Name _________________________________ Grade 7 LA

English Language Arts 5-8:

A5: Understand stories and expository texts from the perspective of the social and cultural context in which they were created.

B3: Identify the main and subordinate characters in literary works.

B11: Read literature and view films which illustrate distinct cultures in various types of works and formulate and defend opinions gathered from the experience.

Looking Through Their Eyes
A Medieval Literature Website Project

Task: To develop and create a multipage, literature-based web site that reflects the culture and history of a significant character in a fictional novel.

Book title _________________________________________
Author___________________________________________

1. As you read your selected medieval literature novel, select an important character you and your group would like to focus on to narrate your web site.

Character __________________________________________________

Begin with the medieval manor page to locate your character. Locate the building/area your character would typically live in during medieval times (choose from either the castle or the peasant village). From this location you and your group will use your character to tell his/her story of life in medieval Europe. Your character will travel through the different buildings and add more information about feudal life.
You will go to the “Church” to access web resources to help you in your research.

Key question #1: If your selected character had been a real person living in medieval times, what would his/her life have been like?

1. Draw a detailed picture of what you think your character looks like. Include authentic medieval clothing, hair styles, and other appropriate physical features. You will also need to design a small 1" x 1" icon that can be used to represent your character for linking purposes. These drawings will be scanned into your page and will be used to help your character narrate his/her story.
** Clipart and web graphics cannot be used as we are trying to replicate a “medieval” manor and its look.**

2. Write a character description about your selected character from the character’s point-of-view. Include the following aspects of your character’s life:

a) physical description
b) time period, location and other historical/cultural information related to your character
c) actions (what your character does)
d) thoughts and feelings
e) relationships to others
f) how others relate to your character
g) your character’s role in the story (why is your character important to the story?)

3. Find out about life in medieval times to better understand the character you are studying. You will need to find out about various aspects of medieval life.

Complete the following chart to help gather information for your web site.
Character name _________________________________________

The web project

Begin with your character in his or her “home”. Create a web page where your character narrates (in 1st person point-of-view) the story of his/her life in the home. Include facts from your research that describe the feudal class your character fits in, typical clothing, health and hygiene, recreation and entertainment, and general lifestyle.

Next, select another area on the main manor page (kitchen, armory, castle, or peasant village) and create a new page where your character will tell about life in this area.
(Example: Go into the kitchen and describe a typical meal your character would have eaten; find recipes for medieval foods, describe how meals were served, utensils, etc.
In the armory, describe your character’s job or responsibilities, the tools or equipment needed, types of training required, education, payment for services, etc.)

Finally, as part of your research, find out about the author of your selected book. Write a brief biography of the author in YOUR OWN WORDS and add links to other resources about your author to your page.

Project requirements: You will need to develop your character’s story in at least 2 more areas in the manor besides the “home”. To Exceed the Standard for this project you will need to send your character to all of the areas in the manor and continue to develop his/her story in each location.

Before you start creating your web site your group must create and have approved an Inspiration web showing the layout of your web site.