Life in the Middle Ages
Naming your subject:
This source provides citations for where the author got her information. She has a PhD in Medieval history and is a historical re-enactor.
This site is designed for members of the historical re-enactment community, to help them with authentic names based on primary and authoritative secondary sources.
Researching a typical day:
Cull a variety of resources for this section. Your diary entry depends on a good understanding of what the life of your subject was like.
Use the books set aside in the library! Many of these are borrowed from other libraries. Please be courteous to other users and return them to the green cart when you are done.
Check the indexes and tables of contents to make your search easier. Don't forget to note Author, Title, Editor, Publisher, Publisher city, and publication dates.
Use the subscription databases (found on the navigation menu to the left)
Remember to sign in to web site to access the password list for the databases.
Search especially:
ABC-CLIO :
Select Era
Medieval Europe
Castle
Knight
GALE:
Middle Ages
OR search by specific topic by typing in locator box. For example, peasants in middle ages.
ProQuest:
Search Middle Ages or try Medieval (you'll get different results)Click on the image below to go to a specific video called Bankers, Builders and New Beginnings
Finding a representative picture:
This web site is the text of a book.
Browse
Select a Folder
Select Costume
By Year
Author has a PhD and is an instructor of costume design.
Actually designed to help teachers teach about the middle ages through understanding how clothing reflects culture. Includes links to costume sites.
Primary Sources: (First-hand accounts from people living in the medieval time period)
This site puts together primary sources so you can see how medieval writing looked and sounded! You will also see texts that are not written in English or that is modern interpretations of the texts.
Additional Web Sites
Finishing up:
Now it is time to create your diary entries (or poster, depending on your teacher), based on your research. Use the information you have gathered to put together a diary entry that is creative and meets the requirements to demonstrate that you understand what a day-in-the-life of your medieval subject would be like.
Having trouble "getting into character?" Use this worksheet to help understand your character better!
For this project, remember to do an annotated works cited. Follow all the standard rules for MLA formatting.
Include the following:
Title should be: Annotated List of Works Cited
Annotations should contain 3 sentences of both descriptive (what's in the source specifically) and evaluative (reflect on how this is useful in terms of your project or in general - for example, refer to the authority, accuracy, bias, or currency of the source) information.
Here is a sample:
Annotated List of Works Cited
Scott, Brian M. “Isabel.” Feminine Given Names in ‘A Dictionary of English Surnames.’
Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1994. Web. 6 March 2012.
Scott presents a linguistic break-down of first names in the Medieval time period that develops an understanding of naming conventions. Included in this site are dates the first name appeared in records, as well as references to surnames. There is a link that lets the user understand the abbreviations, but the source is very academic in nature and may require further research on the part of the reader to fully understand the meanings.
