This lesson focusses on the life of medieval nobles, more specifically the evolution of tournaments, chivalry, and castles. It begins with a look at wooden motte an bailey castles, and their evolution into the massive stone fortifications we think of today. Next comes a look at the evolution of the tournament from a brutal melee to the more glamorous events portrayed in Hollywood movies. Out of this comes a discussion of the evolution of the code of behavior known as chivalry and how it still continues to affect us.

Highlights include picture essays on the construction of castles, castles in the Pyrenees that I visited some years ago, and modern reenactments of medieval tournaments.

This is a self-contained PowerPoint that develops slide by slide while other notes for the students scroll down the side. It can be run as a timed presentation on its own, presented slide by slide for discussion, or integrated into your other lectures. There are also extensive pictures with captions mixed in to illustrate the lesson and capture students’ interest. This packet also contains the author’s own research notes which contain lots of details and interesting trivia to spice up your class.

For more information on my flowcharts and approach to teaching history, please view my profile or visit my website at www.flowofhistory.com


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