This lesson plan aims to teach students about the end of the Medieval era in Europe. Students will be split into groups and analyze scripts describing major events from this time period. They will then research and present arguments for why the event they analyzed was most impactful. Throughout the lesson, students will complete activities like creating timelines and presenting their findings to peers. The goal is for students to critically examine information and develop skills like sequencing, categorizing, and identifying causes and effects from this era in a student-centered way.

1. Samantha Johnson
10th Grade World History
Medieval Europe: The End of an Era
I. TEKS
a. § 113.42. c. 4. G.: explain how the Crusades, the Black Death, the
Hundred Years’ War, and the Great Schism contributed to the end of
medieval Europe
b. § 113.42. c. 21. A.: describe how people have participated in supporting or
changing their governments.
c. § 113.42. c. 29. F.: analyze information by sequencing, categorizing,
identifying cause-and-effect relationships…
II. Materials
a. Teacher
i. 28 colored chips with numbers on them, 1-4 red & white.
ii. Timeline handout, 150 copies.
iii. Script handouts, 4 copies of each, laminated.
b. Students
i. Writing instrument
ii. Notebook or paper
iii. Textbook
iv. Class notes from lecture
III. Procedures
a. Engagement, 10 minutes.

2. i. This lesson would start when students enter the classroom.
Students will make groups of four by choosing a colored chip with
a number on it. The room will have already been set up to have
groups of 4 desks together with a number and a color in the middle
so students know where to sit as they enter and choose their chips.
1. 2 colors, red and white, numbered 1-4.
a. Example, there will be four RED chips with the
number 1 on it.
ii. To engage the students intellectually, I will begin by asking them
what they think were the most important things, places, and people
were of the medieval era. As they call out answers, I will write
them on the board.
iii. To preassess prior knowledge, students will be working together
with a group to create a timeline of the major events of the
medieval era. They will use the terms called out and written on the
board to create their timelines. No textbooks will be allowed
during this activity and this will be a completion grade.
b. Exploration, 20 minutes.
i. Students will explore a short script that describes a major event or
innovation of the medieval era.
ii. Students will be asked to identify the event being described and
then to formulate an argument on why that event was the most
impactful event of the era. As the students are discussing their

3. event, I will be walking around the room listening and adding
information, asking questions so they can dive deeper into the
information, and answering any questions they may have.
c. Explanation, 10 minutes
i. One group at a time will state what their event is and 2 facts about
that event that they have come up with.
ii. The student will explain the major events and the end of the
medieval era by presenting an argument to the class in groups and
by creating a RAFT for homework with no errors.
iii. As students talk about their 2 facts and events, I will provide any
additional information and correct any misinformation.
d. Elaboration, 30 minutes
i. During this part of the activity, students will present their case on
why they think the event they were given is the most important
event to happen during the medieval era. This would be very
informal and just a way for the groups to provide facts to the rest
of the group as a review of the major events.
1. For the groups listening, they will need to write down 3
facts they learned from each argument. This will be turned
in for a completion grade
2. Each member of the group will need to turn in a summary
of their argument. Also on this sheet, the students will need

4. to give an evaluation of their group members. This will be
turned in for a grade.
e. Evaluation, 5 minutes.
i. Students will be assessed in two ways. First they will be assessed
on their arguments they present to the class on why their medieval
era event was the most important thing to happen during this time.
Second, they will be assessed by creating a RAFT (Role,
Audience, Format, Topic), individually, describing either a person
or event of the medieval era.
1. The RAFT does not have to be over the same subject that
the group work was over.
f. Closure, 5 minutes.
i. I will end the lesson by asking for any questions and by asking the
students questions over the material to make sure they have learned
the material.
1. The student will explain the major events and the end of the
medieval era by presenting an argument to the class in
groups and by creating a RAFT for homework with no
errors.
2. Students will also write down one interesting thing they
learned onto an index card as an exit slip.

5. 3. Will somehow connect this day’s lesson to the next day’s
by tying the information into the movie Monty Python and
the Holy Grail.
IV. Handouts
a. Attached
V. Source of Idea
a. I just randomly thought about this one night while watching TV.
VI. Analysis
a. I think my lesson adheres to indirect lesson planning because the students
really are doing the bulk of the work. As the teacher, I am just there to
clear up any confusion, to transition the activity into the next few steps,
and to start the activity. The students are the ones grappling with the
information and, in my activity at least, are actually teaching the other
students.
b. In my activity, I give them a script that the students must identify what
major event in history is being described. From that information, the
groups of students then use their class notes, prior knowledge, and
textbooks to formulate an argument on why they think that event was the
most impactful of the era.
c. While the data I give the students, the scripts, isn’t by any means hard to
figure out what is being described, the challenge comes in when they
begin to look at their notes and textbooks. They will need to take all the
information they have and find the facts that are the most important. I feel

6. like this is a skill that students need to develop for all content areas
especially in college.
d. I will provide support in that I will be walking around the room to answer
any questions the students may have. I would ask them first if they looked
in their notes and textbook for the answer. If it is something we have not
discussed in class, I would answer the question in depth to a point.
VII. Information from the chapter
a. Pages: 291, 306, 317, 335, 337.