Unit Topic: Medieval Europe (500-1500 C.E)
SOLs: WHI 9 and 12
Course: World History to 1500 C.E.
Grade: 9th


Tentative Calendar*
(Dates are approximate due to the fact that my 55-minute class and my 90-minute classes do not line up perfectly)
March 18 - The Fall of Rome, Barbarian Invasions
March 20 - Feudalism
March 22 - Nation States - England and France
March 26 - Nation States - England and France/Age of Charlemagne
March 28 - Nation States - Russia and Spain
March 30 - First Unit Test
April 12 - The Church
April 14 - The Crusades
April 16 - The Black Death
April 20 - Education
April 20-28 - Research Projects
April 29 - Second Unit Test


Rationale: I selected to begin the unit with a lesson on geography, which enables students to put places and events in perspective. Next, I intend to look at social and cultural developments in Europe at this time, including migration patterns, religion, and social structure. After that, I will briefly cover the causes and effects of the Crusades and the Bubonic Plague, the two most significant events of this time period. Finally, I will move the focus to the revival of learning in Europe and the development of universities. This acts as a preview to the following unit, which will focus on the intellectual, economic, and artistic developments of the Italian Renaissance.
This unit is the first part of two covering medieval and Renaissance Europe. Because of the vast amount of information, I have selected to teach the information in a more logical way than the SOLs have it organized. For example, the Reconquista and Inquisition are in the Renaissance time period technically, but that aligns well with the rise of Christianity in Europe during the medieval period.

Objectives

·  Describe the rise and affect of Christianity on European society and its role in furthering both continuity and change (NCSS 5 b-f)

·  Identify the causes and effects of the Black Death in Europe (WH 12c)

·  Describe the nature of social and political structure of Europe (feudalism) (NCSS 6 a, d)

·  Identify key geographical features and cities of Europe on a map (WH1 1e)


Essential Questions

·  What challenges did people face after the fall of Rome?

·  Were "The Dark Ages" a time of ignorance, fear, and superstition or did culture and learning continue after the collapse of Rome?

·  What societal changes pulled Europe into the Renaissance?


Differentiation
Written notes could be provided for a student who has difficulty seeing the screen or has a disorder that affects their motor-skills. Likewise, handwritten assignments may be typed. If extra time is needed for tests or a quieter environment, students may take their exam in the library under the supervision of a paraprofessional, special education teacher, or my cooperating teacher if necessary. For the essay, my ELL/ESL students will be allowed the use of a Spanish-English dictionary. A copy of the lecture notes, assignments, maps, and other resources will be available for my students with chronic absences.
Accommodations
I have worked to ensure that the activities and assignments are well within the capacity of my students. If needed, writing assignments may be altered, shortened, or not be graded harshly on spelling and grammar. Test and/or quizzes may be given that are all multiple choice instead of having identification/short answer responses. Students with chronic absences have until the day of the test to submit any work for which they were not present. Students may have print out of notes if such an accommodation is stated in their IEP.

Assessments

·  Illuminated Manuscripts

o  Students will use a sheet of blank paper, a pencil, and a ruler and follow step-by-step instructions to make a medieval manuscript. Students will use this paper to take their notes on for the lesson on education in the Middle Ages.

·  A Day in the Life

o  After learning about the

·  Research Project

o  Poster board with a minimum of 4 relevant artifacts.

o  Includes general information about the topic, including its historical significance

o  Students present their project to their classmates who in turn will take notes on the information

·  Checkpoints (8.4, 8.5, Assessment Questions 3 an 4 on p. 273)

·  Castle Advertisement

o  Advertisement must include a color picture, include 5 indoor and 3 outdoor features, a price, and a location for the castle.

·  Map activity

o  Students will shade areas of Viking, Magyar, and Muslim control and draw lines indicating migration patterns of these three groups

·  Unit test

o  multiple choice

o  30 questions