Life in the Year 1290

Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.2
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Materials
- Unit Plans for Catherine, Called Birdy
- Diary/notebook for each student
Tales2go Titles
- Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
- The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
- Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
- When Knights Were Bold by Eva March Tappan
- You are There!: Joan of Arc at the Stake- 1431
- Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz
- The Reeve’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (and other Canterbury Tales)
Activity
Students will engage in multiple activities during and after listening to Catherine, Called Birdy. One major activity (including a rubric) allows students to create their own diary, modeled after Catherine’s. Use these unit plans, or take parts of it and create something that will work for your class.
Many titles about the medieval times/middle ages are listed above for students to listen to on Tales2go. They can use these stories to incorporate information into their diaries.
Resources