Knights, Castles and Crusades

Compiled and adapted by Eleanor Savko

Updated 10/24/2000

Technology & Learning April '99

Learn about the Middle Ages from the legendary accomplishments of King Arthur's knights of the Round Table, Robin Hood and the imposing remains of castles of Europe and the British Isles.  Find out about this historic period's events, achievements, political institutions, and cultural legacy by visiting the following Websites:

Castles--Surf the Net with Kids by Barbara J. Feldman provides an excellent resource for students to gather information on Castles.  Do check out her site.

Chivalry--During the Middle Ages, a chivalrous act implied military action rather than gentlemanly behavior.  Chivalrous knights constituted the armed forces and heavy cavalry of the medieval period.  Find out more about the history of chivalry, while discovering its significant social and religious obligations, by visiting this informative Web site.

The American College of Heraldry --The practice of identifying a knight in battle by the decorative symbols on his shields and banners became fully developed in the 14th century, when family insignia appeared on the covering worn over a knight's coat of mail.  Heraldry, once the responsibility of the herald or officer at arms, quickly evolved into an elaborate status system of inherited identification. 

Heraldry on the Internet --become an expert on the art of heraldic design, then create your own coat of arms by exploring this Web site.

Journey Through the Middle Ages --An exciting interactive Web site designed by Salford Hills Elementary School students for the ThinkQuest Junior Program. Visitors explore a typical medieval castle, complete with "Jingling Jester," by clicking castle locations on a picture map.

Castles on the Web --Everything you ever wanted to know about castles is yours for the clicking at this fascinating medieval studies hub.  There's even a link to "Castle Quest," where you can get answers to castle-related questions that you post.

The Medieval Castle Page --Detailed facts and dazzling pictures of British castles can be seen at this site.

The Crusades:  A View From Jordon --An interesting perspective on the Crusades, plus fascinating virtual tours of Jordanian castles (complete with quizzes), await you at this site prepared by a sixth-grade class in Amman, Jordan.  Teacher resources, student journal entries, and more can also be found here.

The Robin Hood Project --Images, bibliographies, and in-depth information about the celebrated 13th-century British outlaw Robin Hood can be found here, sponsored by the University of Rochester.

Nottingham Tour --Find more information about Robin Hood and his band of merry men.

Additional Sites found

Castles--"Greetings traveler. Before you looms a stone castle, built in Britain during the 1300s. ... Castle life endured for centuries until gunpowder overpowered armor and stone. Now we know castles only as museums or ruins. But, as you'll see, castle dwellers still haunt these halls. As you explore, click on them to learn their secrets. Poke around on your own too; each room holds surprises." In addition to the virtual castle tour for elementary and middle-schoolers (follow Marcus the mouse to move from room to room), there are two printable maze activities (click on Rescue at the Castle.)

"You are a Medieval Castle Builder living in Wales in the year 1076. You are hired by the Norman Baron William de Clare to build him a fantastic castle in Aberystwyth, Wales. After researching and taking notes on what daily life in a Welsh castle is like, you will then begin the design of the Baron's new castle." In this middle-school learning activity, you'll do your research online before designing and building an offline three-dimensional medieval castle.

"Castles have a timelessness that is awe-inspiring. That they have endured centuries of warfare and the effects of weather is a testimony to the creativity and power of their medieval owners. How many of us will have such long-lasting success?" ponders castle enthusiast Lise Hull. To explore her site, start with the Castle Learning Center, where you'll find dozens of topics to peruse, including Building a Castle, Birdseye Views, Dungeons, and Life in a Castle. Other memorable sections are Castle of the Month, Photo Gallery, and Castle Ghosts (an alphabetic listing.)

Castles on the Web--http://www.castlesontheweb.com/

Castles on the Web is a directory of hundreds of castle sites, organized by subject. Each site listing is annotated and includes a rating (from one to ten) created by visitors. Castles for Kids, Castle Collections and Medieval Studies are just a few of the topics covered. In addition to the site listings, Castles on the Web features a Photo Archive, Castle Glossary, a discussion board (Castle Quest) and free electronic castle postcards.

Kids' Castles--http://kotn.ntu.ac.uk/castle/

This site is marvelous fun and my pick of the day. "The home page has an aerial view of the castle. Clicking on a part of the view takes you to that part of the castle. You will find out about the people that lived there and what they did. Sometimes there will also be more information about an aspect of castle life, a game to play or puzzle to solve, or something YOU can do to add to the fun of Kids' Castle."

Castles in the United States--http://dupontcastle.com/castles/

BUILD A MEDIEVAL CASTLE:  http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle.htm

Free download with instructions for putting together a medieval castle. Through construction students will learn how a castle

was a defensive structure, and what daily life was like in these castles.

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