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Crime & Punishment

CONCEPTUAL
HistoryMedieval Times|Ages 9—11|ID: mt_3tQXH9GwIa

How justice worked in medieval times: trial by ordeal, trial by combat, the role of the sheriff; punishments including stocks, pillory, and dungeons; how different it was from modern justice

Mastery Evidence

  • Describe at least two medieval methods of deciding guilt (trial by ordeal, trial by combat)
  • Name at least two medieval punishments and explain what they involved
  • Compare one aspect of medieval justice to how justice works today

Assessment Prompt

“Could [child] describe how criminals were caught and punished in medieval times and explain what seems unfair by today's standards?”

Prerequisites2

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  • Medieval Pyramid of Power hard

    Must understand feudal society to contextualise medieval justice

    • Kings & Queens hard

      Must understand kings and power before grasping the feudal hierarchy

      • Knights & Armour soft

        Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

      • What Is a Castle? hard

        Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

    • Knights & Armour hard

      Must know about knights before understanding their place in the feudal system

      • What Is a Castle? hard

        Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

    • Battle of Hastings and 1066 soft

      Norman Conquest established the feudal system in England

      • Kings & Queens soft

        Understanding kingship helps grasp the succession crisis of 1066

        • Knights & Armour soft

          Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

          • What Is a Castle? hard

            Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

      • Vikings vs Anglo-Saxons hard

        Must understand Viking-Saxon struggle and Edward the Confessor before studying 1066

        • Anglo-Saxon Britain hard

          Must understand Anglo-Saxon kingdoms before studying the Viking-Saxon conflict

          • Village Life soft

            Village life concepts provide context for Anglo-Saxon settlement

          • The Vikings soft

            Viking knowledge provides contrast and context for Anglo-Saxon Britain

        • The Vikings hard

          Must know who the Vikings were before studying their conflict with Anglo-Saxons

      • Evidence from the Past soft

        Cross-domain: understanding historical evidence (Historical Thinking) enriches use of Bayeux Tapestry as source

        • Thinking Before Starting soft

          Understanding that knowledge of the past comes from surviving evidence builds on the habit of activating prior knowledge — what do I already know, and where did that knowledge come from?

          • Persisting When It's Hard hard

            Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material

        • Vocabulary: historical thinking hard

          Understanding that everything we know comes from evidence requires 'evidence' and 'source' vocabulary

    • Village Life hard

      Must understand peasant life before grasping serfdom in the feudal system

  • The Medieval Church soft

    Church influence shaped medieval ideas about justice and punishment

    • Medieval Pyramid of Power soft

      Feudal system context shows how Church power paralleled secular power

      • Kings & Queens hard

        Must understand kings and power before grasping the feudal hierarchy

        • Knights & Armour soft

          Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

          • What Is a Castle? hard

            Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

      • Knights & Armour hard

        Must know about knights before understanding their place in the feudal system

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

      • Battle of Hastings and 1066 soft

        Norman Conquest established the feudal system in England

        • Kings & Queens soft

          Understanding kingship helps grasp the succession crisis of 1066

          • Knights & Armour soft

            Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

            • What Is a Castle? hard

              Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

          • What Is a Castle? hard

            Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

        • Vikings vs Anglo-Saxons hard

          Must understand Viking-Saxon struggle and Edward the Confessor before studying 1066

          • Anglo-Saxon Britain hard

            Must understand Anglo-Saxon kingdoms before studying the Viking-Saxon conflict

            • Village Life soft

              Village life concepts provide context for Anglo-Saxon settlement

            • The Vikings soft

              Viking knowledge provides contrast and context for Anglo-Saxon Britain

          • The Vikings hard

            Must know who the Vikings were before studying their conflict with Anglo-Saxons

        • Evidence from the Past soft

          Cross-domain: understanding historical evidence (Historical Thinking) enriches use of Bayeux Tapestry as source

          • Thinking Before Starting soft

            Understanding that knowledge of the past comes from surviving evidence builds on the habit of activating prior knowledge — what do I already know, and where did that knowledge come from?

            • Persisting When It's Hard hard

              Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material

          • Vocabulary: historical thinking hard

            Understanding that everything we know comes from evidence requires 'evidence' and 'source' vocabulary

      • Village Life hard

        Must understand peasant life before grasping serfdom in the feudal system

    • Village Life hard

      Must understand medieval daily life before grasping the Church's pervasive influence over it

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