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The Medieval Church

CONCEPTUAL
History›Medieval Times|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_LuwHnQItF_

The enormous power of the medieval Church: monasteries and the daily life of monks and nuns; building great cathedrals; pilgrimage as a religious journey; the Church's influence over everyday life

Mastery Evidence

  • Explain why the Church was so powerful in medieval times (owned land, controlled education, people feared God's punishment)
  • Describe what daily life was like for a monk or nun
  • Explain what a pilgrimage was and give one reason people went on them

Assessment Prompt

“Could [child] explain why the Church was such a big part of everyone's life in medieval times and what monks and nuns actually did all day?”

Prerequisites2

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  • 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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