Free 9th Grade Introduction To Medieval Castles Lesson Plan

Topic: Introduction to medieval castles

Objectives & Outcome

• Students will be able to define and describe the major architectural features of the medieval castle, including the keep, curtain walls, and gatehouse.

Materials

• Diagrams or photos of medieval castles
• Construction paper and art supplies (for independent work)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever heard of castles or medieval times.
• Have them brainstorm what they know about castles.
• Write their thoughts on the board.
• Discuss the benefits of living in a castle during medieval times (protection from invaders, noble status, luxurious living conditions).

Direct Instruction

• Show students pictures of various types of castles and have them identify the major architectural features.
• Discuss the purpose of each feature (e.g. moat for protection, donjon for protection and residence, towers for observation, etc.).
• Explain how these features helped to protect the castle and its inhabitants.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to create a diagram of a typical medieval castle, including a labeled list of the major architectural features.
• Go over the diagrams as a class and have students explain the purpose of each feature.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one architectural feature to research in more depth. They can create a poster or presentation to share with the class, explaining the purpose and design of their chosen feature and giving any examples from real-life castles that they can find.

Closure

• Review the major architectural features of the medieval castle and their purposes. Ask students to share their findings from their independent research projects and discuss any new insights they gained about castle architecture.

Assessment

• Evaluate students' participation in group discussions and their ability to present their findings from their independent research projects. Use a rubric to evaluate their presentations and give feedback on their understanding of castle architecture.