starter activity

When the Normans arrived the first castles they built were wooden, motte & bailey castles (above.) Make a list of the advantages & disadvantages of this type of castle.

Table

How did Castle How did Castle design change design change

over time?over time?

AdvantagesAdvantages

Quick to buildQuick to build Resources easily Resources easily

availableavailable Provided living Provided living

quarters for people quarters for people & animals& animals

Easily defendable – Easily defendable – mottemotte, , palisadepalisade, , ditch, ditch, drawbridgedrawbridge

Portable – flat pack Portable – flat pack castlescastles

Motte and bailey castles built by William the

Conqueror

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Wooden – easily burned down, rot in wet Wooden – easily burned down, rot in wet weatherweather

Labour intensiveLabour intensive Bailey difficult to defendBailey difficult to defend

Your taskYour task

Imagine you are an angry Anglo-Imagine you are an angry Anglo-Saxon rebel who has just led a failed Saxon rebel who has just led a failed attack on a motte and bailey castle. attack on a motte and bailey castle. Describe the obstacles you faced on Describe the obstacles you faced on the way to the keep before you were the way to the keep before you were finally defeated. Remember to finally defeated. Remember to include what you think were some of include what you think were some of the weaknesses, too!the weaknesses, too!

Success criteriaSuccess criteria

RedRed AmberAmber GreenGreen

Only Only mentions a mentions a few problems, few problems, e.g. ditch and e.g. ditch and wooden wooden fence. Little fence. Little or no or no technical technical vocabulary.vocabulary.

Mentions a Mentions a good range of good range of problems problems facing the facing the attacker as attacker as well as some well as some weaknesses. weaknesses. Uses some Uses some technical technical words, e.g. words, e.g. palisadepalisade

Full range of Full range of problems for problems for attacker & attacker & defender. defender. Confident use Confident use of technical of technical vocab. Good vocab. Good use of use of descriptive descriptive details.details.

How easy was a stone keep How easy was a stone keep castle to defend?castle to defend?

Make a list of all the advantages & disadvantages of building this type of this castle

AdvantagesAdvantages ImpressiveImpressive Safe base to rule local Safe base to rule local

regionregion Special features – Special features –

portcullisportcullis, , murder murder holesholes, , arrow slitsarrow slits, , merlonsmerlons & & crenelscrenels

Difficult to attack – Difficult to attack – thick walls, thick walls, hoardingshoardings, , drawbridgedrawbridge & & moatmoat, , round towersround towers

Recognise this castle? Why is it so impressive?

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Expensive to Expensive to produceproduce

Time-consuming to Time-consuming to buildbuild

ImmovableImmovable Not Not impregnableimpregnable

Your taskYour task

Imagine you have been asked to Imagine you have been asked to produce a makeover show about a produce a makeover show about a family living in a motte & bailey family living in a motte & bailey castle who want to live somewhere a castle who want to live somewhere a little more modern and easier to little more modern and easier to defend. Work in teams of 4/5 and defend. Work in teams of 4/5 and show the changes the programme show the changes the programme makes to their wooden castle to a makes to their wooden castle to a state of the art stone keep.state of the art stone keep.

Your taskYour task

Give each student a card. Make one Give each student a card. Make one side of the classroom motte and side of the classroom motte and bailey castles, and the other stone bailey castles, and the other stone keeps. Students must move to the keeps. Students must move to the correct side of the room according correct side of the room according to the card they have.to the card they have.

Card sort