Outside the Castle

Capture a character from your original story of life in a castle.

• 1.

  Explore information and pictures of people who lived during the era of the feudal system. Investigate feudal contracts that bound members of different social strata together. Research the lifestyles of the clergy, nobility, and commoners during this period.

• 2.

  Create a fictional persona of a medieval man, woman, or child. Choose the person's social status, occupation, and responsibilities based on your research on life in a feudal society. Write a short, first-person, informal treatise on the life of the person using Crayola® Colored Pencils.

• 3.

  Create an expressive bas relief sculpture of your fictional person. Flatten Crayola Model Magic with your hands to form a slab. Use Crayola Scissors to cut pieces away to form straight sides.

• 4.

  Cut and model free-form face and body shapes from flattened Model Magic and attach to the slab. Add other modeled forms and texture as desired. Use a craft stick to etch and push model magic on the face to create the desired expression. Attach pieces to each other with a slightly dampened finger. Dry.

• 5.

  Cover your work area with newspaper. Thin Crayola Tempera Paints with water, and combine colors for an antique effect. To stain the surface of your sculpture, brush on diluted paint with Crayola Paint Brushes. Wipe away excess paint with a paper towel or

Benefits

• Students research Western medieval feudalism to find information about feudal contracts and the status of clergy, nobility, and commoners.
• Students write fiction from the point of view of a member of feudal society, including impressions of members of other social rankings, and identify duties of the individual's class status.
• Children design expressive bas relief sculptures of the clergy, nobility, or commoner depicted in their writing.

Adaptations

• Classmates organize into groups with feudal ranks to form feudal estates. Role play discussions and events that may have taken place in feudal society.
• Dress in period clothing and present a living museum. Display relief sculptures and essays in a classroom gallery. Speak and act in the manner of the fictional persona. Answer questions and share information about feudal society with gallery visitors.
• Explore the art and music of the Middle Ages in Europe. What instruments were played? How were books and music written? What art materials were readily available? What advances were made in literature and the arts? What was happening in the rest of the world during this period?
• Younger students and those with special needs may benefit from short practice sessions experimenting with modeling and painting techniques before creating final work.