Ninth graders in Ms. Barroso’s World History class are studying medieval Europe and completed a simulation to practice their knowledge. Students were randomly assigned a social ranking and manor: peasant, knight, noble, or king/queen (the monarch wasn’t assigned to a manor though—she was in charge ultimately of all manors). The kids were given five minutes to rearrange furniture and set up their manors—with blankets and sheets to build forts or something. For each round of play, students did various tasks according to their social position. Peasants “farmed” grain by drawing bushels of barley as fast as possible. Knights strategized with their nobles about how to extend their land and power. At times, knights from different manors could “battle” each other, using dice as “weapons.” At the end of each round, nobles collected the grain peasants had drawn and paid the different people on their manor for their services. They also paid large amounts to the queen. Afterwards students reflected on the classroom experience versus historical reality. Did, for example, peasants revolt? Were there benevolent lords? Who had the “easiest” job?.
Feudal Factions
