The Court

Country Life

Your lives have improved since the Viking raids but how tenuous is the feudalistic
relationship.

Japan- Daimyo and Peasant
Europe- Lord and Serf

Group Tasks

The Team Manager, Research Manager, Production Manager and Archive
Manager roles are defined on the Group Tasks page.

Assessment Questions

1. What were the expectations and duties of each class in Japanese and European
1. societies? How did people in society treat you? Which members of society would
1. have been your peers/above/below? Describe your profession.

2. Why was the proximity to China and Korea important to the intellectual, linguistic,
1. religious and philosophical developments in Japan?

3. What new tools/technologies were introduced in the middle ages? How would
1. you make each new tool? What did each new tool add to your life? What did each
1. new tool take away from your life?

4. How was your home built? Which materials were used to build your house? Why
1. were these materials used?

5. How did the Geography of Europe (location, topography, waterways, vegetation,
1. climate) affect the ways of life in Medieval Europe?

6. Which medieval English legal documents led to modern democratic thought and
1. representative institutions?

7. Which values, social customs and traditions were the most important to the lord-
1. vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo and samurai?

8. Why did the religious Crusades take place? What were their effects on the
1. Christian, Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe?

Action Plan

1. How do you define your roles?

2. What will your plan of action be for your project?

3. What are each manager's responsibilities?

4. What are your time restrictions?

5. Design a work calendar.

6. Where are you going to find your materials?

7. What is your final product?

Resources

Country Life-FEUDAL LIFE- Europe - What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages? This excellent site Annenberg/CPB Exhibits discusses the different aspects of European feudal society. Feudal life, religion, homes, clothing, health, arts and entertainment, and town life are featured.

Country Life-SOCIETY- Europe - As always, the experts at searchopolis have done a great job compiling a list of useful sites. This page includes the following topics: Everyday life, art, architecture and religion, people, places and events, wars and conflicts, explorers and conquerors, government and rulers, general topics and overviews and the plague.

Country Life- FEUDAL LIFE- Japan - An excellent entry point for learning about medieval Japan. Links include those on general history, dress and astronomy.

Country Life-WEBQUEST- Japan - This is a Feudalism WebQuest that compares Japan and Europe. This WebQuest was thought out and has many interesting links. A few of the site connections are not working but the primary source documents can still be accessed. There are three sites about the Bushido philosophy.

Country Life- DAIMYO FAMILIES- Japan - This site is dedicated to famous daimyo families.

Country Life- DAIMYO- Japan - This site explains all the aspects of daimyos and their roles in Japan.