Goals and Objectives

Students will understand how the fall of the Western Roman Empire led to changes in Europe that marked the beginning of the Medieval Era. Students will also understand how Christianity spread throughout Western Europe during this time due to the role of the early church and monasteries and the emerging cooperation between the Papacy and European monarchs. Students will read the chapter, "Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms" from the World History textbook, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, to explore the emerging power of the Christian church and secular monarchs and identify the main effects of the fall of the Roman Empire on Western Europe.

California State Content Standards

  7.6.2 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.

7.6.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the conflict and cooperation between the Papacy and European monarchs (e.g., Charlemagne, Gregory VII, Emperor Henry IV).

Common Core Literacy Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.5
Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

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.

Driving Historical Questions

  • How did the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire change Europe?
  • How did Christianity spread so thoroughly and swiftly?
  • What caused the roles and the relationship between the church and the monarchy to change during this time?

Lesson Introduction

Pre-reading: Before students read, the teacher will help students identify the purpose of the reading and select the most important points in the passage by setting up a scenario: The western half of the Roman Empire has been invaded and destroyed. The most powerful empire in the western half of the world no longer exists. What do you think will happen now? The teacher will have students turn to a neighbor and make predictions about what will happen to Europe now. Then the teacher will guide the students by telling them that the next period in history is called the Middle Ages, also known as "Medieval Times" or the "Dark Ages." Then, students will predict: why is this period called the "Dark Ages"?  They will share their predictions with a partner.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary will be addressed throughout the reading lesson, and it will be introduced in chunks. Students will get the opportunity to organize these terms into topical categories while reading and filling out their graphic organizer. Key terms include:

·         Middle Ages

·         Franks

·         monastery

·         secular

·         Carolingian Dynasty

·         Charlemagne

Content Delivery (Reading)

Pre-Reading: The class will turn to the chapter and pre-read it together by reading aloud headings and subheadings, words in boldface, captions, and looking at pictures and quotes. They will also read the "final review" questions at the end of the section to give students an idea of what questions they should have in mind while reading. Then students will write and share a final prediction about what this chapter will be about.

During Reading: Students will read the chapter, "Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms" from the World History textbook, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. A link to the text is included below. While students read, they will create a timeline of the most important 8 events described in the chapter.

Post-reading: After students read, the teacher will give them several options to integrate their new knowledge with existing understandings. In groups of 3-4, they can either create a comic strip or short story that illustrates, narrates, and summarizes a main topic and its main surrounding details from the chapter. Their choices for topics include: the effects of the invasions on Western Europe, Clovis and the Franks, the spread of Christianity, Pope Gregory I, The Holy Roman Empire, or the Carolingian Empire.

Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities)

The timeline will help students identify the important events that took place following the fall of the Western Roman Empire and throughout the rise of the early Church and secular monarchs in sequential and chronological order. This  graphic organizer will help students differentiate important and not-as-important information from the text, and it will help them also see cause and effect relationships between events.

Lesson Closure

Students will complete an Exit Ticket in which they will reflect on the predictions they made at the beginning of the lesson. They will then write revised answers to these questions, based on what they have learned from their  reading and activities: The most powerful empire in the western half of the world no longer exists. What do you think will happen now? Why is medieval Europe called the Dark Ages? Summarize: What was this chapter about?

Assessments (Formative & Summative)

This lesson will take over a span of 2 days. On the first day, formative assessments will include student's graphic organizers and discussion as they work in groups on their post-reading comic strips/stories. The teacher will walk around and scaffold reading and discussion. Summative assessments will include the Exit Ticket and the students' final comic strip or short story about a main topic in the chapter.

Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs

The teacher will assist students with special needs and ELs by providing them guiding questions to keep in mind before reading, scaffolding the pre-reading process by going over headings and subheadings, and helping them organize their thoughts and the main ideas of the reading through a timeline. The timeline will also help students visualize the sequence of events and connections between main ideas. The teacher will also give students the choice of doing a comic strip or short story, whichever format they are more comfortable with.