The Middle Ages I Introduction

The Middle Ages

Franceschini

Common Core SS Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:

6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.

6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions

6H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary events and issues to understand continuity and change.

6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time

6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society

6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.

6C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations, societies and regions.

6E.1.1Explain how conflict, compromise, and negotiation over the availability of resources (natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks).

6E.1.2 Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions

6G.2.1Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions

6C.1.3 Summarize systems of social structure within various civilizations and societies over time (e.g., Roman class structure, Indian caste system and feudal, matrilineal and patrilineal societies).

Common Core Reading Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:

Locate and cite details, State main ideas and summarize.
Determine meanings of words and phrases.
Determine how information is presented (sequentially, comparatively, etc.).
Integrate and analyze visuals (maps, charts, pictures) etc. with text.

Common Core Writing Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:

Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate for the task.
Use technology and internet to produce writing.
Informative and Explanatory Writing in the context of SS

Unit Vocabulary:

Students should write the bold faced words in their vocabulary journal. They should write a definition and write the sentence as used in context. When possible, a picture, symbol or icon should accompany each

The Middle Ages I > Introduction

Objective –SWILLBAT ID the Middle Ages time period. SWILLBAT explain what brought about the Middle Ages.

6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).

Rome fell to the Visigoths in 476 A.D. The barbarian invasions ended Rome’s 800 years of power in Europe. The end of Rome was the end of what we call ancient history. After 476 A.D. there is a new period in history called the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages lasted for about one thousand years. Sometimes the Middle Ages is called the Medieval Period. But what made the Middle Ages different from the time of the Romans?

Rome and its government held Europe together for centuries. When Rome collapsed, so did the governments and cities of Europe. There was no central government to rule people. The former Roman Empire was broken up into many kingdoms ruled by kings and military leaders. The kingdoms constantly fought each other for control. The beginning of the Middle Ages is called the Dark Ages of Europe because all the learning and accomplishments of Greece and Rome were forgotten. There was no one to take care of the roads, buildings and aqueducts. There was little time to develop art and technology. Very few people learned reading, writing and arithmetic. There was constant warfare. It was not safe to travel. People were afraid and did not have much hope. The Middle Ages was a time when Christianity became really important. People looked to the Roman Catholic Church for help. People believed if they were good Christians they would be saved from life on earth by going to heaven when they died.

Essential Questions

When did the Middle Ages begin?
Why was the beginning of the Middle Ages known as the Dark Ages of Europe?
Why did the Roman Catholic Church become so important?

Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers. Your questions must be information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Middle Ages II > The Eastern Roman Empire Fights Back

Objective –SWILLBAT explain why Justinian and the Eastern Roman Empire failed to win back the western empire. SWILLBAT explain when and why the Middle Ages began with the death of the Roman Empire.

6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

The Western Roman Empire fell to the barbarians in 476. However, the Eastern Roman Empire wanted to get the Western Roman Empire back. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) was still strong. When Rome was falling to the barbarians, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empirewas Justinian. Justinian lived in his palace in the capital city of Constantinople. As emperor Justinian took control of the Catholic Church. Justinian had a strong government and he made laws called the JustinianCode. The Justinian Code is still famous today. But what Justinian wanted to do more than anything was to recapture the entireWestern Roman Empire from the barbarian tribes.

Justinian’s army fought wars against the barbarian tribes. His army won back a lot of land that was lost when Rome fell. Justinian's army took back southern Spain, all of Italy, and northern Africa. The only two tribes left in all of Europe were the Franks and Saxons. Justinian had asked the Franks for help in Europe to defeat other barbarian tribes. The Franks defeated other barbarian tribes. They took the land for themselves rather than give it back to Justinian and Eastern Roman Empire. The Franks became powerful enough to control much of Western Europe. By the time Justinian realized how powerful the Franks had become he had to focus his attention at home.Justinian had to stop fighting because the wars cost too much money. The Eastern Empire was nearly broke (no money). He had to focus on his people at home. Justinian planned on fighting the Franks again when he could get more money. Justinian died before he ever had the chance to win the rest of the western empire back. The Western Roman Empire was gone forever.

The Middle Ages for Europe began with the death of the Western Roman Empire. Life in Western Europe became miserable and dismal. There was no sanitation, no advances in medicine, no new roads, no new learning, little new technology and no towns. There was only war. One kingdom constantly fought another. It was a dark time in Western Europe. Historians call it the dark ages.

Essential Questions

Why did Justinian and the Eastern Roman Empire give up the fight to win back the Western Roman Empire?
How did life change in Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire?

Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers. Your questions must be information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Middle Ages III > The Merovingian Kings, Mayors of the Palace and the Franks

Objective –SWILLBAT explain the significance of the Merovingian Kings and the Mayors of the Palace

6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

6C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

The Germanic barbarians often caused mayhem and destruction in medieval Europe. However, it is important to also note that some of the Germanic tribes were not barbarians, but instead settled in homes, and tried to help build up civilization. The largest of these Germanic tribes settled in lands that are now part of western Germany and France. The kings of this tribe were called the Merovingian kings, and ruled from 400 A.D. until the A.D. 700s.

In 481 A.D., a Merovingian King by the name of Clovis came to power. He was a brutal warrior who delighted in bloodshed on the battlefield. Fifteen years after taking the throne, Clovis converted to Christianity. The conversion of Clovis was critical in European history. He encouraged his people to also convert to this new faith. The Germanic tribes defended Christianity against invading Muslims.

By 700 A.D., the Merovingian kings had lost control of the region inhabited by the Franks. Instead, power fell to a leader who was known as the Mayor of the Palace. In 732 A.D., Islam invaded Europe in an attempt to convert the Christians to the Islam faith. They had already conquered much of Europe, including almost all of Spain. As the Muslims entered what is now modern day France, a Mayor of the Palace by the name of Charles Martel met them with his forces in the city of Tours. Martel and his forces were able to beat back the Muslims, protecting the rest of Europe, and insuring that the religion practiced by the Europeans would remain Christianity.

Charles Martel was succeeded as Mayor of the Palace by his son Pepin, often called Pepin the Short. In 752 A.D., the Pope anointed Pepin the Short as king. This anointing by the Pope was important. To his subjects, it meant that Pepin had the backing of God, or that he was God’s chosen ruler.

In exchange for the blessing of the Pope, Pepin promised to offer his protection to the Church. At this time, the Church in Rome was under attack by a non-Christian Germanic tribe called the Lombards. The Byzantine Empire refused to help the church. However, in 754 A.D., Pepin the Short successfully removed the Lombards from Rome and gave their lands to the Pope. This strengthened the ties between the Catholic Church and the Franks, while the ties between the Church and the Byzantines were weakened.

Essential Questions

Explain why each was so important in Medieval European history: Clovis, Charles Martel and Pepin the Short.

Assignment: Write 2 questions and answers for each paragraph. Your questions must be information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Middle Ages IV > Charlemagne and the Franks

Objective –SWILLBAT ID and explain the reasons why Charlemagne was the most important Frankish king. SWILLBAT explain how Charlemagne helped increase the power of the Holy Roman Empire.

6E.1.2 Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions

6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

After the fall of Rome, the Franks became the most powerful tribe in Europe. They began to build a kingdom. By the 700’s the Franks had conquered much of Europe. In 771 A.D., Pepin the Short was succeeded as king by his son Charlemagne. Charlemagne was a tall, friendly ruler, and was also a skillful politician. Under Charlemagne’s leadership, the kingdom controlled by the Franks doubled in size, growing to include France, Germany, Spain and Italy. This kingdom became known as the Frankish Empire. For the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire, all the people of Western Europe were ruled over by a single government and by a single leader.

Charlemagne was perhaps the most significant king of the early Middle Ages. First, he improved the lives of all his people. Charlemagne encouraged learning. Following his taking control of the Frankish government, Charlemagne grew concerned about the great number of his people who could not read or write. He sought to improve the situation by opening schools around his kingdom. Charlemagne also gathered together the brightest scholars of his era and had them work to preserve ancient texts and records. These scholars copied the writings of the Romans and others, preserving them for future generations. The people loved him.

The second reason Charlemagne was important was because he increased the size of the FrankishKingdom. Charlemagne made the FrankishKingdom the largest it would ever be. Charlemagne’s army defeated most Western Europe. Charlemagne rescued the Catholic Church in Rome from the Lombard tribe. Rome was no longer an empire but it was still at the head of the Catholic Church in the west. The Pope was the ruler of the Catholic Church in Rome. Charlemagne rescued both the Pope and the Church in Rome. The Pope made Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor because Charlemagne could protect the Catholic Church and spread the Christianity to new places he conquered. His Kingdom was called the Holy Roman Empire.

To control his vast kingdom, Charlemagne made people leaders of different areas of his kingdom. He called them counts. Charlemagne made sure the counts were treating the people fairly. He started a new system of justice where people accused of crimes were judged by a jury.[1] He began a new money system using silver coins.

By the end of his reign as king, Charlemagne controlled Germany, France, most of Italy and part of Spain. The Catholic Church began to increase its power over the people of Europe. It looked like Charlemagne was leading Europe out of its dark ages. Unfortunately, after he died his kingdom was divided up between his sons. None were as strong as Charlemagne. Soon everyone was fighting each other again. Separate kingdoms were made and once again they fought each other. Charlemagne’s improvements were forgotten and the Holy Roman Empire collapsed. Life became difficult once again. The death of Charlemagne brought the death of the Holy Roman Empire.

Essential Questions

Why was Charlemagne important? Create a tree diagram to outline his accomplishments
How did Charlemagne improve the lives of his people?
How did Charlemagne increase the power of the Catholic Church?

Assignment: Write 2 questions and answers for each paragraph. Your questions must be information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word.

Here is a map of Charlemagne's kingdom. The light-green shows his kingdomin 771. The dark-green shows his kingdom in 800.

The Middle AgesV > The Role of the Church

Objective –SWILLBAT clarify the role of the Church during the Middle Ages.

6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

6E.1.2 Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions

Christianity and the church were the most important things in life for people during the Middle Ages. Under the feudal system, the Catholic Church grew in power and prestige. The bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, claimed authority over all Christians in Western Europe. The Pope often became involved in political affairs, and even anointed kings and rulers of various nations. Some Roman Popes were more powerful than the local monarchs.

The church was the center of every town. It was not only important for religion, but it was also a social place where people met. Religious life attracted many people during the Middle Ages. The Church was often the only way to get an education. Poor people could get help and even join the church to escape a life of misery. The clergy were the religious workers of the Catholic Church. In the Middle Ages, the Pope ruled the Christian Church. Other clergy included bishops, priests, nuns, and monks.