Chapter 24, Student Web Activities, Human Heritage: A World History, Glencoe, 2001-03

Student Web Activity

Chapter 24: Feudal Society
"Building Castles"

Introduction
Have you ever dreamed of living in a castle? When we think of kings and queens, most of us imagine a fairy-tale life of castles with drawbridges and moats. But what did it take to construct a castle? And how many people were needed? In the 11th century, when nobles began building stone castles, there were no front-end loaders, cranes, or chain saws. With hundreds of these stone structures in Britain alone, how did they do it? To learn about castle building materials and methods, go to the Castles of Britain Web site.

Destination Title: Castles of Britain

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Directions
Start at the Castles of Britain Web site.

Scroll down and click on the "Castle Learning Center" topic.
Browse through the site, taking notes as you go. Be sure to visit "About Castles," "Building a Castle," and "Decline of the Castle."
Read through the information, and then answer the following questions.

1. Describe the characteristics of a stone castle that made it a good source of defense.

2. What problems did castle builders face in procuring building materials?

3. How did building castles promote the interests of nobles?

4. What eventually led to the decline of castle building?

5. Imagine that you, as castle architect, have been asked by William the Conqueror to design a stone castle to demonstrate his strength and position as king. On a separate sheet of paper, use what you have learned to design a building plan of a castle that reflects William's power. Use the "Ground Plans" topic in this Web site to give you ideas about the layout of your castle.