Topic: Ideal and reality of the three estates of the realm

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

5th‑grade students of elementary school

IV. Society and culture of medieval Europe. Pupil:

1) presents the institutions of the fiefdom system, explains the concept of state and characterizes social divisions in the Middle Ages;

2) describes the living conditions of the medieval city and village;

3) compares knight's culture and urban culture (...).

General aim of education

Students learn about the development of feudalism and the division of society into orders.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• what the feudal relations were;

• who represented the estates of the realm;

• how the estates emerged;

• how the privileged estates gained influence on rulers;

• why society became divided into groups (estates).

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• exposing

  • film.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students remember the notions and formation of feudalism from the lesson „Społeczność plemienna i tradycje rzymskie”.

2. Students remember the notions and formation of feudalism from the lessons of the Tribal Community and Roman traditions..

Introduction

1. The teacher gives the pupils the subject, the purpose of the lesson and the criteria for success.

2. The teacher asks the students, brainstorming, how (to which groups) today's society can be divided and how it was divided in the past. Asking questions, the lecturer remembers that they are to be so formulated to be key questions.

Realization

1. The teacher reminds the senior‑vassal relationship and explains what feudalism was and how it took shape. He reminds what the act of homage and the oath of obedience. Students do Exercise 1.

2. Then he explains to the students that in the first centuries of the Middle Ages, despite large differences, divisions, etc., society did not create groups because of its origin, there were no states. The teacher explains how the concept of states was born and how it was shaped. Students read a part of the document and do Exercise 2. The teacher provides feedback and checks the correctness of completed tasks..

3. The teacher explains the students that with the moment of shaping the division of society into orders, the elite's striving to guarantee its rights and demand for influence on the authorities began. He explains the process of formation of orders representations, which became the model of parliamentarism. Students get acquainted with the events from Task 1 and do Exercise 3, describing the position of the ruler. The teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly completed and gives feedback.

Summary

1. As a summary, the teacher asks students to do Exercise 4 - on the basis of the passage of the Magna Carta, they are to mark the rights given to his subjects by King John of England. Then he asks the students, what advantages and disadvantages did the Magna Carta have for society and why did this happen? (rights were only for higher states, lower states could still be used, e.g. by increasing charges).

2. The teacher assesses the students' work during the lesson, taking into account their input and commitment. For this purpose, he may prepare an evaluation questionnaire for self‑assessment and assessment of the teacher's work and other students..

Homework

1. The teacher sets homework (it is not an obligatory part of the scenario): Are there societies still divided into orders with different rights and obligations today? If not, why is it?.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Ideal and reality of the three estates of the realm

Associated with the Middle Ages, society divided into estates of the realm took a long time to emerge. The first stage of the process was the development of a system of fiefdoms, or social and economic relations based on the relationships between vassals and lords (feudalism). Lords granted land (fiefs) and in return secured the allegiance, advice and aid through military service, if needed, of their vassals (subjects). This applied to both laymen and clergy. Every vassal could have his own vassals for whom he would become a mesne lord. The most important role in that social structure was that of the ruler, or the lord paramount. His power was partially restricted by the principle which was adopted throughout nearly all of Europe and said that „the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal”. Under that principle, only his direct vassals were obliged to be obedient to the ruler. As a result, states transformed into loose associations of principalities, counties and bishoprics. Rulers were thus forced to seek support from the nobility, especially in the matters of succession to the throne. Feudal ties worked well where they governed the relations between few people. However, there was a huge population of those whose obligations were common and fixed. Such obligations included, e.g. peasants' work on the fields of the owner, for which they paid him the due rent. This gave rise to a concept that whole communities (e.g. villages) should be regarded as a single whole. The Church advocated for model arguing that a division of society according to their services is a natural state aimed at satisfying the basic needs of every human: spiritual needs (the Church), security (nobility) and getting food and resources which are necessary for living (peasants, craftsmen and merchants).

The first group to demand recognition of its distinctive identity was clergy. They asserted their uniqueness on the grounds of their role in society and the provisions of the canon law, which applied only to them. The upper echelons of laymen shared the appreciation for chivalry and the corresponding privileges. In spite of all disparities among them, a certain order was established in the 12th and 13th centuries which involved hereditary membership in the estate, exclusive rights to hold high offices or exemption from certain obligations to the ruler and the Church. The most diverse and fragmented group was burghers and peasants, who over time started to be identified as the third estate. Their lack of unity and, in many cases, collaboration and largely little social awareness could not possibly lead to permanent political representation, as was the case with clergy and nobility.

The emergence of the estates redefined the political life across Europe. Following a period of divisions and fragmentation and a weak state administration, now it was time for reorganising society into larger groups. The process included granting certain economic and legal privileges – immunities. Although they affected the ruler's income, they helped win support for plans which often conflicted with the interests of some of the noble vassals. As a consequence, nobles and rich townsmen started to demand guarantees of their existing rights and required to be part of the decision‑making about taxes and to control the ruler's policy. Medieval rulers were thus forced to make concessions and grant general rights to the estates allowing privileged groups to share in the ruling. This process marked the origin of representation through estates, which evolved into a parliamentary system of governance in the subsequent centuries.