The Medieval Manor Project

The medieval manor was the foundation of European feudal society. The manor system was very self-sufficient in that everything the community needed was located within the manor. The lord or kings castle was located within the manor and all guidelines for the people of the manor were handed town from the lords castle. However the castle is where only the king and his family/servants lived. Where did all the peasants or serfs as they were called during the Middle Ages, live? Most of the people lived in small huts forming a village within the manor. There was much more to the manor though. Since trade, currency and travel had all come to an end during the feudal period all of lifes necessities had to be addressed on the manor itself. That is why the manor contained more than just serfs who worked the land; manors often had bakers, blacksmiths, priests, cobblers and all kinds of other individuals contributing to meeting the needs of the people.

Your Assignment: In groups of 4-5 students you will be given a poster board and markers. Your groups job is to design your own manor! You will design the manor and be required to place the following individuals/structures on your manor design; - Kings Castle, Catholic Church, Monastery, Baker, Lake, Blacksmith, Serfs village, fields, livestock, and anything else you would like to include as - long as it applies to the medieval period Be sure to carefully plan and organize your manor because towards the end of the period, your group will present your manor and explain to the class how your group decided to organize your manor The project will be worth 15 total points 10 pts. poster board, 5 pts. presentation