Castles

Language Arts Resources

Legends and Stories:

The legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table is full of adventure.  They faced great perils while searching for the Holy Grail and protected the weak against the wicked and were often guided in their adventures by true love of a lady.

Perhaps the most powerful image is the knight in shining armor.  King Arthur or Sir Lancelot mounted on a beautiful white charger, so brave in battle yet the perfect gentlemen at court, were the epitome of chivalry.  Arthur's magical sword was named "Excalibur" - he found the weapon sticking into a stone and returned it to the Lady of the Lake when he died.

Knights of the Round Table:

Sir Percival
Sir Galahad
Sir Bors
Sir Gawain
Sit Ector de Maris
Sir Lionel
Sir Lancelot
Sir Gareth
Sir Bedevere
Sir Gaheris

George and the Dragon: 

St. George was an early Christian martyr.  By the Middle Ages, he had become a hero of chivalry, famous for rescuing a fair maiden from a fiery dragon.  In 1348, Edward III made St. George patron saint of his new Order of the Garter, the highest order of English chivalry.  St. George has been England's national saint ever since.

Robin Hood: 

Robin Hood was a legendary English outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.  Many stories told of his daring, and he became a folk hero.  According to the stories, Robin Hood and his followers lived in Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham, in the 1100's.  Among Robin's companions were Friar Tuck, a fat jolly priest; Little John, a giant of a man; and Maid Marian, Robin's sweetheart.  In their adventures, the outlaws outwitted their enemies - the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham and bad King John.  They were famed for their skill with bows and arrows.  Their green clothing helped them hide among the trees of Sherwood Forest.

William Tell: 

William Tell was a legendary hero of Switzerland.  The story tells how the Austrian governor of the Tell's canton (state) set a hat on a pole in the town square and ordered every Swiss to bow to it.  When William Tell refused, he was arrested.  The governor promised to free him if he could shoot an arrow off his own son's head.  Tell, famous for his skill with a crossbow, did exactly that.  But the promise was not kept and Tell remained a prisoner.  He eventually escaped, killed the governor, and led a revolt against the Austrians.

Pied Piper of Hamlin:

this will lead into a discussion of rats, plague, and health conditions of the time. 

Emperor's New Clothes:

this can introduce the concept of tailors, and the "authority" of the rulers. 

Rumplestiltskin:

 greed of gold, miller.

Enchantment and Spells:  The Frog Prince, The Wild Swans, Beauty and the Beast

Magic:  Snow White

Fairies:  Sleeping Beauty

Fairy Godmother:  Cinderella

Wizard:  Merlin, Pied Piper of Hamelin, King Arthur

Potions:  The Little Mermaid

Giants:  Jack and the Beanstalk

Dragons:  St. George and the Dragon, The Knight and the Dragon, Paper Bag Princess, The Reluctant Dragon.

Decorative Writing: 

Scribes used to decorate the first capital letter on a page with pictures, symbols, and colors.  This process was called illumination, meaning to "light up" the capital letters.

Have the children illuminate their name and decorate for display as Medieval writing.

Fantasy:

The people I feel sorry for
Have never heard a dragon roar.
They've never looked out on the lawn
To try to find a leprechaun.
They've lived their lives all by themselves
By never knowing sprites or elves.

The Grand Old Duke of York

The grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up the hill,
And then he marched them down again.
Now when they're up, they're up.
And when they're down, they're down.
But when they're only halfway up,
They're neither up nor down.

(Move your body up or down according to the words.)

Climbing the Tower

I am climbing up the tower,
I am going to ring the bell.
Ding, ding, ding, ding.

Pussy-Cat

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where've you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat what'd you do there?
I frightened a little mouse under a chair.

CASTLES

Castle. Macaulay, David   LC 77-7159

Cross-Sections: Castle.  Biesty, Stephen  0-590-24346-2

The Gypsy Princess.  Gilman, Phoebe 0-590-24441-8

A Medieval Feast.  Aliki 0-06-446050-9

The Paper Bag Princess. Munsch, Robert 0-920236-16-2

Knights. Ross, Stewart 0-7613-0468-1

The Great Castle Mystery 0-694-00811-7

The Knight and the Dragon Tomie de Paola 0-399-20708-2

 The Reluctant Dragon. Kenneth Grahame. 0-8050-1112-9

 The Age of Knights and Castles. World Book. 0-7166-1807-9