The Court

Oh the lovely court and its prim and proper members.
These are the heads and we have them talking to their defenders.

Japan- Emperor or Empress, Samurai
Europe- King or Queen, Knight

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. How did the warrior class and the ruling class in Japan interact? In Europe?

8. Why was there conflict and cooperation between the Papacy and the European
1. monarchs?

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

The Court- CHARLEMAGNE- Europe - Brief but thorough biography of this leader.

The Court- CASTLES -Europe - This site offers virtual tours of European Castles. Besides the pictures, the architectural section is informative.

The Court- KNIGHTS- Europe - These pages deal with knights and knighthood. This site also has links to other sites on knights. There is even a section devoted to Women Knights.

The Court- RULERS & BATTLES- Europe - Read biographies of English rulers, accounts of famous battles, and descriptions of feudal government and buildings. Coming from the Carmen San Diego Connection this is a great site for ESL students.

The Court- SAMURAI- Japan - Timelines, biographies, translations, a glossary, recommended reading and lots of historical info about Japan from the late eighth through mid-nineteenth century. It is an excellent site.