CASTLES

CASTLE THEME

In connection to a school wide theme "SKY CASTLE", the children were involved in a Castle Theme.  They had several Reading, Writing and Art experiences centered around this theme.  The children started by brainstorming information that they already knew about castles as well as questions they had or information that they wanted to find out about.  It was exciting to investigate the structure of castles, the rooms within the castle and many more interesting facts!

CASTLE RESEARCH

The children used many sources to find information about castles.  They searched to answer some of the following questions:

"Why did they make moats around the castle?"
"Why did kings and queens wear crowns?"
"Why were there knights?"

Each of the children made a personal "Castle Fact" book.  They recorded information that they had collected by listening to full class discussions and stories or information they had collected on their own in books and on the internet.

"Kings and Queens wear crowns so that everyone knows they are special."

CASTLE MAKING

Our Classroom Display of the Children's Castles

Each of the children also had the opportunity to "create" their own castle.  The children used various paper shapes (triangles, squares, circles) to make a castle which allowed them to apply their learning of Geometry in Math.

"I made my castle with triangles and rectangles and squares."

CASTLE REFERENCE BOOKS

Curious Kids Guides Long Ago

By Philip Steele

Knight

By Christopher Gravett
Dorling Kindersley

Castle

By Christopher Gravett
Dorling Kindersley