Real Life Video Games (Activities for Both the Classroom or over Zoom) – Medieval Times
In the past, we wrote an article about teaching History in a remote environment, and gave a few ideas of longer projects to use in a Zoom type setting. Today I wanted to share with you how to gamify your classroom, in a way that will teach your students about living in any time period, as well as how these types of activities can now be used in any setting – whether face to face or virtual.
Receive a premade packet of this, and many more activities, when you buy a Classroom Membership to www.HuntThePast.com History Curriculum.
INTRODUCTION TO REAL LIFE VIDEO GAMES – “What if you lived back then?”
This is a simple assignment that makes learning different periods of time fun, whether teaching face to face, or remotely. This activity works with any time period, but for this example, we will show you a large class project that will help the students learn about the middle ages and the Feudal System, on a Social and Emotional Level, using Bloom’s Taxonomy. In this assignment, your class will be creating a community, during the time of William the Conqueror. This is perfect for a class of around 30 students. After this example, we will show you different eras in which you can apply this activity.
INSTRUCTIONS: In this ongoing assignment, taking approximately 7 days (but could probably be shortened to 5, if you wanted), your students will learn and remember what they need to know about life in the middle ages. Then, each time they read a unit about this era, they will have something to compare it to. In addition to a lesson each day, they will receive a new assignment (5-7 for each student).
Day #1: Students will receive an introduction to medieval life, speaking mostly on the feudal system. They will be introduced to the different roles that were lived during the time of William the Conqueror. See Assignment #1: Draw a map representing the Feudal System and the different classes of people. With that map, they should also return to you what three positions they would like to serve in the feudal system, written on the back. Make sure they know that they may receive a position they did not ask for, but that you will be doing another assignment like this, and can help them get the position they want in the next assignment.
Assignment #1 – Which position would you like in this assignment? All will have a chance to choose a position in one of our programs. To earn your position, you must design a map, to explain the different levels in the Feudal System. He who has the best presentation will have their first pick of position, whichever one you choose. The king is not always the most sought-after position, so the greatest map may not be the king. You may also want the King’s position, but this role is the hardest, with the hardest decisions; everything relies on this role. The queen is much the same way, having separate responsibilities, but is still the second most stressful position.
Day #2: Have your students return their maps or images. Teach them about life in medieval Europe and how each participant lived. Give them an assignment to write a one-page short story about their life as if they were living in Medieval Europe (Assignment #2).
After class, you will judge these maps or graphs explaining the feudal system, based on the criteria of detail (provided in our system) and time and research that was placed in designing it, giving them each a grade. On the back of the image, they should have written what Medieval Times position they wanted. Separate them by the position they want. For the King or Queen, the best illustrator, who wanted this position, will take their first choice (King or Queen); those that did not make it are moved into their second-choice position. If there are multiple applicants for this position, give them to the top illustrator again. Then cycle those that did not make it to their second or third position, until everyone is chosen.
Those that do not make it within their top three choices, take down their names for special consideration for the next Real Life Video Game. Write on the back or circle the position they are being awarded, and tell them which of the three cities they will be assigned:
Positions: In a class of 30, you want each student to feel that they live within this certain time. We need a King (1), Queen (1), Nobles (3), Knights (3) / Vassals (3), Soldiers (3), Farmers (3), Merchants (2), Carpenters (3), Blacksmiths (3), Peasants (3), Serfs (3), and Beggars (whoever is left).
Day #3: Give the student their maps back, with the position they have been awarded. Give them their role in society as listed below.
Assigned Position:
King, your job is to keep your kingdom safe (Knights) and the economy prospering (Vassals);
Queen, your job is to keep the Morale of the citizen’s high and keep the citizens healthy;
Nobles, your job is to counsel the king or queen (your choice) and keep them to their goals;
Knights, your job is to keep the kingdom safe and to watch the surrounding kingdoms for threats;
Vassals, you are to support and counsel the knights and distribute the land to farmers/peasants/serfs;
Soldiers, you are to support the Knights and take their orders. You need to be well armed;
Farmers, you borrow land from the Vassals and grow food on them, the Kingdom, then your families;
Merchants, you buy from the farmers and sell to foreign countries, other traders, peasants, and serfs.
Carpenters, you build and repair the infrastructure throughout the kingdom and for the soldiers;
Blacksmiths, you make metal into tools and weapons – everything from the horseshoes to swords;
Peasants, you are low social class farmers, renting and farm small plots of land, paying rent and taxes;
Serfs (find a trade), you are the underlings, or slaves, of those above you, and help trades succeed; and
Beggars and the ill, the poorest of the poor. Some are serfs, if they work, others are even below them.
Have them begin researching these positions and give them their second Real-Life Assignment.
Assignment #3 – Which famous person, in history, was in your position? Write a one-page, twelve font essay about this person, who was also in your position. They should have lived near the time of William the Conqueror (1,000-1,400AD). What did they do, how did they do it, and why did they do it? Each student will give a 2-minute summary of their research, during the next four days in class. Tomorrow, every student will begin this presentation process, finding someone of notoriety during that time, and then report on both their position in the feudal system and what that person did.
Day #4: The class will finish their presentations today, or tomorrow. Use 30 minutes for presentations, and 15 minutes or more for the different groups to discuss their scenarios. The King, Queen, and Nobles will meet, and those from each city will meet. Give the King’s group the different Scenarios in “Year #1.” Five minutes in, the Vassals will report to the King, and the King’s group will tell them what is happening in their city and give them an assignment, based on that year’s scenario. The Vassal now has 5 minutes left to discuss with their group what the King has asked them to do. These are all different scenarios they will experience, and they need to research how their position would have been affected and how they would have affected the event. For homework that night, they are to research this scenario and give their ideas of how they would have made a difference to the people in their position.
Mini-Activity #1 – Message to the King, Queen, and Nobles: there are different issues happening in your kingdom. Not all are good. How do you want to solve these? Here they are, per city:
Day #5: Presentations are completed. Take the first five minutes for the city members to discuss their ideas. Remember that the Vassal gets the final say in the Estate. Each estate will present for 2 minutes, in front of the class. Then the Vassal will speak. Their job is to ask another city to help them, or to make a deal with them. They will then have 2 minutes for other estates to ask questions and offer a solution. The King takes this discussion time to listen to the Estates, and counsel with his Queen and Nobles. His group will then speak and try to resolve these issues at hand. He will also take some of the goods to feed his family and nobles. He may override your deals, or may rule that something will be done. This final judgment will be law. Now, to the next Life Assignment: Year #2. Give these to the King to pass out to everyone, through his Vassals, who will visit after the first five minutes.
Day #6: Take the first five minutes for the city members to discuss their ideas. Remember that the Vassal gets the final say in the Estate. Each estate will present for 2 minutes, in front of the class. Then the Vassal will speak. Their job is to ask another city to help them, or to make a deal with them. They will then have 2 minutes for other estates to ask questions and offer a solution. The King takes this discussion time to listen to the Estates, and counsel with his Queen and Nobles. His group will then speak and try to resolve these issues at hand. He will also take some of the goods to feed his family and nobles. He may override your deals, or may rule that something will be done. This final judgment will be law. Now, to the next Life Assignment: Year #3. Give these to the King to pass out to everyone, through his Vassals, who will visit after the first five minutes.
Day #7: The kingdom’s issues are resolved, and the positions are released. Now everyone is equal again. Start a classroom discussion over what they learned from this activity. Find out if they believe they came up with the best choices, or if they could have done something better to resolve the issues of the kingdom. To end their journal, ask them to write another half to one-page journal entry on what they learned, and in this final scenario, what the best way to resolve the issues would be (Assignment #7).
More materials will be made available with the purchase of our entire system, available at www.HuntThePast.com. If you have any questions about our program, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly, by replying to this email, or contacting our Sales Manager, Jenn: jennifer@huntthepast.com.