rules for the table.

Extra for Experts

Castle under Siege
What were the rules regarding a siege? Was there a law against this activity? Why did people want to over throw a castle? Research the various weapons used during a siege. Sketch and explain the purpose of each of the following: Mangonel, trebuchet, crossbow. You may like to construct a modified model of one of these weapons, eg. Mangonel.