The Birth of the Early Middle Ages

(Early Medieval Period)



What does loyalty mean to you? To whom do you owe loyalty?

Your family and friends? Your School? A religious group?



The citizens of ancient Rome were expected to be loyal to the emperor.

When the Roman Empire collapsed, however, new loyalties arose.



During this WebQuest, you will discover how different groups during the Middle Ages were bound together by different sets of loyalties. You will be asked to create maps and answer eight questions that demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of this era.



The Situation

During the Middle Ages (500-1500), the development of the feudal system of government resulted in war, famine, serfdom, and the strengthening role of the Papacy or Church in the lives of everyday citizens. Many were called upon to serve their local nobles, the Pope, or protect their community from attacks by marauding Vikings or hostile lords seeking to expand their kingdoms. Some of the most important people in this era were knights, farmers, priests, and traveling merchants.

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Your Quest

You will discover how and why the Early Middle Ages were such a pivotal era in man's history. Your task is to demonstrate your knowledge of this era by a series of tasks (written essays, maps, and oral presentations) that will show your knowledge of this era and its historical importance.

Your mission is to become a "Knowledge Knight" and successfully learn how changes during the Early Medieval Ages became the foundation for our concepts of democracy, capitalism, and individual rights.



Quest Number One

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Why did the fall of Rome create disorder in Europe?

Fall of Rome

Rome Falls Gradually

Leading to the Middle Ages


Quest Number Two

How did Frankish rulers such as Charlemagne gain control of Western Europe?

Charlemagne

King of the Franks


Quest Number Three

How did Charlemagne create an empire that blended several different traditions?

How did the Germanic traditions differ from the Roman traditions?

The Franks

History of the Franks

The Frankish Tribes

Germanic Traditions


Quest Number Four

Why was medieval life organized around feudalism and the manorial system?

What were the roles of different members of society such as; knights, vassals, lords, serfs, and merchants?

Feudal Life

Feudalism

The Feudal System

The Manorial System


Quest Number Five

Why was the Magna Carta a very significant document?

How did it advance individual liberties?

The Magna Carta

The Magna Carta Translated


Quest Number Six

What was the role of the Church and Papacy during the Early Middle Ages?

How has it changed over the years?

The Church during the Middle Ages

The Life of Monks

Quest Number Seven

Draw a map showing how Europe looked before Charlemagne, at the end of his reign, and at the time of William the Conqueror in 1066 AD.

Charlemagne's Europe

Maps of Europe

Barbarians on the Move

Quest Number Eight

What effect did the Viking raids have on Europe during the Middle Ages?

Viking Raids

Vikings in England

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John Garang of Sudan Homework

Who is John Garang De Mabior?
John Garang De Mabior was an army officer that was sent to make peace with the 500 mutiny southern troops.

Congo Homework

1. What events led to the outbreak of war in the DR Congo?
An event that led to the outbreak of war is that the Hutu's fled to the Congo. Some of the perpetrators stayed in Kivus. The Rwandan genocide led to the outbreak of war in the Congo. The Hutu and Tutsi people did not stop fighting and made a war start in the Congo.

2. How many have died in this war? Over what time frame has the deaths taken place? What countries and ethnic groups are involved?
It was five million people that have died. The time frame was that it was in 1996 and in 1998 again. The countries that were involved were Rwanda and DR Congo. The ethnic groups that were involved were the Tutsi and the Hutu that were in Rwanda before the Hutu left.

3. What do you think can happen to stop the war/genocide in Congo? I think that the two groups should try and take a sit down and talk about how the plane was shot down. Also I think they should try and get past the fact that their president has died and can not come back to this world. I really think the two groups should put down their weapons and just walk away from the past.

Rwanda Genocide Homework Assignment

1. What factors led to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994?
The factors that led to the genocide in Rwanda is when they thought the army soldier named Kagame shot down the president Habyarimana over Kigali airport. Kagame was sent to trial in court for being framed that he shot down the plane. Also the Hutu were said that the Tutsi's were behind all of this. The Hutu started to bring in soldiers while the Tutsi were defenseless and not prepared to fight.

2. What was the time frame of the 1994 genocide and how many people died?1994:
The time frame is that
6 April: President Habyarimana killed in plane explosion
April - July: Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed
July: Tutsi-led rebel movement RPF captures the capital Kigali
July: Two million Hutus flee to Zaire, now DR Congo The amount of how many people that died is about over 1 million people.

3. What were some of the after effects of the genocide?

The after effects of the was that the Hutus flee to Zaire where they were trying to hide. Also the after effects of the genocide is that the Tutsi's were forming something called RPF and they captured the capital Kigali