School Day Resource Guide
School Day 2010
At
The Louisiana Renaissance Festival
Educator’s Resource Guide
2010
Table of Contents
About the Renaissance Living History Center (RLHC) 3
School Day 2010 Information
General Information 4
Reservation Form 5
Festival Site Map 6
Life in Sixteenth Century England
Life in Sixteenth Century England (Dr. Robison, SELU) 7
School Day Educational Demonstrations and Lectures
A Day In The Life of a Knight 10
The Art of Spinning 13
The Cobbler’s Art 16
Crime and Punishment in Renaissance England 24
Jacobean Clothing and Dress 63
Leisure Activities 102
The Chandler’s Art 111
The Art of Dance 113
Suggested School Day Student Activities
The Character Development Webquest 117
The Photo Safari 134
Guilds and Trades: Jacobean Job Search 136
The Town Crier: All the Renaissance News that is fit to print 138
Family trees: Historical Genealogy 140
Appendices
A Reading Guide to Renaissance England 146
Reference Readings: The Life of Elizabeth, Alison Weit……………..
LARF – Louisiana Renaissance Festival
Making the most of your Student Day………………………………150
About the Renaissance Living History Center
The Renaissance Living History Center is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) 3 corporation whose primary mission is education on the history and daily life of pre-industrial society. Our largest activity during the course of the year is the Living History Area and the School Day program that we produce at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival in Hammond, LA. We are working to extend these programs directly to schools by providing trained living history interpreters for classes to enhance their understanding of daily life during the Renaissance and through the development of student-centered activities that are available through our website. In order to build a cast of trained volunteers, we offer a series of workshops where volunteers can learn the activities of Renaissance daily life with intense training sessions.
Educational Philosophy
The study of history can be an arduous undertaking for students who are unable to connect their life experience with historic events, peoples and cultures. An entirely different level of understanding is possible through interaction with historical re-enactors working in realistic environments. Key to fostering this level of understanding of history is developing attentiveness to the details of the surrounding world. Seemingly mundane facts, such as a person's name, the currency they use, the media available to them, choices of entertainment, and their religious backgrounds are often profound reflections of the world and the recent history of their society. Students often fail to realize the impact of these seemingly trivial concepts unless exposed to them in an experiential way.
One way to foster appreciation of history is to have students interact with people from another time. Describing the life of a peasant or knight in a truly illustrative way can be difficult. Our demonstrations are given in full renaissance costume and/or armor. Because students in our area often do not have the opportunity to tour a local castle or visit renaissance era structures, our in school programs are designed to bring these things to them. During our School Day Program students are allowed to handle an array of replica Renaissance artifacts, observe artisans and peasants engaged in the activities of their daily lives, and interact with our peasants and nobles on a personal level to learn about history first hand. Emphasis will be on learning about history through authentic experiences instead of memorizing long lists of facts. By establishing an interactive environment, both in schools and at the LRF, the Renaissance Living History Center hopes to foster an understanding and enjoyment of history.
Louisiana Renaissance Festival
- (985) 467-4766 - www.StudentDay.net
P. O. Box 400 Robert LA 70455-0400
Dear Educator,
The Louisiana Renaissance Festival is excited to invite you to our 9th annual Student Day program!
We created Student Days in 2002 at the request of parents and teachers as a way to bring the Renaissance to life for students. Over the past 9 years we have had over 65,000 students and teachers take advantage of our program, which provides a unique combination of education and entertainment we call “edutainment”. The village of Albright is brought to life through the dedication of our villagers, craftsmen and performers. There are demonstrations depicting life in the sixteenth century such as candle making, fabric dyeing, and glass blowing, just to name a few. We have a joust arena that seats nearly four thousand spectators to ensure everyone that joins us gets a great view of the only full contact joust in Louisiana or Mississippi.
This year Student Days will be held on November 16th, 17th, and 18th. Hours of operation are 9:00am to 2:00pm on each of our three Student Days. Although all three days are open to all grade levels and have the same activities, we recommend High School students attend on Nov 16th, Middle School on Nov 17th, and Elementary School on Nov 18th. Advance purchase tickets are $8.00 per person, with one free chaperone ticket for every ten tickets purchased. A 10% discount will be given if we receive payment in full for your order prior to October 20th. All advance orders will include a $7 packing and shipping charge.
We are including a reservation form for the 2010 Student Day program. You may also find additional information about our program on our website at www.StudentDay.Net. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give our Student Day coordinator a call. The Student Day Office may be dialed directly at the following numbers:
Hammond: (985) 467-4766 Toll Free: (877) 327-6106
If you have questions not related to our Student Day program, you can call the Renaissance Festival Administrative Office at (985) 429-9992.
Have a great day, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Rick Hight, General Manager
Louisiana Renaissance Festival
2010 Student Day at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival
Ticket and Bag Lunch Information
Thank you for your interest in the Louisiana Renaissance Festival Student Day program. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you and your students to experience the best field trip in history! Please call our Student Day office at (985) 467-4766 or (877) 327-6106 if you have any questions about our Student Day program or need any additional information. You can also fax our Student Day office at (877) 203-2910.
2010 Dates:
Grades 9 - 12 Tues Nov 16th | Grades 5 - 9 Wed Nov 17th | Grades K - 6 and Home School Thurs Nov 18th
** Grade levels are suggested to keep age groups together as much as possible. All shows are identical on each of the three student days. If you are unable to attend on your suggested day, please select an alternate date that is closest to your grade level.
Time:
Gates open from 9am to 2pm. Students may arrive any time after 8:15am. We are an outdoor event, and we are open rain or shine. Please make sure your students dress appropriately for the weather so they have an enjoyable day.
Admission Tickets:
Ticket prices are the same for Students, Teachers and Chaperones. Bus drivers receive complimentary tickets at ticket booth.
- Regular advance purchase tickets are $8 per person.
- All advance ticket orders will receive one complimentary ticket for every ten tickets purchased.
- Tickets may also be purchased at the festival ticket booth on show days for $9 (+tax unless paid by a school check).
- Complimentary tickets will NOT be given for orders placed at the festival ticket booth.
Ordering Tickets:
Tickets may be ordered online at www.StudentDay.net, by faxing your order form to 877-203-2910, or by calling our Student Day office at (985) 467-4766 or (877) 327-6106. Orders may be placed any time prior to 5pm on Tuesday Nov 10th. Advance orders paid in full by November 5th will be sent via USPS Priority Mail. Orders received and packaged after this deadline will be held for pickup at the festival ticket booth.
Early Payment Bonus:
A 10% discount/credit will be given on all orders paid in full by October 20th. Payment may be made by school or personal check, PayPal, or by credit card. Checks should be sent to: LRF Student Day, PO Box 400, Robert LA 70455.
Other payment options include: Visa, MasterCard or PayPal via our website at www.StudentDay.net
PayPal sent to
By telephone to our Student Day office at (985) 467-4766 or (877) 327-6106
By faxing your credit card information to (877) 203-2910
Returning Unused Tickets:
You may return 10 tickets or 10% of your order (whichever is more) for a full refund at the festival ticket booth when you arrive at the festival. Larger adjustments must be requested prior to 4pm on Friday November 12th to be considered. All refunds will be made by check to the school and send out approximately December 20th.
Inclement weather / No-show policy:
Our event is a rain or shine event and only closes for weather in extreme cases. Student Day tickets may be used on any of our three Student Days, so you are welcome to shift the day you attend if you have weather concerns about your scheduled day. If you are unable to attend due to weather concerns, please contact us and we will make arrangements to allow your paid Student Day tickets to be valid on any of our regular weekend days.
Bag Lunches:
Bag lunches are available for $3.75 each and consist of fruit drink, sandwich, chips, and fruit. Bag lunches must be purchased in advance, and will be available for pickup near the joust arena. Bag lunch orders are non-refundable and must be paid prior to your arrival. On student day our usual festival concessions, including our turkey legs, will be available along with hamburgers and hot dogs. Food items typically range between one and five dollars. You may also elect to bring your own lunches. There is ample room for eating around the lake and at the joust arena. Ask at the ticket booth when you arrive and we can assist you transporting your meals from the school bus to the joust arena seating area.
Backpacks/Smoking:
Students are not allowed to bring backpacks into the festival. Teachers and students may get a hand stamp to leave the festival area to go to the buses during the day if needed, and will be readmitted into the festival area when they return. There is no smoking in the festival by anyone during our student day program.
Additional Advance Order Benefits:
1. All advance order student and teacher tickets will be valid for one free student or teacher admission on a return trip to the festival with their family. {School ID required for free admission}
2. All advance order chaperone tickets will be valid for 10% discount on single day tickets purchased at our ticket booth.
Make your reservation:
The best way to make reservations is by visiting our website at www.StudentDay.net and making them online. Our online system allows you to create your order, make changes to your order, and generate an immediate invoice for you to print. Reservations can also be made by Fax or Phone if you prefer. We will accept reservations until 5pm on Tuesday November 9th.
Student Day Office: (985) 467-4766 or Toll Free: (877) 327-6106 Renaissance Festival Office: (985) 429-9992
Email: Fax: (877) 203-2910
The following information is needed for student day reservations:
Teacher Name: ______________________________________________________________________
Teacher Email: ____________________________________ Teacher evening phone: _____________
School Phone: __________________________________ School Fax: ______________________
School Name: ______________________________________________________________________
School Address: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Tax status:
( ) Non-Tax public ( ) Non-Tax private school {tax ID# ____________________} ( ) Taxable (7% Sales Tax)
Reservation Date:
( ) High School – Nov 16 ( ) Middle School – Nov 17 ( ) Elementary School – Nov 18
Ticket Order:
Number of students: _______ Number of teachers: _______ Number of chaperones: _______
Total number of paid tickets: ________ x $8.00 = $_______ {A}
Complementary chaperone tickets to be included (one for every ten paid tickets): ________ = $ 0.00
{For example: 1-9 paid = 0 comp; 10-19 paid = 1 comp; 20-29 paid = 2 comp; 30-39 paid = 3 comp; etc.}
Bag Lunches:
Bag lunches must be ordered in advance, and extra bag lunches will NOT be available. They are made to order, and not refundable. Lunches must be PAID IN FULL prior to 6pm on Tuesday Nov 9th or they will be deleted from your order.
Number of bag lunches: ________ x $3.75 = $______ {B}
Total Order Cost:
$________ + $________ = $________ + $_______ = $________ + $7.00 = $_________
Tickets {A} Lunches {B} Subtotal 7% tax {if applicable} Subtotal Processing Order Total
Orders paid in full prior to October 20th will automatically receive a 10% credit/discount on the full invoice amount of your order.
Orders placed in advance and picked up at the ticket booth must have the invoice PAID IN FULL at the ticket booth to pick up the order package.
Excess tickets may be returned and will be processed as listed above under “Returning Unused Tickets”.
( ) Payment will be sent later
( ) Pay now by Credit Card: Number ______-______-______-______ Expires ___/______
Three digit number on back of card ______ Zip code where bill is mailed ________
( ) PayPal users please check here if you would like us to send a PayPal payment request via EMail
Life in Sixteenth Century England
GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Wm. Robison, SELU Professor
Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce Farmers, carters, consumers and manufacturers all formed part of a closely knit economic system. Most trades were mainly connected with agriculture, but with strong interests in the metal-working, clothing and salt industries. Wheat was a popular crop, as part of a rotation system with barley and peas or beans. Rye was also grown. This was all part of a mixed farming system, with cattle and sheep grazing on the open fields after harvest. Of equal value were the teams of oxen and horses that normally pulled the ploughs and carted the produce to the network of markets and fairs in small towns. Farming was much more labor intensive than it is today. All agricultural tasks were accomplished by hand or with aid of beasts.
Townsfolk and village craftspeople also retained an interest in agriculture and produce a portion of their own households’ dietary requirements. The towns were important as markets for agricultural produce. Many craftsmen had other incomes as well. The River Severn was one of the key trade routes of the country, carrying both long-distance and inter-port trade between the Bristol estuary and Pool Quay (near Welshpool) in Wales, with Bewdley acting as the necessary transfer point into smaller vessels. The river carried raw materials, such as iron ore, lead and timber, and a wide range of manufactured goods, including calf skins, cheese, salt, cotton, linen, tobacco and groceries. The importance of the river was enhanced by its 'free status'. It was, not subject to tolls, theoretically at least - although the ports of Gloucester and Worcester regularly tested theory during the seventeenth century. These cities tried to impose tolls on any vessel passing under their bridges.
As in many parts of the country, the roads were in disrepair Nehemial Wharton complained of marching on roads "so base that we went up to the ankles in thick clay". Their maintenance was a regular headache for the authorities. Bridges regularly collapsed through lack of maintenance. Social Conditions & Housing Poverty was a serious problem, especially in the towns. Dealing with poverty was a major element of seventeenth century administration. There was a permanent underclass of those who were chronically poor. They were to support themselves even in a good economic climate. Even journeymen, were vulnerable in times of economic collapse.
Serious crime was relatively rare and consisted mainly of sheep and cattle rustling with occasional assaults. The range of trivial matters brought before the various local Leet Courts suggest that gossip was one of the chief amusements of the day. Life was hard, enlivened by entertainments such as traveling thespians and musicians.
There were sharp disagreements as to the propriety of innocent pleasure. For example, in some parishes it was illegal to play football, and generally it was unlawful to play any game on the Sabbath Day. Even the clergy could be accused; in 1642, in Alvechurch, the newly appointed vicar - a Royal appointee - was accused by parishioners of being a frequenter of alehouses, spending time there on Sundays and with "idle and riotous company". He was accused of quarrelling, fighting and "is greatly famed of incontinence with his neighbor’s wives": "incontinence" being the seventeenth century term for adultery. The vicar was also accused of being "accompanied with a dangerous and armed papist". The puritan sympathies of the parishioners were clear. Such activities had been curtailed elsewhere by a successful rising tide of Puritanism in official circles. By-laws tried to stamp out "unlawful games" and "tippling" (drinking) on Sundays and festivals (religious days). Taverns and alehouses were searched during Sunday services to seek out "householders and men of worth" that should have been at church. Offenders were reported to the Bishop. This did not endear the over-zealous clergy to the lower classes. Conditions were unsanitary by modern standards. Latrine pits might be constructed within the houses, or in the back yard. In towns, they were frequently shared between neighboring properties. A privy in Trinity, Worcester, served twenty-four almshouses. These arrangements were supplemented by the use of pottery chamber pots. Rubbish disposal was rudimentary. Rubbish pits were lined with stone or timber and dug in back yards. Occasionally rubbish was piled into heaps for periodic collection. Solid human wastes were spread on the fields as manure. Urine might also be collected for use in the fulling, dyeing and tanning processes. As a consequence of these unsanitary practices, the dangers of disease were always prevalent. There were regular outbreaks of plague in the seventeenth century. From the late sixteenth century there had been notable improvements in living standards. Until the later seventeenth century, most houses were essentially of timber construction. Stone was used for footings and some brick for details such as fireplaces. Roofs were required to be tiled to lessen the fire risk. The surviving houses, typically timber-framed with overhanging jetties onto the street frontage, tend to be those of the better quality.
There was a wide variety of house types in the towns, from the very large to single-roomed houses measuring only 10' x 10'. Many families would have lived in a single room. The most common type of house, however, probably had a two-roomed plan with a living room/kitchen and bedroom. All period homes would appear draughty and damp to modern eyes. From the later sixteenth century, there had been an increasing trend towards greater room specialization. Of note were the appearance of distinct bedrooms and a wider range of movable goods. Under pressure from an increasing population, this process was offset by the tendency to subdivide existing properties.
School Day Educational Demonstrations and Lectures