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Catherine Called Birdy

by Karen Cushman

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Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Names /  People / Holidays & Celebrations / Medieval Dictionary / Food /

Clothing / Illuminations / Student Handout / Teacher Resources

(Adobe Reader or MSWord are required to open many of these documents)

OVERVIEW

While reading Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman, you will be writing journal entries, one for each season of the year.  All four entries must reflect the culture of the middle ages.  For example, you must weave medieval names, occupations, holidays and celebrations, language or sayings, clothing, and food to reflect the social hierarchy (social pyramid) of the times into your writing.  Your goal is to assume a social role in Medieval England and write an account of your days, like Catherine.  You will be successful if you use your rubric and checklist to guide you in this project.

Names

Surnames

•  History Learning Site (describes how surnames were acquired by occupation, location, etc.)

• Last Name Meanings

• Etymology & History of surnames

First Names

• Men & Women Names

• First Names (Think Baby Names)

• Etymology of First Names

• Calendar of Saints by Feast Days

(Top of Page)

Jester

People

• Jews in Exile

• Callihoo Writing Group

• Church / Monks (Mr. Dowling's Christendom)

• Crusaders (4 Crusades)

• Feudal Life (Learner.org)

• Feudalism (Mr. Dowling)

• Knights (Medieval-Life.net)

• Knighthood (Wikipedia)

• Medieval  Occupations (jobs)

• Occupations  (Mr. Dowling: Primogeniture--inheritance, dowry,  journeyman, knighthood)

• Townspeople

• Village Life

(Top of Page)

Peasant

Medieval Dictionaries

• Armor, Weapon, Castle

• Castle Terms

• Classroom Collection (word document)

• Cooking Terms

• Homework Helper: links to all topics

• House Brigatta

• Medieval Glossary (hyper-linked text)

• Medieval Clothing / Fashion

• Ye Olde English Sayings

(Top of Page)

Knight

Holidays and Celebrations

• Medieval Holidays

• Festivals

• Music

• Games

 

(Top of Page)

Merchant

Food

• Food in the Middle Ages

• Medieval Food--History for Kids

• Medieval Life-Food

 

(Top of Page)

Drinking Goblets

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

How did set them down?  Can you see why they drink so much?

Clothing

• Clothes in the Middle Ages (Annenberg Learner.org)

• Clothing: (History on the Net)

• Clothing: (Medieval Life.net)

• Medieval Clothing (Gander Academy)

 

 

(Top of Page)

Royalty

Misc.

• Middle Ages: all topics on middle ages

• Black Death or Bubonic Plague

• Black Death

• Middle Ages, Chivalry, and Knighthood: Resources on every topic

 

(Top of Page)

Illumination

• Cambridge Gallery

• Charles Edwin Puckett Gallery

• Fitzwilliam Museum (interactive animation of scribing)

• Griffins Medieval Manuscripts

• Illuminated Alphabet

• Illuminated Middle Ages

• Skins with preprinted borders (1, 2, or 3)

 

(Top of Page)

(click on letter to see entire alphabet)

(click on letter to see entire alphabet)

(click on letter to see entire alphabet)

(click on letter to see entire alphabet)

Student Handouts

Student Handouts

• Chapter Summary (Making Reading Connections)

• Checklist

• How to Make Skins

• 50 Spelling Unforgivables

• Line Template (single-spaced)

• Line Template (1.5 spacing)

• Parent Project Letter

• Rough Draft: header and dating the journal entry (skip every other line)

• Rubric

• Vocabulary Bingo Words (September/November Vocabulary)

• KIDS kids Project: Writing a Book Review for Scholastic "Share What You're Reading" Project

 

(Top of Page) 

(Click on image to enlarge)

"October"

Famous illumination from the Middle Ages.

Teacher Resources

1. Poster Projects: Building background knowledge before reading.  Students work in groups to focus on an aspect of medieval life: clothing, church, Black Death, feudalism, knights, food, townspeople.  Use the links above to locate information and pictures to enhance the poster.

• Group Rubric

2. Vocabulary: Students learn vocabulary words to play vocabulary BINGO.  The words came from the book.

• September / November Vocabulary

• Vocabulary Bingo

• Bingo Grid

3. Reading The Book: 

• Form for tracking class set of books

• Tracking your inner voices

• Contact the Author

• KIDS kids Project: Writing a Book Review for Scholastic "Share What You're Reading" Project

4. Writing the Journal Entries

• Parent Letter (smart room edition)

• Sample Journal Entry (Fall)

• Rubric (smart room edition)

• Fitzwilliam Museum (interactive animation of scribing)

5. Misc. Resources

• Choose a Guide

• Stonehenge

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Please contact me, if you have any questions or want report any broken links or technical problems:

mblow@lacs.moric.org