Content Standards
7.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Europe.
- Study the geography of the Europe and the Eurasian land mass, including its location, topography, waterways, vegetation, and climate and their relationship to ways of life in Medieval Europe.
- Describe the spread of Christianity north of the Alps and the roles played by the early church and by monasteries in its diffusion after the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire.
- Understand the development of feudalism, its role in the medieval European economy, the way in which it was influenced by physical geography (the role of the manor and the growth of towns), and how feudal relationships provided the foundation of political order.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the conflict and cooperation between the Papacy and European monarchs (e.g., Charlemagne, Gregory VII, Emperor Henry IV).
- Discuss the causes and course of the religious Crusades and their effects on the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations in Europe, with emphasis on the increasing contact by Europeans with cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean world.
- Map the spread of the bubonic plague from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe and describe its impact on global population.
- Understand the importance of the Catholic church as a political, intellectual, and aesthetic institution (e.g., founding of universities, political and spiritual roles of the clergy, creation of monastic and mendicant religious orders, preservation of the Latin language and religious texts, St. Thomas Aquinas’s synthesis of classical philosophy with Christian theology, and the concept of “natural law”).
Common Core Standards
Reading
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3 Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.A Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.B Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.C Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.D Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.E Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.F Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
Essential Questions
In this unit, students will seek to answer the following essential questions:
- What are the causes and defining characteristics of Europe's "Dark Ages"?
- What is Feudalism, why did it develop, and what were its effects on Medieval politics and society?
- How did the Church become a major political and social institution?
- How did the conflict between Church and the Secular State develop, and how can this conflict still be seen today?
- What caused or marked the end of the Middle Ages?
Big Ideas
The big ideas of this unit are:
- The fall of the Western Roman Empire and its effect throughout Europe
- The rise of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church
- Feudalism, the Manor System, and Medieval society
- The Crusades
- Pope Gregory VII, King Henry IV and the Lay Investiture Controversy
- The Black Death and the end of Feudalism
Unit Assessments
To demonstrate their understanding of the big ideas and essential questions of this unit, students will:
- Create a timeline graphic organizer that illustrates cause and effect and the sequence of events that occur after the fall of the Western Roman Empire on Europe.
- Using the information found in primary and secondary sources, write a short essay about the role of the church in religious, political, and cultural life.
- Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the different social classes in the feudal structure through guided notes.
- Engage in a jigsaw and give a presentation about the effect of the Crusades from multiple perspectives.
- Map out the spread of the bubonic plague from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe and describe its impact on global population through a simulation and reflection.
- Write a narrative essay from the perspective of a fictional character during the Middle Ages.