Castles and Cathedrals: Teaching Handbook

This teaching handbook accompanies a pupil's book which explores the purpose, the styles and the technology that created castles and cathedrals in the Middle Ages. The pupil's book traces the development of the castle from earth mound, through the stone fortress, to the aristocratic home. The role of religion, its officers and buildings are described. The impact of Norman style and beliefs is examiined in relation to the cathedrals which symbolized the power and authority of the Church and the Normans within it, and laid the base for religious power for many centuries to come. Special feature pages are included which deal in a clear visual way with technical ideas such as architectural styles, the technology of war and construction. Photographs, diagrams and illustrations are presented with brief explanatory captions, making them easily accessible and providing on-going practical reference and revision guides. The book is part of a series written for the Supplementary Study units at Key Stage 3. "A Sense of History Supplements" provide resource material for the supplementary study units fully covering the Attainment Targets.
Each pupil's book is in full colour and presents each topic in a lively and informative way. Throughout there are activities to encourage the development of conceptual understanding enabling pupils to acquire the skills they need to demonstrate progression within the Attainment Targets. Each author adopts a structure and level which is most appropriate to the age, interests and needs of the intended pupils. Providing a disciplined approach to historical study, the text is divided into short sections - each concerned with a distinct phase of the study. A range of political, social, cultural and economic approaches and insights are offered. Sources are drawn from the world of museums and libraries, heritage sites, local archive collections and the work of archaeologists and historians. Each book contains approximately six review and assessment pages. This teaching handbook has been written by the author of the pupil's book it accompanies. It relates the author's own teaching and learning strategy in structuring the content and shows how the attainment targets are integral to this.
It includes an overall introduction to the subject covered, the approaches taken and the opportunities for assessment within the study unit. Ideas for planning work on the topic and using the handbook are outlined in depth by chapter, with useful additional material and explanation. Finally, there is a section on Assessment which includes an analysis of the Review and Assessment sections, details of the Attainment Targets they address, alongside suggested answers.