Learning Log for 14/02/2012

What we did

Today in class we worked on chapter 2 notes for our middle ages textbook(I currently don't remember the name of the book) and we talked about Feudalism. Feudalism meant the three "f"s; Fief which means land; fealty which means loyalty; and finally faith which refers to religion. The feudal contract was that land was given in exchange for loyalty; an oath was made to "cement" or confirm this bond. Feudalism was founded by Count William, or as known by others he was called: William the Conqueror, or William the Bastard. The bastard part refers to his birth. He made feudalism after the Battle of Hastings.

Part way through the notes we made a pyramid of the social structure that was around the time William brought in feudalism. It went like this:

King

Knights/Barons/Greater Nobles

Knights/Lesser Nobles

Knights/Minor Nobles

Freeholders/Serfs

It is very similar to how religion worked at the time as well:

Pope

Cardinals

Arch Bishops

Bishops

Nuns/Monks

Parish Priests

It was the job of the lesser peoples to work for the higher peoples. However it was the job of the higher peoples to protect the lesser peoples. There is also a difference between serfs and freeholders. Freeholders had to pay to farm and to live on the land, however serfs were considered property and thus have to farm without having to pay and they have a right to live on the land.

Closer to the end of class we were told to create a Venn diagram of the differences and similarities of the Vassal Oath and the Canadian Oath of Citizenship. What I found about the Canada Oath that was different from the Vassal Oath is that it has nothing to do with religion and it is quite shorter. The wording that was used was also very different. The differences that Vassal Oath had that I could find that you needed to give the king a kiss...... I don't remember anything about a kiss to a specific spot so feel free to correct me if needed. The similarities between them is that we are swearing loyalty to royalty.

Why we did it

We did it so that we can learn more of the middle ages and how similar they were to us as well as how different they were to our modern times.

Reflection/Connections

The class was quite rowdy today so I had a bit of a hard time focusing. I bet a few others felt the same. The only connection I can think of is if you had plans to go into Politics or be a Historian. Knowing this while being a historian you may be able to find links to other cultures. For a politician knowing this could help you make proper choices in big decisions like how to deal with a negative reaction such as how William dealt with the rebels that happened not long after the Battle of Hastings.

Homework

The homework today is to do chapter 8 questions for our novel "There Will Be Wolves"

Tips

My tips for you are to be quieter in class so others can focus better. Also to finish the questions before tomorrow or you may be having a hard time in class. Don't forget to do your thirty day challenge!