This document provides details on a didactic unit about feudalism for 10th grade Spanish students. The unit's main subject is social sciences, with connections to other subjects. It aims to teach students about feudalism and medieval society through analyzing texts, maps, and pictures. Students will learn about the origins of feudalism, feudal relations between lords and vassals, and medieval social groups. A variety of individual and group activities are outlined to help students understand feudalism and daily life in the Middle Ages. Students will be assessed on their knowledge of the invasions leading to feudalism, medieval society's organization, and the clergy's structure during this period.

1. DIDACTIC UNIT SAMPLE. BASIC
DETAILS
MAIN SUBJECT SOCIAL SCIENCES
OTHER SUBJECTS LANGUAGE, ENGLISH, PLASTIC AND
VISUAL EDUCATION, MATHS
TOPIC FEUDALISM
LEVEL 2º DE ESO
GENERAL AIMS - Knowing main processes which explain
historic events in order to understand
the present.
- Identifying and valuing the most
important politic, social, economic and
cultural events which have happened in
the world and, above all, in Spain.
- Analyzing the interactions between
people and the environment.
- Showing respect and interest about
cultural historic legacy.
- Understanding cultural diversity as
great heritage deserving of
preservation.
- Obtaining, comparing and communicating
different information from different
resources.
- Showing interest in the subject and
collaborating in diverse activities.
SPECIFIC AIMS - Analyzing and interpreting different
information about tables, texts, pictures
and maps.
- Knowing how to locate events in maps
and time-scales.
- Knowing the main characteristics of
Feudalism and its development.
- Understanding the social groups and its

2. characteristics.
- Knowing feudal relations between lords
and vassals.
- Identifying parts of the fief and its
buildings.
- Learning about the importance of the
religion during this period.
CONTENTS CONCEPTS:
- Feudalism’s origin
- Feudal relations
- Medieval society
- The Fief
- The religious order
PROCEDURES:
- Analyzing pictures, dates, texts, maps
and time-scales.
- Using a specific vocabulary.
- Interpreting different information and
relating it with studied concepts.
- Making a social pyramid.
- Using information on a website.
ATTITUDES:
- Showing comprehension about preserving
medieval legacy.
- Critical attitude towards hierarchy in
any society.
- Curiosity to learn about other stages.
- Showing interest in schoolwork.

3. COMPETENCES LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION:
- Vocabulary related to Feudalism.
- Correct explanation and expression
about characteristics of Middle Age.
- Understanding oral and written
information.
MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCE:
- Making timelines with Feudalism’s
development.
- Interpreting graphs.
LEARNING TO LEARN:
- Using information from several
resources.
- Relating news contents with daily life.
DIGITAL COMPETENCE:
- Showing ability to use computers in
order to seek information and to do
activities.
TEMPORAL COMPETENCE:
- Understanding timelines to locate
historic figures and events.
- Comprehension of the passage of time.
SPATIAL COMPETENCE:
- Interpreting maps.
- Identifying parts of a fief.
INTERPERSONAL AND CIVIC
COMPETENCE:
- Learning about different social groups.
- Showing tolerance towards other
opinions.
- Working with classmates to do

4. activities.
AUTONOMY AND PERSONAL INITIATIVE:
- Looking for information to solve
activities.
- Investigating with different media.
KNOWLEDGE AND INTERACTION WITH
OUR WORLD:
- Knowing the importance of Feudalism for
our civilization.
- Comparing different cultures.
CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION:
- Interpreting illustrations.
UNIT SEQUENCING UNIT 1
TASKS AND 1) Make a map which represents the
second invasions in Europe. You have to
METHODOLOGY mark the most significant places, dates,
expeditions, battles and territories.
2) Answer these questions:
- Why should the kings give lands to the
nobles?
- How was the relationship between a
vassal and a lord?
- Why do we say the king was another
noble?
- What was the court? How was it
formed?
3) Look for a picture which shows the
Homage ceremony and explain it.

5. 4) Match:
Military protection
Counsel Lord
Legal defense
Military aid Vassal
Economic aid
Sustenance
5) Investigate why William the Conqueror
and Richard the Lionheart received
those cognomens
6) Describe the parts of a fief.
7) Making a pyramid which shows the
medieval estates.
8) Complete the text:
Privileged estates ………………… pay taxes,
they ………………… do manual work and they
…………………… positions in the government.
9) Explain the differences between serfs
and freemen.
10) Imagine you are a medieval knight. Tell
how your life is and how you can become
a knight.
11) Visit the web
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/
middleages/pdailylife.html and describe
peasants’ daily life.
12) Correct the sentences:
- The leaders of the secular clergy were

6. priests.
- The bishops lived in monasteries.
- The parishes were controlled by nuns.
- The religious orders were led by friars.
- The head of the Church were the
superiors.
13) Write about members’ duties of the
Order of Saint Benedict.
14) Investigate about the main religious
orders that there were in your city
during the middle Ages.
15) In groups, do a medieval story where you
include these words: lord – vassal –
knight – fief – castle – freeman – court –
noble – serf – abbot – bishop – miniature
– excommunicate – king – ceremony.
ASSESSMENT - Knowing the second invasions with
regard to Feudalism’s origins.
- Identifying in a map the territories
where there were feudal kings.
- Understanding the vassalage agreement.
- Interpreting texts, maps and pictures.
- Understanding the organization of
medieval society and knowing the role of
each estate.

7. - Recognizing the fief parts.
- Knowing the clergy structure and how
they were present in daily life.
- Showing comprehension of oral or
written information.
RESOURCES Maps
Pictures
Magazines
News
Books
Internet
SITOGRAPHY http://www.kathimitchell.com/middleages.htm
http://www.medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/
http://www.themiddleages.net/
© fátima vázquez 2011