In this stain-glass window homeschool lesson we will learn about the history of using coloured glass in windows, linking it with our current medieval history unit study. Resources for a Stain-Glass Window Homeschool Lesson We used the books we had around the house for this art study. Art of the Middle Ages is a book…
Category: History – Middle Ages
Events Leading Up To The Battle of Hastings 1066
This lesson, which covers the events leading to the Battle of Hastings, is fun and thorough. Oh, and it involves dressing up as Knights! I hated history in school, apart from Henry VIII. He fascinated me. The rest however was plain boring. In particular I hated learning about wars and battles. A list of dates…
Narration Example: Re-enactment
Learn more about the art of narration! This post covers re-enactment as an example of narration, using a paper mache map & Play Mobil figures. This is a perfect way for a child who hates writing to express their understanding of a given topic. What is Narration? Narration, in its most basic form, tells a…
Bayeux Tapestry Homeschool Lesson
This Bayeux Tapestry homeschool lesson contains recommended resources, hands on activities and an excellent online tapestry generator. Enjoy! We studied the Battle of 1066 using the Bayeux Tapestry as our starting point. I knew the children had a good grasp of the battle as we had been to see a re enactment on the hill…
Feudalism in the MiddleAges
The Normans introduced feudalism to Britain in the Middle Ages after the battle of 1066. King William claimed all the land for himself and proceeded to rent out percentages of it to the nobles. The nobles, in turn, rented out land to knights in return for their promise of allegiance. Peasants or commoners then…
Guido D’Arrezzo Composer Study
This Guido D'Arrezzo composer study is a perfect accompaniment to a medieval unit study. Guido D'Arrezzo was a Benedictine monk and one of the most influential music theorists of the Middle Ages. Practical in nature and wanting to make learning music more accessible and efficient, Guido laid the foundation for our modern system of music.…
Cimabue Artist Study for Homeschoolers
This post will teach you how to create a wonderful immersive Cimabue artist study perfect for homeschoolers. First, I will introduce Cimabue, an Italian painter and mosaic-maker of the 1200s. Second, I will direct you to another post which will teach you a simple method of making tempura paints similar to those Cimabue would have…
Literature Studies: Chaucer – A Play of the Nun’s Priest’s Tale
We only do Chaucer studies once a week on a Tuesday, or at least that is the plan. I have, as always, over estimated what we can fit in, so the children aren't getting much time to do each activity. Sometimes that is good. The last activity felt pressurised and therefore less enjoyable. This activity…
Literature Studies: Chaucer – A Retelling of a Knight’s Tale?
The first tale I chose to focus on was the Knight's Tale because it is the tale from which Shakespeare took his inspiration for 'The Two Kinsmen' and 'A Midsummer night's Dream'. We will be studying Shakespeare for a whole year and 'A Midsummer Night's dream is my very favourite play of his, and probably…
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: Setting the Scene
Although traditionally Chaucer is taught to children older than 12, the Canterbury Tales are far too good to postpone, especially as I will only be studying the Middle Ages once with the older children. Just because it is written in language which may be hard to understand doesn't mean we should be literary snobs and insist that Chaucer…
Project Based Learning : The Black Death
Not the most inviting of titles but a subject which has gripped my children. As we near the end of the second week of a six-week term I thought I would write more specifically about the projects the children have chosen to do. I am so incredibly excited about our new 'project based' status! My school…
Plans for this Term
We have a short six-week term ahead of us and are planning to keep ourselves busily ensconced in project work. Our experiment last term was so successful that the children had been begging to start school again last week, with T12 getting quite antsy that he didn't have something to get his teeth into. We…
Medieval Banquet
We did it. After almost twelve weeks of preparation and work, and feeling like we would simply never be ready, the day of the banquet arrived. It went well, really well. The children did their presentations and answered our guest's questions fairly intelligently. The food was remarkably good, considering we used authentic medieval recipes and…
Medieval Banquet Preparation
They say it's all in the prep, and who am I to argue? So we went at it with attitude. Well, at least I did. The children didn't really catch on until the day of the banquet when they miraculously turned into mini Super men and women, whizzing around enthusiastically (well, nearly) doing my every…
A Literary Approach to the Hundred Year War
Otherwise known as the Lazy parent's guide to teaching The Hundred Year War! Yes, I am all warred out. We have covered the Crusades in-depth and T12 has been learning all about the War of the Roses and concurrently we have been learning about the Hundred Year War. Enough already! Stop the fighting! Claire is…