This document provides guidance on researching change and continuity in medieval Europe for a Year 8 history class. It outlines focusing questions on primary and secondary sources, defines key terms, and provides tips on choosing relevant sources and taking notes. Sample primary and secondary sources are presented on the development of medieval communities and towns with prompts for students to take brief bullet point notes in response. The document concludes with an example of recording bibliographic details of the sources used.

1. Year 8 History
Medieval Europe Term 3

2. Today we will focus on:
 Writing and using focus questions
 Identifying keywords
 Recognising and using primary and
secondary sources
 Choosing relevant sources
 Note-taking tips
 Bibliographies

3. Responding to the task – Use focus
questions to guide your research
 What are my two main focus questions?
1. What do the primary sources reveal
about change and continuity?
2. What do historians (secondary sources)
reveal about change and continuity?
 Write some follow up questions to further
explore this idea? For example:
What were communities like in the early
middle ages?
What development later occurred in
towns and cities?

4. Ask: What are the keywords in the main
focus question below?
 What do the primary sources reveal about
change and continuity?
 primary sources – check that source is first
hand
 change and continuity – look for things
that stay the same or change

5. Ask: What are the keywords in the
follow up questions below?
 What were communities like in the early
middle ages?
• Define communities – manor, landholding
 What development occurred?
• Define development – new ideas, new
activities, new methods, new inventions,
new designs, new behaviours, new values,
new beliefs

6. Choosing sources:
Is the source primary or secondary?
 Primary and secondary sources provide
different perspectives and interpretations
on information.
 It is important to use both primary and
secondary sources as evidence in your
arguments.

7. What is a primary source?
 Provides first hand ‘you are there’
information.
 For example: letters, newspapers, artifacts
Darlington, R. (2012). [image]. History alive for the Australian
Curriculum. Brisbane: John Wiley & Sons.

8. What is a secondary source?
 Provides second hand information. They
are written after an event and provide an
overview or interpretation.
 For example: documentaries,
encyclopedias, textbooks, commentaries
Gies, J. & F. (2010). Life in a medieval castle. Australia: Harper Collins

9. Choosing sources:
Is the source relevant?
 Does the source contain information
RELEVANT to the focus questions?
 Can I find the keywords in the text?
• Title
• Contents page
• Index
• Skim over headings in key chapters
• Scan sections for key words

10. Note-taking Tips
 High-light or underline significant words
 Use bullet points - key points in a nutshell or a
brief summary
 Use keywords as headings
 Use abbreviations
 Omit irrelevant information
 For images – describe briefly what you see
 Do not copy and paste
 Do not write full sentences

11. Primary Source Example
 A medieval artist’s impression of life on a
feudal manor in early medieval period
Saldais, M. et al. (2012). Oxford Big Ideas History 8 Australian Curriculum Student Book. Melbourne: Oxford University Press

12. Your turn
 In bullet point notes, briefly describe what you
see in the previous primary source using the
follow up question:
What were communities like in the early middle
ages?
• Lord oversees the peasants
• Peasants depend on lord
• Low density population
• Agricultural commerce
• Central manor house in rural area

13. Secondary Source Example
 An historian’s interpretation of the
development of towns and cities
Saldais, M. et al. (2012). Oxford Big Ideas History 8 Australian Curriculum Student Book. Melbourne: Oxford University Press

14. Your turn
 In bullet point notes, respond to the previous
secondary source using the follow up
question:
What development later occurred in towns and
cities?
• Towns began to emerge
• Threat of barbarian raids decreased
• Towns grew to cities
• Peasants became artisans
• Artisans organised guilds
• Townspeople increased independence
• Growth of trade and commerce

15. Record the bibliographic
details of your sources:
 Book requires:
 Author
 Year published
 Title
 Place published
 Publisher
Saldais, M. et al. (2012). Oxford Big Ideas
History 8 Australian Curriculum Student Book.
Melbourne: Oxford University Press.