The Door in the Wall

Unit Study (5th grade and up)

Here is a webquest to get the student started before reading.

Approximate length of study: 3 weeks unless a rabbit trail is followed (which is entirely likely!)

Lit guide
Score Teacher guide (with activities)
Student Study Guide

Kickoff:
History: build your own castle
History: study Shields, Knights and Heraldry

Chapter 1:
Geography: Locate London, England on a map
Geography:Locate The Thames on a map
Social studies/Science: research "the plague" (Black death story board , trace the route of the Black Death)
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Language Arts: What is the Newbery Medal?
History: What is a Knight? (Label the knights armor, a simple breakdown of knights)

Chapter 2:
Social Studies: research the origin of your surname (About surnames, worksheet)
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Botany: download our notebooking page here, research walnut trees

Chapter 3:
Science/art: create parchment

Chapter 4:
Social Studies: what are Monks? (life in the middle ages, scroll down for monks)
Social Studies/History: research the Holy Land. Find on a map. (map of the Holy Land)
Geography: Greece (ancient Greek environment)
History: Research the history of the Romans in Britain (interactive site )
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter

Chapter 5:
Language Arts: Pretend you are Robin, write a letter to your father describing your situation
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Music/Social studies: The Monks sat practicing their chantry. What is chantry? Listen to some

Chapter 6:
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Character: Bravery

Chapter 7:
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
History: research castles (Parts of a castle )
History: tour this lego castle
History/Geography: research Oxford
History/Sport: research Jousting
Play this jousting game
Watch a joust in "A Knights Tale" (Obviously NOT the entire movie, but it's fun and we like 99% of it)
Continue working on your castle
Science: research horses. Use links from this horse study

Chapter 8:
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
History: What are the Middle Ages? research
Language: What does "It is better to have crooked legs than a crooked spirit" mean to you?
Music: research flageolet's and harps
Science: fog experiment

Chapter 9:
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Science: continuing fog studies
Science/Geography: rivers
Art: Sketch a castle

Chapter 10:
Language Arts: Start a diary as if you are Robin. Update as you read each chapter
Science: moon phases (chart)

Chapter 11:
history: Scottish wars
History: research London Bridge and London (London Webquest, label the british isles, armchair travel, for fun: British vs American words, vocab, spelling)

Just stuff:
compare the UK to the USA