Bayeux Tapestry Lesson Plan

Bayeux Tapestry

Objectives:

Ø Students will learn that primary sources exist in other forms outside of text; like tapestries.

Ø Student will learn how art can be used as a form of language to tell historical events.

Ø Student will learn the story of nations and their creation with respect to the development of the cultures that coexist within their borders.

Ø Student will learn how William the Conqueror helped lay the foundation of what would later become the modern medieval state.

Ø Students will learn the basic principles of Feudalism

Standards

Ø H&SS9-12:9: Students show understanding of how humans interpret history by recognizing media bias in the interpretation of world events, past and present (e.g., World War II propaganda).

Ø H&SS9-12:8: Students connect the past with the present by hypothesizing how critical events could have had different outcomes.

Ø H&SS9-12:10: Students show understanding of past, present, and future time by creating an historical narrative

Procedures

Ø Before students enter the room, have graphic organizer, Bayeux Tapestry comic strips, power point on but not projected and write quote on the white board.

o Fredrick Nietzsche quote, “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.”

Ø Open class with discussion around quote:

o How should we interpret Nietzsche?

o How does this quote relate to the historical figures we have been studying?

o Can societies function without convictions?

o Are strong convictions a sign of a good leader?

Ø End the discussion and transition into the power point by handing out the graphic organizer

o Refer to the subject notes and teacher’s copy of the graphic organizer and printed out power point.

o The first four slides go with the graphic organizer

o The class will fill out the graphic organizer as a whole; teacher’s copy is filled out and indicates when to move to the next slide.

Ø Introducing the Bayeux Tapestry

o Next four slides are visual slides for the students to look at while the teacher talks about what the Bayeux Tapestry.

o The forth slide is the part of the Tapestry that has Hailey’s comet, ask the kids to find something that looks unusual on this slide. Make sure they are not just yelling words; they need to really describe what they see in this piece of the tapestry.

o This will activity will open the door for the activity coming up

Ø Bayeux Tapestry Activity

o Have the students get into their Medieval groups (groups that were made at the beginning of the unit)

o Once they are in the their groups give directions (do not physically hand anything till you finished given the directions)

§ Each group will be given eight slides (the sizes of normal paper) with parts of the Tapestry and has a group they will have to put the tapestry together and the story of William the Conqueror and his conquest of England.

§ Each group will be given the same amount of slides with same images on them. Each slide is numbered and these numbers will indicate what slide the students are talking when they present this to the class. For example, if group ‘A’ thinks that slide 6 is the first slide in the story that is where they will place it. However, group ‘B’ may think that that slide 6 is the third slide in the order and they will place it there. By having these numbers the students and the teacher can tell what slide each group is talking about when they present their story.

§ They will also be given paper that has six boxes on each side. Each box represents a slide and the students need to write the number of the slide and what the slide depicts.

§ The teacher will inform the class that they have the rest of class to do this activity and half of the next.

§ Pass out the supplies

§ After the students are engaged and individual questions are answered the teacher will write the names of the major players that are depicted in the tapestry, i.e. William the Conqueror, King John, Edward the Confessor, etc.

o While the students are interacting with the slides the teacher will walk around and help students take note of some of the finer details in the tapestry which will help them decode the story.

o After a good amount of time the teacher will bring the class back together and have them share the story they made by looking at the tapestry.

o Part of the sharing will be to see which group got the most slides right (remembering the teacher has the master list)

o Once the students have shared their story concerning the Bayeux Tapestry, the teacher will then use the power point to tell the real story.

Adaptations for Diverse Learners

Ø One of the great aspects of this lesson is that there are a lot of approaches the students and the teacher can take because the lesson itself contains a verity of learning modes. The first part of the lesson the students will be asked to fill out a graphic organizer provided to them by the teacher. This allows the teacher to take a scaffolding approach to the students learning. It also allows the teacher to know that all the students are the same page when it comes to the content because they will all have the same notes.

Ø Those that have trouble writing can do their best to keep up with the class but the teacher will provide them with a graphic organizer that is filled out after the lesson and not in front of the whole class.

Ø The second major part of this lesson will ask the students to have some fun and make an up a story about the Battle of Hastings using the Bayeux Tapestry. This part of the lesson the students will interact with primary sources in an alternative medium to text; it is a time for the students to see the magic and wonderment of the discovering, interacting and immersing themselves in history, just like Indiana Jones. Because this alternative method includes interpreting pictures, putting together the interpretations, and then working to gather as a group to express those interpretations into a cohesive story in a group of three or four, a verity of learning styles/methods are used.

Ø Also, because the students are working in groups the teacher will be free to give extra individual help to those that need it.

Materials and Resources

Ø Computer/personal laptop and projector for Power Point presentation

Ø Packet of different sections of the Bayeux Tapestry slides/copies for each group in the classroom and master’s copy for the teacher that includes the correct order they should be in.

Ø Paper that has six different boxes on for the students to write down their story of events that took place on that faithful day in 1066. Used five different packets of colored copies that I personal made at the store, each packet has eight different sections of the tapestry.

Time (Two Periods)

Ø Hook - Classroom discussion on the Nietzsche quote

o 10-15 min.

Ø Power Point/Graphic Organizer

o 20 min.

Ø Introduction the Bayeux Tapestry/What is primary resource discussion

o 15 min

Ø Bayeux Tapestry Activity

o 45 min

Ø Group Presentations

o 30 min

Assessment

There will be two primary forms of assessment during this lesson; Formal and Informal

Ø Informal

o The informal assessment will take place during the group work. The students will be in small groups allowing the teacher make rounds and check in with each group and each student. This will also allow the teacher to listen to the groups make their stories and observe how students are able to interpret the primary sources and then express these sources in their own words.

Ø Formal

o By the time the formal part of the assessment comes around the teacher should have a good idea of what to expect because of the informal assessment. It will consist of the students’ story that they will tell the rest of the class and how they were able to incorporate the big ideas like Feudalism into their presentation.

Analysis and Reflection

One of the successful parts of this lesson was the graphic organizer. The reason for this was because this was one of the last lessons I did during my students teaching and with each new lesson I would learn how to make my material better for the next lesson, this was especially true for my graphic organizers. I was creating them from scratch so I was able to see what worked and what didn’t and therefore tweak them as I progressed through my student teaching. This one of the many strengths in using original material.

One of the things I fell flat on during this lesson was timing and my ability to give clear directions. Timing had been an issue throughout my student teaching and this lesson was no exception. I have a hard time keeping an eye on the clock and I dislike interrupting a good discussion because there is so much value in those discussions. The opening hook I did with Nietzsche’s quote could have been a class unto its self. Also, when I gave directions to the class concerning what to do with the different slides I told them to put them in order so they thought the slides fit together like a puzzle and they did not. In fact, the slides were from different parts of the tapestry, I copied the ‘greatest hits’ from the tapestry and the class wasted a lot of time trying to fit them together like puzzle.

If I could go back and do this whole lesson over again I would not introduce the activity till the second day because I introduced it at the end of the first day and had to go over all the directions again on the second day and I felt that wasted time I could have used in a more meaningful manner. I would also push the students for more detail in their descriptions. I do not think I pushed as hard as I could have and they would have really benefited from it if I had. Giving directions is one of my weaknesses and this lesson was no exception. Next time I will write my directions out more clearly, read them off, and hand them out to each group. Over time I am sure I will turn this into a strength.