Sixth Grade History Projects on the Feudal System
Feudalism was the predominate method of government in medieval Europe. The pinnacle of the pyramid-shaped system included the monarch and immediate family and culminated with the serfs. Sixth grade students learn about the feudal system as a part of the normal history curriculum. Teachers use projects to gauge how well students assimilate the material.
Other People Are Reading
-
Castle Life
-
Much of feudal life revolved around the life in and around the castle grounds. A sixth-grader could relate a typical week’s events within the walls of the fortress and those who came and went regularly. A project could illustrate how the lord and his family lived and how those living in the castle served his needs. Another project looks at how the land and servants provided food for all who lived in the area. A third option could address the differences in life when the lord was present and when he was away.
Feudal Classes
-
The class lines in a feudal society were very structured and most people lived and died in the same feudal class their parents lived in. Sixth grade projects might map out the different classes and how they interacted. Illustrations of the rights and responsibilities of each class explain how the system maintained itself. Another option includes explaining how someone could move from one class to another through marriage, extraordinary service to the king or progression into the growing middle class.
-
Medieval Church Power
-
The Catholic Church held a lot of power during the Medieval period. The Church wielded several big sticks including excommunicating those who disagreed with it and trials for heresy in Western and Central Europe, although not in England. Sixth-grade projects could cover Church law, Church power hierarchy, the Inquisition and instruments of torture used by the Church courts. Another project could look at the consequences of excommunication and how the Church tried to use its power to control monarchs.
Role of Women
-
Most of the power in medieval society rested in the hands of men, leaving very little power to women. A sixth-grader might explain the life of women in various social classes and how they fared in the system. Another option includes looking at how marriages were brokered to retain or gain power and wealth. Another option looks at how a few women managed to escape the system such as Joan of Arc or 14th century writer Christine de Pizan.
Chivalry
-
Romance novels might lead one to believe that all knights acted with honor. A sixth-grade project on chivalry explains what a knight pledged to do and how that affected society. Another option explores the rise of the various houses of knights such as the Templars and Hospitallers.
History of Law
-
Many common laws gained acceptance through the feudal system. Sixth-graders could explore how the Magna Carta and other feudal laws relate to today’s laws. Alternatively, students might explore how laws applied differently between social classes.
-
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
