Knights during the Middle Ages belonged to orders and wore full suits of armor including helmets, breastplates, and other metal pieces to protect themselves as they fought to keep peace or serve their country. They practiced jousting both as a sport and to sharpen combat skills, aiming to knock opponents from their horses or break lances. Many knights were involved in the War of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York, symbolized by white and red roses respectively. Those seeking to become knights began as pages in stables and later squires assisting knights before potentially attending knight school, an opportunity usually only available to the wealthy.

1. General Facts About Knights Knights were alive in the middle ages They belonged to groups called orders, such as the order of St. John They were put in place to keep the peace or fight for their country if necessary

2. Armor Knights wore armour to protect their bodies Their armor consisted of a helmet, breastplate, sword, shield, helmet, shoulder pads, arm plates, metal gloves, leg greaves, mace and a lance. Sometimes they had plated armor on their horses

3. Jousting Jousting was a sport and it was also used to sharpen their fighting skills The knights would be armed with a lance and a shield You win by knocking a knight off his horse or breaking his lance

4. The War Of The Roses The war of the roses involved many knights It was a war between the house of York and the house of Lancaster The house of Lancaster is represented by the white Rose The house of York is represented by the red rose.

5. How to Become A Knight You would start as a page, who worked in the stables Then would become a squire who assisted the knight with his armor Only rich people could afford knight school