Is your book club reading The Wicked and the Just? Here’s a one-page roundup of discussion questions to get you started!
Want to use The Wicked and the Just in your history or language arts class? This classroom discussion guide includes a range of questions intended to address a variety of learning styles, levels of interest, and levels of ability. While the content has been designed for grades 7-10 and aligned to Common Core and the National Council for the Social Studies‘ Thematic Standards for this age group, much of it can be adapted for use up to and through the undergraduate level.
The guide includes maps and resources, which you can also view or download:
- England and Wales Map
- Principality of North Wales Map
- “Ring of Steel” Castles Map
- Caernarvon Street Plan
- Medieval Timekeeping – Canonical Hours
To supplement the guide, here are some videos and links:
Medieval Overview
- Life in medieval Britain (2:24) – If your students need a refresher on what life was like in the middle ages, this video covers the bases pretty well.
- The Middle Ages – A summary from the BBC
- Interactive Middle Ages – Illustrated timeline describing various aspects of medieval history and culture
- Medieval English Society – A brief, clear outline from a history professor
Welsh History
- Discover the Princes of Gwynedd (3:00) – This animation provides a visual look at Welsh history from the Roman era up to the fall of native government.
- Wales in the Age of the Princes – An overview of Welsh history and society during the high middle ages
- Welsh History – A history focusing on military aspects via the beautiful Castles of Wales site
- A History of Wales – Chapters 6-8 provide a thoughtful overview of the period in question
Caernarvon/Caernarfon
- Caernarfon from the Clouds (1:25) – The castle and town have changed a lot in 700 years, but this video will provide some sense of scale.
- Caernarfon (pictures and historical background) – via Cadw, the Welsh government’s heritage preservation organization
- Layouts and plans of Caernarvon Castle – via the University of Pittsburgh
- A 3D model of medieval Caernarvon – via EurAtlas
Medieval Life and Culture
- Spinning with a drop spindle (5:09) – Cecily spends a lot of time spinning. Here, you can watch how she did it.
- Women in the middle ages – An illustrated overview of how women of different classes spent their time
- Domestic objects & housekeeping – Physical descriptions and historical context for a number of household objects (for instance, beds, pallets, and rushlight)
- Table manners – A translation of the “Little Children’s Little Book,” a fifteenth-century courtesy text intended to help children learn to behave