Year 7 History – Home Learning Activities. Topic: What was life like in Medieval England?Weeks beginning: 8th June & 15th June

Below is the range of tasks that you should study over the next 2 weeks. Do the activities during the same lesson time slot that you have on your timetable. Each lessons worth of

tasks should take you approximately 45 minutes. Before you start make sure that you have all the things that you will need.

Lesson Number and

Title

Things that you will need

Instructions

13. What was it like to live in a medieval town?

Pen and paperYou work from last lesson about medieval villages

Study sources A,B,C (below) carefully. Check the meaning of any new words. Complete Tasks 1 and 2

14. Medieval London

Pen and paper (including plain if possible, for a poster)Coloured pencils if available

Read the information about Medieval London (below) and complete Tasks 1 and 2

There is an optional video link in the extended learning task that would help build your understanding of what it would have been like to live in medieval Londonhttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/xydz4g_filthy-cities-medieval-london-1-3_shortfilms

15. Did the towns make people free?

Pen and paper

Read the information about the role of the town councils and the guilds (below) and complete Task 1 and 2

16. Comparison of town and country

Pen and paperYour work from the previous 4 lessons on town and village life

Complete Tasks 1 and 2 using your knowledge from the last 4 online lessons about medieval villages and towns. You should focus on similarities and differences. Try to use plenty examples and to explain your points.

Extended Learning – reading and knowledge Extended Learning – fun things to do and create

1. Apply your knowledge from earlier this year - compare a medieval town with a Roman Town. You could compare types of buildings, lay out of town, entertainment and public health.

2. Recap your previous learning on Feudalism and the Domesday Book by completing the BBC Bitesize lesson https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zh6xt39

3. Watch this documentary about medieval London (50 minutes, a bit yucky in places!) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xydz4g_filthy-cities-medieval-london-1-3_shortfilms What solutions were attempted to improve the health of Londoners and were they successful?

4. Watch “The worst jobs in History: The Middle Ages” (45 minutes, a bit yucky in places!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JaxlCjuzqE

5. Carry out your own research on a site or building from medieval London. When was it built, what was it built for, how has its use changed over time?

Some ideas are: London Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey6. Find out more about life in a medieval town herehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm4mn39/revision/47. Read more about the medieval guilds, and test

yourself with some questions by clicking on the “Time to Work” section, top right hand corner of this link: https://www.johndclare.net/KS3/1-6-3.htm

1. Use your learning about medieval villages to design and draw your own medieval village. You will need: 3 fields for rotating your crops, peasant houses, the Lords (big) house or castle, market square, stream, local pub, church

2. Design a shop sign for one of these a medieval shops, using pictures rather than words: Candlemaker Potter Weaver Hatter

(see examples in lesson 15 resources)

Additional resources, links and reading needed for the lesson activities:All resources are attached on the pages below and have also been uploaded in your Frog area on the VLE.Remember to keep all of your completed work for when you return to school. If you have any questions about the tasks please contact mrobinson@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk

Lesson 13 What was it like to live in a Medieval town?

Task 1 Read Source A (below) and write down your top 3 reasons why towns

grew bigger and became more important in the Middle Ages.

Source AMedieval towns grew bigger and became more important for a number of reasons:

• Farming methods improved so less people were needed in the villages• Britain’s population TRIPLED between 1066 and 1350 (there were fewer deaths

because people had more food and also because there was less war!)• Lots more trade was taking place and towns were the centre for buying and

selling• New roads were built and this meant new trading routes• Peasants from the villages moved to towns to escape their Lord and his taxes.

After living a year and a day in the town you were considered a “freeman”• Some towns (eg: Winchester, Canterbury, York) were important religious centres

and Christians visited them on pilgrimages.

Task 2Use Source B and C (below) to write your own description what it was like to live in a medieval town. Complete this in as much detail as you are able. You could include information about houses, health, space, safety, noise, buildings, entertainment.Present your work in ONE of the following ways: Spider diagram Paragraph(s) Bullet points

Source B Picture of a Medieval town

Source C: A description written by a medieval traveller. The city described is Exeter, in the South West of England but most medieval towns and cities would be similar.

“It is the cathedral which you will see first. As you journey along the road you come to a break in the trees and there it is, massive and magnificent. It is hundreds of times bigger than every other building around it. The hundreds of houses appear tiny… Then you will notice the terrible smell. The muddy road you are following crosses a polluted river. As you look along the bank you see piles of rubbish, toilet waste, animal bones, animal guts and rotting meat in and around the bushes. There are pigs and rats running around in the rubbish.The town is very noisy. You can hear the calls of travellers and town criers, the shouts of labourers and the ringing of church bells. The streets are very crowded with traders, animals, street entertainers and visitors to the travelling fair. The pubs and markets are always busy.The widest, cleanest streets are where the rich live-sometimes in three storey houses.However, most people are poor and they live in small houses on dark, cramped, narrow alleys, houses have little light and no outside space.The houses are made of timber, with straw roofs. The houses have no proper foundations. There are no toilets, and people throw their toilet waste out onto the streets. There are no drains or sewers so there are huge piles of stinking toilet waste in the town.People use the dirty river water for washing and drinking. “

LESSON 14Medieval London

Read this: In 1100 London's population was 15,000. By 1300 it had grown to 40,000. The reason for London’s growth was its huge importance as a TRADING CENTRE. London was also becoming more important as a political centre became the permanent place for the government to work from. Before 1337 the government moved around with the King but Edward III held meetings in Westminster in London.

London would have been an amazing place to visit in the 1300’s. There were wide streets, many houses and shops and lots of markets. There are people from all over Europe in London as it became more important for trade. However, London also had lots of problems. It was very dirty and smelly and had no sewage system to cope. There were wild dogs and pigs living in the streets. Lots of businesses added to the smell and dirt, such as Pelterers who sold animal skins or Fullers who cleaned raw wool.

Task 1 Read the primary and secondary sources below. Describe walking down the streets of London using your 5 senses:

What would you HEAR?What would you SEE?What would you SMELL?What would you TOUCH?What would you TASTE?

The Streets of London “The streets are foul with human waste and the air is poisoned to the danger of men passing”

King Edward III, 1349

“There is a lot going on. Water bearers walk through the streets selling water…..butchers kill their animals and sell the meat. Shoemakers make shoes onCordwainer Street and iron makers bash away in Old Jewry.”

German visitor to medieval London“There are lots of beggars all asking for money.”

14th Century report on London

“The streets are narrow and are full of human waste, horse dung, kitchen waste and general rubbish.”

14th Century report on London

“The terrible smell from the privies (toilets) next door are so strong that it has overpowered and killed a number of the monks.”

Monks of White Friars, 1275

“Pigs roam the streets eating the rubbish. Sometimes they wander into people’s houses.”

King Edward III, 1349

Everywhere was crowded – London Bridge had 138 shops and 64 toilets (the toilet waste was dropped straight in to the river).

“On arriving in London we heard a great ringing of bells in almost all of the churches going on until very late in the evening.”

German visitor to medieval London

“The streets can be dangerous …..Often men are drunk. They play a game of filling a barrel with large stones, then rolling it down to the River ….terrorising those in its way.”

Monks of White Friars, 1275“The rivers are used as sewers. Public toilets are built on bridges across the rivers…. The toilets are emptied straight into the river.”

14th Century report on London

“The buildings on London Bridge were a major fire hazard….. In 1212, perhaps the greatest of the early fires of London broke out on both ends of the bridge… killing many people…...”

School text book “Medieval London”

Task 2Read this:Over time, rules were brought in to London to try and make it a cleaner, safer place. Here are some of the ideas that were introduced:

Swine killers were appointed to kill wild pigs Fines for those who leave human or animal excrement (toilet waste) in the

streets and lanes Tailors and Pelterers were not allowed to work with animal furs in the main

streets during daylight Rules against leaving animal dung, crates and empty barrels by houses Rules against throwing rubbish in to the River Thames All slaughtering of large animals within the city was stopped

NOW:Design a poster to be displayed in medieval London to inform Londoners of these new rules and ideas that would help make London a cleaner, healthier city.You should: Include at least 4 rules Include pictures/symbols (remember many people could not read in the Middle

Ages!)

Lesson 15Did the towns make people free?

Task 1

Read this:

The Town CouncilAs towns grew richer in the 12th and 13th century, they started to gain freedom from the King and his lords. The rich townsmen would give the King a lot of money to buy a charter.

Answers at the end of this lesson

Key word:Villein= a peasant from countryside under the control of the Lord

This released them from the lord’s control and allowed them to set up their own town council and make their own town laws. They set rules to keep the townspeople safe, but this also meant town life could be rather restrictive. For example, a curfew bell was rung every night at 8pm. Everyone had to go to bed and no one was allowed out of their houses after this time. Townspeople also had to form a “watch” to patrol at night. Anyone refusing to serve on the watch was fined 6d (6p).

The GuildsGuilds were organisations which the townspeople could belong to if they were a trades person.People set up a stall inside or outside their home to sell their goods. Only skilled workers could join a guild and you had to pay to join (many people couldn’t afford this).

If you wanted to learn a trade you had to pay to become an apprentice for 7 years. If you passed your apprenticeship then you became a journeyman for another 7 years. This meant you travelled around practising your trade. Then, if you were really good you become a master in your trade. This involved producing a perfect piece of work – a “masterpiece”. The guild made sure trader’s products were good quality and were fairly priced.

They sent out “Searchers” to inspect the quality of work. The guilds could fine people or even expel them for poor work.Guilds decided what hours their members could work, and also when their holidays and days off would be. The guilds looked after their members when they were too sick to work and helped the families of dead members.

People who couldn’t afford to be in a guild became ”labourers” Their wages were very low and most of their money was spent on food and drink so it would be difficult for them to save up the entry fee to a guild.

Task 2Using the information above, answer the following questions in full sentences:

a) Why did some peasants move from countryside to towns?b) Give one example of how the town council rules might have restricted people’s

freedomc) What were guilds?d) How did guilds help workers?e) What rules did guilds have that may have limited workers freedom?f) Why didn’t all workers join guilds? g) Based on your learning today, overall how free were the townspeople?

Answers from Task 1: the signs had no words as most people couldn’t read in the Middle Ages

Lesson 16

Comparing Medieval Villages and townsIn this lesson you will consolidate your learning about village and town life in the Middle Ages by comparing their similarities and differences. Make sure you have your work from the last 4 lessons at hand to help you with this.