Middle Ages

When we think of the Middle Ages, images of powerful kings, beautiful queens and heroic knights in shining armor come to mind. In reality, this period between AD 500 and 1500 combined colorful pageantry with harsh and uncertain living conditions. Want to learn more about what life was really like in the Middle Ages? Use the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site, http://ukobiw.net/launchpoint/.

Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.

Level 1

The Middle Ages: A knight’s armor shielded him from injury but also made him more vulnerable to being taken prisoner; the armor was just so heavy that he couldn’t move quickly. View pictures of medieval castles, armor and weapons.

https://www.hipark.austin.isd.tenet.edu/medieval/main.html

Life in the Middle Ages: Monks and nuns had to take a vow of poverty, saying that they would give up all their personal possessions. Learn about castles and cathedrals, feasting and jousting, and what the daily lives of knights, peasants, doctors, ladies and kings were like.

https://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/mahome.htm

Journey Through the Middle Ages: Let James the Jingling Jester give you a tour of the Middle Ages. You can access a handy resource library, explore the kingdom on your own or play a game in which you learn about medieval life by gathering clues and solving the puzzle.

https://tqjunior.advanced.org/4051/

Level 2

Life in the Middle Ages: During the Middle Ages, people thought that physical diseases were caused by one’s sins and that illnesses were spread by foul odors. Listen to medieval music, try your hand at interpreting a tapestry and learn about feudal life--the religion, arts, medicine, homes, towns and clothing.

https://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/

The Middle Ages: What do you think it would be like to be a knight in shining armor? Or a monk in a monastery? Find out through these imaginative stories, articles and illustrations by middle school students.

https://schools.ci.burbank.ca.us/~luther/midages/beginhere.html

Middle Ages Index of Topics: Castles were built more as fortifications than as comfortable places to live; windows were small and tapestries were hung on the walls to keep the heat inside. View diagrams and illustrations of castles and read about the feudal system that governed the lives of the nobility and the peasants.

https://library.advanced.org/10949/fief/medindex.html

Level 3

Middle Ages: What was the Holy Grail? How were medieval football games played? Find out about the people, customs and events of the Middle Ages through this well-organized collection of articles and resources.

https://www.byu.edu/ipt/projects/middleages/index.html

Medieval Art and Architecture: What is a flying buttress? A fleur-de-lis? Refer to this handy glossary of art and architectural terms as you look at photos and diagrams of magnificent European cathedrals and castles.

https://www1.pitt.edu/~medart/

Discovery Online: Black Death: What was it like during the plague, otherwise known as the Black Death? Hang on to your hats as a “rat” takes you through Europe; listen carefully as characters from the Middle Ages tell you about one of the most tragic periods in history.

https://www.discovery.com/stories/history/blackdeath/blackdeath.html.

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This column was designed by Lisa Clifton, Cynthia McGinley, Caroline Metherell and Anna Manring.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

Explorer’s Quest Quiz Question

What were the steps to knighthood?

Clue: See Life in the Middle Ages.

Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 80 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to http://ukobiw.net/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.

Answer to last week’s Quest: In Easter, the egg symbolizes the tomb from which Jesus emerged; in Passover, it symbolizes the festival sacrifices made in biblical times.