Medieval Civilization

Describes the social and economic structure of country life during the late Middle Ages, 1100 through 1400, and the role of the peasants, villagers, and landowners in the shaping of European civilization.

The Middle Ages was a historical period in Europe that lasted from A.D. 476 to 1492. People of that time made their clothes and crafts from local materials, such as wool, leather, wood, clay, and iron. Skilled artisans also wove intricate tapestries, decorated manuscripts with illuminated drawings, built cathedrals and palaces from stone and marble, painted frescoes on plaster, and styled beautiful clothing and jewelry. Come along on an archaeological journey and learn amazing facts about the Middle Ages.

In this innovative approach to teaching history, students step into the medieval world of a knight, a carpenter, a scribe, and a duchess with the help of four art masterpieces, including a tapestry, a stained glass window, and an illuminated manuscript. Each art poster is accompanied by a reproducible story that introduces one of the figures from the artwork and a reproducible journal that details the life and times of that character.

presents the ingenious, devoted, and indefatigable builders who perfected the medieval cathedral as a stone prayer to God and a place of community pride. Though again treading on the heels of David Macaulay, MacDonald and James hold their own, pointing out the religious significance of a bishop's seat, describing pilgrims' routes to other cathedrals, depicting the daily life of both workers and the religious community, and showing the variety of arts and crafts necessary to construction.