Kaila Kaczmarek

Pop Cycle – Semester 2 Lesson Plan

Series Overview
Day 1: Lesson opener – Joan of Arc
Day 2: Whole Group reading (Section 1) and note-taking
Day 3: Section 1 pop quiz and start small group reading (Section 2) and note-taking
Day 4: Finish small group note-taking and pop quiz on section 2 as closure.

Lesson Introduction (Day 1)

10 mins: As an opener to the region we will fill in a blank map of Northern Europe and the
British Isles.

25 mins: As a whole group we will first read an about Joan of Arc.

15 mins: We will watch this Joan of Arc video on YouTube to close out the lesson. For
homework students will reflect on the following questions:
• Do you think Joan really heard voices of Catholic saints or messages from God starting at age
13? Give reasoning for your opinion.
• Do you think the French were wrong for abandoning Joan when she was captured by the English?
Explain why or why not?
• Do you think Joan’s trial was fair, why, or why not?

Body (Day 2-3)

Day 2:
10 mins: Teacher: I will connect the past reading to the one we are reading in class today by
discussing the events of Charlemagne. I will ask the following questions to refresh the class’
memory:

10 mins: Student: We will popcorn read the first and second section (Reviving an Empire/
Conflict) of our reading titled “Popes and Rulers.”

10 mins: We will, as a class, discuss and record the main ideas for this lesson.
Teacher: What main ideas are in the first section “Reviving an Empire”
Student: Class Cards app with randomly select a student to state a main idea.
Teacher: What main ideas are in the second section “Conflict”
Student: Class Cards app with randomly select a student to state a main idea.
Teacher: After students have identified main ideas, the PowerPoint slide of notes will be
reviled for the class to record.

10 mins: Student: We will popcorn read the third and final section (Church and State in
England/Kings Grow Stronger) of our reading titled “Popes and Rulers.”

10 mins: We will, as a class, discuss and record the main ideas for this next section of the
reading.
Teacher: What main ideas are in the third section “Church and State in England”
Student: Class Cards app with randomly select a student to state a main idea.
 Kaila Kaczmarek

Teacher: What main ideas are in the fourth section “Kings Grow Stronger”
Student: Class Cards app with randomly select a student to state a main idea.
Teacher: After students have identified main ideas, the PowerPoint slide of notes will be
reviled for the class to record.

Day 3

6-8 minutes: To start the class I will tell the students to pull out their computers and that I have
assigned them a pop quiz on Microsoft Teams. They will start on the quiz as soon as they get it.
The quiz is only 5 multiple choice questions so this should not take the learners more than 8
minutes.

1-2 minutes: Once all students have submitted their quiz, I will break the class into groups of 4.

Teacher: In your small groups you have the option of reading the entire section first and then
taking notes as a team or reading section by section and taking notes as you read. (Most groups
prefer the second option)

Teacher: I have provided the following guiding questions for each of the three sections to help
you determine what is important in each of the reading parts.
New Ways of Farming:
1.) What period is considered the High Middle Ages?
2.) What change in the plow and animals made farming better?
3.) Describe the system of crop rotation
4.) Describe the three-field system.
5.) How did the Cistercian monks expand farming?
6.) Why did the population rise?

Trade and Industry Grows

1.) Why was trade revived in the medieval economy?
2.) What industries and goods expanded in Europe?
3.) When did trade open to the world in Europe and what was the main cause of this shift?
4.) Describe why merchant banking was needed and how it worked.

Growing Towns
1.) How did markets and towns start to transform from the early Middle Ages to the High Middle
Ages?
2.) What are guilds?
3.) How were guilds financed and what services did they receive for being a member?
4.) How did guilds regulate business and control their members through various rules?
5.) Why did peasants start to leave the manor and head to towns?
6.) What developments were taking place in towns?
 Kaila Kaczmarek

Closure (Day 4)

On this fourth day, I will have the class jump right back into the work they were doing yesterday.

Teacher: Walks around the room to check on progress, answer questions, and ask for
clarification to spot check for understanding.

Students: Are working as a team to either read or to take notes from this section. Students are
either handwriting the notes or typing them on the computer.

Closure: Once students begin to finish, I will have them head back to their own desks. For earlier
finishers they have two things to do:
Watch this medieval banking YouTube video that ties to our reading section trade and
industry grows
Or
Keep working on our Coat of Arms writing project due next week.

6-8 minutes: To end the class, I will tell the students to pull out their computers and that I have
assigned them a pop quiz on Microsoft Teams. They will start on the quiz as soon as they get it.
The quiz is only 5 multiple choice questions so this should not take the learners more than 8
minutes. This time the question are from their group reading and note taking.