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Year 7

Life in medieval Norwich

I can assess different experiences of life in medieval Norwich.

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New
New
Year 7

Life in medieval Norwich

I can assess different experiences of life in medieval Norwich.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Life was different for men and for women in medieval Norwich.
  2. Life was different for elites and for the poor in medieval Norwich.
  3. Historians are interested in similarity and difference.
  4. Historians study the extent of similarity and difference between groups' experiences.

Common misconception

All people from the same social group had the same experiences.

Experiences could vary even between people from the same social group, especially if there were differences between their wealth and class.

Keywords

  • Elite - an elite is the richest or most powerful group in a society

  • Freemen - freemen are people with special rights in a city

  • Literate - if you are literate then you are able to read and write

  • Will - people write a will to leave instructions about what should be done with their things once they die

The beginning of learning cycle 1 provides a good opportunity for knowledge recall practice. Ask students to create a mind map for each social group and in pairs come up with at least three things they can remember about each group's lives in Norwich.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? Elites only used violence to stop the poor from challenging the social order.
true
Correct answer: false
Q2.
Match up each key word with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:mayor,person elected to lead a city

person elected to lead a city

Correct Answer:merchant,person who buys and sells goods

person who buys and sells goods

Correct Answer:monk,person who has devoted their life to God

person who has devoted their life to God

Q3.
Which industry became very successful in Norwich after the 14th century?
beer
glass-making
leather
Correct answer: textiles
Q4.
How much did Norwich Cathedral earn every year?
nothing
£220
Correct answer: £2200
£22 000
Q5.
Write the missing word. During the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, poor people in Norwich attacked the in the city.
Correct Answer: elite, elites, Elite, Elites
Q6.
Which statement is most accurate?
Correct answer: most of the poor in medieval Norwich were not literate
half of the poor in medieval Norwich were literate
most of the poor in medieval Norwich were literate

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match-up the key words to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:industry,a type of business or work

a type of business or work

Correct Answer:literate,being able to read and write

being able to read and write

Correct Answer:cathedral,the largest and most important church in a particular area

the largest and most important church in a particular area

Correct Answer:status,the amount of respect or importance a person has

the amount of respect or importance a person has

Q2.
Starting with the wealthiest, organise these groups according to how wealthy they were.
1 - Norwich Cathedral
2 - Norwich city government
3 - Blackfriars Church
4 - the poor
Q3.
Write the missing word. The of Norwich was elected by freemen from the city.
Correct Answer: mayor, Mayor
Q4.
Which three services did monks at Norwich Cathedral provide for people in Norwich?
Correct answer: education
Correct answer: hospital care
policing
Correct answer: religious worship
street cleaning
Q5.
Starting with the least literate, sort the groups according to how literate they were likely to be.
1 - poor females
2 - poor males
3 - wealthy females
4 - monks
Q6.
Which statement about charity in medieval Norwich is most accurate?
only churchmen provided charity
charity was only motivated by religious concerns
Correct answer: charity was sometimes used to protect the social order
merchants were the main people to receive charity