K&C: Day Two

Finish Personal Coat of Arms Presentations!

Warm-Up This class is basically about Medieval times/history, so what do you already know about medieval times??

In This Class… In addition to talking about general historical people, places, and events, we will be focusing on identity. For example… How is the time period we’re studying stereotypically identified? How did King Arthur influence/create a national identity? How do times of crisis/change (like the Crusades and the Black Plague) alter peoples’ and countries’ identities? How did the feudal system alter/impact peoples’ identities? How did romantic relationships affect peoples’ identities?

First thing to be identified… The Middle Ages “People use the phrase ‘Middle Ages’ to describe Europe between the fall of Rome in 476 CE and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century. Many scholars call the era the ‘medieval period’ instead” “‘Middle Ages,’ they say, incorrectly implies that the period is an insignificant blip sandwiched between two much more important epochs”

Food for Thought (And answering!) How would you identify the “Middle Ages”? How have you heard the Middle Ages be identified/described? Why do you think these stereotypical (and sometimes false) ideas are associated with the “identity” of the Middle Ages?

The Stereotypical “Identity” “The phrase ‘Middle Ages’ tells us more about the Renaissance that followed it than it does about the era itself. Starting around the 14th century, European thinkers, writers and artists began to look back and celebrate the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. “Accordingly, they dismissed the period after the fall of Rome as a ‘Middle’ or even ‘Dark’ age in which no scientific accomplishments had been made, no great art produced, no great leaders born. The people of the Middle Ages had squandered the advancements of their predecessors, this argument went, and mired themselves instead in what 18th-century English historian Edward Gibbon called ‘barbarism and religion’”

Crash Course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7CanyzhZg

A Timeline With Dramatic Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EAMqKUimr8

Word Association: King Arthur Camelot Excalibur Holy Grail Knights of the Round Table

The 411 on King Arthur PBS Article “Once and Future King” article and timeline

King Arthur Discussion Why do you think the legend of King Arthur is still popular today? What did King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table represent? What does Excalibur represent? What does the Holy Grail represent? What type of place is Camelot and why are people always searching for a place like this?

More Discussing! During times of change, the legend of King Arthur consistently becomes socially and politically significant. Why? The story of King Arthur is built in layers with more characters, symbols, and plot elements added to the story each time it is retold. Discuss the specific characters and symbols that developed over time and remain a part of the story. While the legend of King Arthur is fictional, it seems to be a symbol for England and its history. Discuss how the story fulfills this role.