Goals & Objectives
Goals
Students will understand and be familiar with the types of laws common in Medieval Europe and be able to recognize its relationship with modern law.
Objectives
Students will infer what life was like for selected subgroups under Medieval English law.
Students will categorize segments of Medieval English law into either being similar or different from modern American law.
Students will understand and be familiar with the types of laws common in Medieval Europe and be able to recognize its relationship with modern law.
Objectives
Students will infer what life was like for selected subgroups under Medieval English law.
Students will categorize segments of Medieval English law into either being similar or different from modern American law.
California State Content and Common Core Standards
7.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Europe.
5. Know the significance of developments in medieval English legal and constitutional practices and their importance in the rise of modern democratic thought and representative institutions (e.g., Magna Carta, parliament, development of habeas corpus, an independent judiciary in England).
Common Core Writing, Key Ideas and Details
3. Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
5. Know the significance of developments in medieval English legal and constitutional practices and their importance in the rise of modern democratic thought and representative institutions (e.g., Magna Carta, parliament, development of habeas corpus, an independent judiciary in England).
Common Core Writing, Key Ideas and Details
3. Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Lesson Introduction
When students arrive they will be asked to perform a Power Write. Each student will take ten minutes to write everything they can remember about governments in Medieval Europe. This lesson is designed to take place after a lesson on feudalism so the students should recall plenty of information about the governments and ways of life in Medieval Europe. Once the students are done writing they will be encouraged to share what they remember with the class. If any large ideas are missing they will be supplied by the teacher who will use leading questions to draw the information out of the students.
Vocabulary
Students begin by scanning the four primary source documents used in the day’s lesson. Students will underline or highlight any words they are unsure about. Students will volunteer the words to the class. The teacher will then ask other students to explain the words. If none of the students are familiar with the words the teacher will explain them. Students are expected to write out any unfamiliar words and their definitions in their notebooks to be referred to while analyzing the sources. Words expected to be on the list include
· Memorandum
· Advowson
· Ecclesiastical
· Demesne
· Assize
· Vagabond
· Primate
· Sureties
The words on this list are pulled from the legal documents the students will be examining. It is therefore an approximate list only. Each list will be different for each class.
· Memorandum
· Advowson
· Ecclesiastical
· Demesne
· Assize
· Vagabond
· Primate
· Sureties
The words on this list are pulled from the legal documents the students will be examining. It is therefore an approximate list only. Each list will be different for each class.
Content Delivery
Students will work in groups to read the four primary sources documents. While reading they will highlight or underline portions of law that deal with their group. In the margins they will write what the effect of the specific portion of law would have. They will also complete a SOAPS worksheet for each document. These documents will not be easy for seventh graders to read. They are expected to work together in group and will likely need extensive scaffolding. It will be made clear to students at the beginning of the lesson that they will most likely need to help each other when working with these sources. It will also be made clear that these are difficult documents and the teacher does not expect the students to understand every part of each document. The teacher will circulate the room and provided assistance and scaffolding to the groups.
Student Engagement
Students will be split into small groups when working with the sources. Groups will be assigned so that each group will include at least one strong reader. Each group will be assigned a perspective to work from in a self-reflective activity. Perspectives include
· A group of barons
· A group of serfs
· The King and his family
· A groups of merchants
· A group of knights
· A group of noble women
The teacher will begin student engagement by modeling the use of the SOAPS think sheet from the National Archives. The teacher will model with a portion of the Magna Carta. Once all the groups have read at least part of all the sources, annotated them, and completed a SOAPS sheet for each they will be given a few minutes to gather their thoughts. Once finished they will take turns explaining to the class how those laws would have affected the people of their group. Once all the groups have spoken the teacher will ask what law items looked familiar to the students and why? The teacher will lead the conversation to make clear the connection between Medieval English law and modern American law. A later lesson will explore the connection in a deeper way.
· A group of barons
· A group of serfs
· The King and his family
· A groups of merchants
· A group of knights
· A group of noble women
The teacher will begin student engagement by modeling the use of the SOAPS think sheet from the National Archives. The teacher will model with a portion of the Magna Carta. Once all the groups have read at least part of all the sources, annotated them, and completed a SOAPS sheet for each they will be given a few minutes to gather their thoughts. Once finished they will take turns explaining to the class how those laws would have affected the people of their group. Once all the groups have spoken the teacher will ask what law items looked familiar to the students and why? The teacher will lead the conversation to make clear the connection between Medieval English law and modern American law. A later lesson will explore the connection in a deeper way.
Lesson Closure
Students will participate in a Think-Pair-Share activity. Each student will list areas where they think the Medieval English legal system resembles our own and where they are different. Students will then share with their findings with their seating partners. The TPSs activity will be collected as students leave the class. Students will later receive written feedback on their TPS.
Assessment
Formative
The formative assessment for this lesson will be the groups explaining their thoughts on the effects of the laws on different members of medieval society at the end of their Self-Reflecting exercise. Each group will receive informal verbal feedback after their contribution. If necessary the teacher will ask the groups leading questions to ensure they explain the main points. The teacher will also take this opportunity to review students SOAPS sheets.
Summative
The summative assessment for this lesson will be the Think-Pair-Share activity comparing and contrasting modern US law with that of Medieval Europe. Students will turn in their TPSs at the end of the lesson and will later receive formal written feedback.
The formative assessment for this lesson will be the groups explaining their thoughts on the effects of the laws on different members of medieval society at the end of their Self-Reflecting exercise. Each group will receive informal verbal feedback after their contribution. If necessary the teacher will ask the groups leading questions to ensure they explain the main points. The teacher will also take this opportunity to review students SOAPS sheets.
Summative
The summative assessment for this lesson will be the Think-Pair-Share activity comparing and contrasting modern US law with that of Medieval Europe. Students will turn in their TPSs at the end of the lesson and will later receive formal written feedback.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
Due to the nature of this lesson it will be particularly difficult for ELLs, striving readers, and children with special needs. Every group should contain at least one strong reader to help support the group’s reading. In addition ELL will be placed in a group with a bilingual peer whenever possible. The group nature of the activity should allow students to utilize the skills of their peers and work together. Scaffolding by the teacher will be available during the reading portion of the lesson to help all students work with the primary sources.