adventures in home-making

The best 63 printables, pdfs, and handouts for Medieval studies.

1. "Medieval Castle Worksheet", includes instructions on how to make your own castle 
2. "Training for Knighthood", a primary school taskcard
3. "Illustrated Hierarchy of the Feudal System" handout
4. "The Crusades" handout
5. "William the Conqueror and His Time", a pdf packet with educational materials about William and the history surrounding his character and castles
6. "William the Conqueror Timeline"
7. "A Castle in the City", a pdf packet with information about William the Conqueror's castle in the city of Falaise
8. "Attack Sheet for the Model of the Siege of Chateau-Gaillard"
9. "Defense Sheet for the Model of the Siege of Chateau-Gaillard"
10. "Medieval Times: Heritage and Citizenship", a course of study for fourth graders
11. "Medieval Textiles", a newsletter with a plethora of information and design drawings of medieval textile arts
12. "My Medieval Persona" Worksheet, to create a medieval persona for re-enactment
13. "Some Common Medieval Given Names"
14. "Some Medieval Place Names and Some Medieval Occupations"
15. "Men's Fashion in the Middle Ages"
16. "Ladies Fashion in the Middle Ages"
17. "Headdress Through the Middle Ages"
18. "Basic Heraldry" page 1 and page 2
19. "Heraldic Charges" page 1 and page 2
20. "Blazonry of Medieval Europe" page 1 and page 2
21. "Design Your Own Banner"
22. "Court Packet" cover for court re-enactment
23. "The Peerage of Great Britain" page 1 
24. "The Peerage of the Society for Creative Anachronism"
25. Fox and Geese Game Directions and Gameboard
26. Nine Men's Morris Game Directions and Gameboard
27. Tafl Game Directions and Gameboard
28. "A Supermarket Feast"
29. Horses Bransle Steps and Music
30. Rufty Tufty Steps and Music
31. "Samurai Life in Medieval Japan", a pdf packet with detailed information about various periods in Japanese history
32. "Hands on History Lesson Plan: The Normans"
33. "Simulation: A Medieval Manor", a pdf packet with a fun simulation exercise
34. Knight Coloring Page
35. "Development of Castles" handout
36. Make a Catapult handout
37. "Disadvantages and Advantages of Motte and Bailey Castles" worksheet
38. "What is the Most Effective Way of Attacking Stone Castles" worksheet
39. "Defending a Castle" handout and worksheet
40. Osaka Castle worksheet and coloring page includes map
41. "The Development of the Mill" information and worksheets
42. "Children's Guide to the Portencross Castle", a pdf packet with information and illustrations
43. "The History of Portencross Castle" brochure
44. "Castles At War", a primary school taskcard
45. "Drama At The Castle", a primary school taskcard
46. "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry", a primary school taskcard
47. "Mapping Castles in Scotland", a primary school taskcard
48. "The Rise and Fall of Castles", a primary school taskcard
49. "Round the Castle", a primary school taskcard
50. "Working in the Castle", a primary school taskcard
51. "Warwick Castle", a poster-sized worksheet and handout
52. "The Norman Conquest" worksheet and sorting activity
53. "Domesday Book" handout and activity
54. "The Battle of Hastings" handout and sequencing activity
55. "Who Should Be King?" handout and worksheet
56. "East Meets West: The Effects of the Crusades", a unit study for seventh graders
57. "Crusades" worksheet for use with Britannica Student Encyclopedia
58. King and Subject coloring page
59. "Alcazar Segovia Castle" coloring page
60. Doornenburrgh Castle coloring page
61. Medieval Times Vocabulary
62. Medieval Times Draw and Write page
63. Part of Armor handout and coloring page

A castle collection/ castle note-booking pages.

For Max's castle collection, a notebook we are keeping of castles, related legends, heralds, and more. He is adding information about each castle type, including materials, special parts, and dates or geographical locations. If you'd like to borrow our castle notebooking pages, just right click and "save as".

Japanese Samurai Castle

Motte and Bailey Castle

A Stone Keep Castle- Crickhowell Castle in Wales began life as a motte and bailey but was rebuilt in stone in 1272.

Life in a Medieval Castle

Drawbridge

Portcullis

A Keep

Castle

Castles in France clip art

Windsor Castle Notebooking Page

Castle MacEwen

Castles, castles, castles, and Norman castles.

Max is entering my favorite period of the history-- the period of knights, castles, troubadours, faires, and fairies. If only Alabama had a Renaissance Faire, we would be happy as rats in a dungeon. Exploring castles and reading books about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table led Max and Micah to medieval-themed dress up and play yesterday. Today, we are specifically exploring Norman castles.

The Normans built their first castle at Hastings soon after they arrived in 1066. They looked for sites that provided natural obstacles to an enemy, such as a steep hill or a large expanse of water. It was also important to have good views of the surrounding countryside to spot friends or enemies on the horizon.

Castle crafts, history, and printables:

• Build a Medieval Castle - A printable model castle to help your child learn how armies laid siege to castles.
• Life in a Norman Castle - Introduces the square keep pioneered by the Normans.
• The Motte and Bailey Castle - Diagram and explanation of Norman additions to the castle. Popular from 1066-1100 AD. 
• William the Conqueror's Castles - Includes information about the castles in the Bayeaux Tapestry.
• Drawing of a Norman Castle from 11th century
• Attacking and Defending a Castle - Online history lesson in Microsoft word. Alternately, here is an online module teaching the same information.
• Motte and bailey castle coloring page
• Hands on History Lesson Plan: The Normans - An excellent lesson plan in pdf from the BBC.
• Fairy Tale Castle coloring page - For the little ones.
• Skipton Castle Printables - Images from a castle interior, coloring pages, and many historically castle-themed delights.
• Parts of a Castle Definitions and Word Search
• Battle of Hastings - A narrative account of this critical battle.

Specific castles to explore online:

• Llanstephan Castle - Sited at the mouth of the River Tywi, this Norman Castle was built in the 12th century to provide coastal protection for the local population. 
• Norman Castle at Pevensey- An early Norman castle built by William the Conqueror as he landed in Pevensey to protect himself and his closest advisers. It was a simple defensive structure: an earthen mound (or motte) crowned with a wooden palisade, the bailey, with maybe a keep at the centre of the structure.
• Cardiff Castle in Wales    
• Chepstow Castle in Wales
• Pembroke Castle in Wales
• Caerphilly Castle in Wales
• Kidwelly Castle in Wales
• Bronllys Castle in Wales
• Tretower Castle and Court in Wales

Below is a diagram of a motte and bailey castle. These are found throughout England and were built in the period immediately following the Norman conquest.

For more castle explorations:

• Build Model Castles
• Guide to Castles of Europe
• Castles Castles!
• Great Castles