1

Summary:

Using a map, find Goodrich and highlight its location. Look at the nat-ural landscape around and identify why you think it is built where it is. Look at contour lines, rivers, woods (timber), quarries (stone) and bor-ders with other countries. Label the key places on the map that made the location an important one. Remember that rivers were a popular form of transport and that England faced rebellions from Wales.

EH Education suggests:

Use an Ordnance Survey map.

Learning Objectives:

To use maps skills to understand and illustrate the importance of Goodrich Castle’s location. To understand why the castle’s loca-tion is significant.

Recommended for:

KS2 (local history study and geo-graphical skills)

ACTIVITY 2

Summary: Imagine that you are the commander of the Royalist garrison holed up in Goodrich Castle during the siege of Goodrich in 1644.

A: Your troops are starving, the castle is being destroyed around you but you need to encourage them to continue fighting the Parliamen-tarians. Write a persuasive speech to rally your troops. How will you encourage them? Remember to use persuasive language and techniques and to structure your writing so that is has impact on your audience. Think about the politics of power of the period, what was happening and why the two sides had different beliefs. Why would the monarchy be important to them?

or

B: Plan your attack. Research the weapons technology available during the English Civil War period and design your own siege on an enemy castle. Think about how Roaring Meg, the trebuchet and mining were designed and engineered to destroy a castle. Write a descriptive battle plan with a diagram on how you will force the enemy side to surrender.

EH Education suggests:

A: You could do this as a pre-visit activity and deliver your speech to the rest of your class when you visit the site.

B: You could do this as a post-visit activity, once you have visited Goodrich Castle and developed a better understanding of the tactics used in the Civil War.

Learning Objectives: To effec-tively use persuasive writing techniques to demonstrate understanding of the key points of historical events of national importance. To demonstrate knowledge of differences in mili-tary technology and tactics in the 17th century to today.

Recommended for: KS3 (English, creative writing)

TOP 5 ACTIVITIES

MAP SKILLS

A: SPEECH WRITING/ B: PLAN OF ATTACK

ACTIVITY 1

TOP 5 ACTIVITIES

Teachers' Activity Pack Goodrich www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn MAP SKILLS; SPEECH WRITING/PLAN OF ATTACK

2Teachers' Activity Pack Goodrich www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn INVESTIGATING DOOMSDAY; MAKING A MEAL

Summary:

The entry from the Domesday Book is important evidence of both what the land and community was like at the time of the Norman Con-quest and also why the information was important to record. Explore the Census.

KS2 classes might like to compare the land around Goodrich to how it looks today and then write a Domesday entry about their own town or village. Students could copy the illuminated manuscript style of the Domesday Book.

KS3 classes can investigate the comparison a little deeper, perhaps car-rying out some research on who owns the land now, how many house-holds and what it is used for? KS3 pupils might also like to think about how the Domesday entry records the owners of land around Goodrich and why this was important in the Norman era for those who held power. Pupils can compare the feudal system to today, when power is held democratically - we elect our politicians and local councillors; however land can still be owned by private landowners.

EH Education suggests:

Classes can use the most recent census – the modern day Domesday Book - for this activity.

Summary:

Dining was an important part of medieval life and meals were more communal and, for the nobility living in castles, the food more extrava-gant than we are used to today.

Money was measured in a different currency i.e. one pound = 20 shil-lings (20s) and the value of medieval money is very different to modern values. Pence were symbolised with a ‘d’ rather than a ‘p’.

Lay on a feast. Use the accounts of the Easter Sunday meal expenses (see HISTORICAL SOURCES) to work out what different types of food would cost in today’s money. You’ll need to convert from shillings and pence into pounds, and then find out how much money was worth in the 13th century. Then, using a budget set by your teacher, put together an accounts list for a festival feast of your own, using typical medieval dishes. You’ll need to think about paying for transport as well.

EH Education suggests:

Use an online converter to change shillings and pence into pounds.

Learning Objectives:

To compare ways of life from the medieval period to today. To understand how the uses of land and land ownership may have changed since Norman times, and what affect this has had on the community and society as a whole. To recognise how records can be used as evidence and why the continuity of record keeping is important.

Recommended for:

KS2 and KS3 (History)

Learning Objectives:

To convert values of money from different historical eras. To make comparisons between how food was sourced, prepared and served in medieval times to today.

Recommended for:

KS3 (Maths)

INVESTIGATING DOMESDAY

MAKING A MEAL OF IT

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

 

3Teachers' Activity Pack Goodrich www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn TV RESEARCHER

Summary:

Look at the extracts from the household accounts from Countess Joan’s arrival at Goodrich Castle in 1296 (see HISTORICAL SOURCES). Imagine you are a historian doing research for a TV documentary on the BBC. Your task is to find evidence of how society was developing in Medieval Britain to be able to explain in your show. What does the information in the sources tell you about: society and different people’s roles, daily life for servants and nobles, the role of the Church, the work people did and what skills they had and technology and systems of travel? There is an interesting contradiction, if you look closely.

EH Education suggests:

You could use your thoughts to write an investigative essay for your teacher or you could create a film of yourself explaining your findings in the documentary. As for any historian, it is important that you make clear how reliable you think the source of information is and why.

Learning Objectives:

To understand how historians use evidence to make claims. To demonstrate understanding of how medieval society was different to today. To make connections between national events in history and its impact on daily life for different people.

Recommended for:

KS3 (History and English, speaking and listening)

TV RESEARCHER ACTIVITY 5