Catherine, Called Birdy immerses students in the world of a Medieval manor. Reading this novel, students will learn about life in the thirteenth century and, in particular, the challenges and difficulties faced by women. Have students show off the historical knowledge they have gained through the novel and/or related research by using storyboards to make a book about Medieval life. The sample storyboard shows a Medieval guide to life as a lady. Students may also present storyboards on life as a noble, life as a peasant, or Medieval life in general. Remember, Storyboard That allows you to easily convert the rulebook into PowerPoint slides or print it out and put it together as a booklet.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Use the details from Catherine, Called Birdy to make a guidebook about Medieval life. Your book can be a guide for life as a lady, life as a noble, life as a peasant, or Medieval life in general.
Engage your class by building a hands-on map of a Medieval manor together. This activity helps students visualize daily life and understand the roles of different people in the manor, deepening historical empathy and knowledge.
Divide students into groups and assign each a specific manor role such as lord, lady, steward, cook, or peasant. By focusing on one role, students gain expertise and can share unique perspectives with the class.
Encourage students to craft props or short skits representing their daily tasks and responsibilities. This makes the lesson interactive and allows students to creatively express their learning.
Collaborate as a class to assemble the manor, placing each role in its correct location and adding labels or descriptions. This visual anchor reinforces spatial and social hierarchies within Medieval society.
Facilitate a class conversation about how each position contributed to the manor's functioning and how these roles connect to themes in Catherine, Called Birdy. Encourage students to reflect on challenges and privileges experienced by different people.
Easy lesson ideas for teaching Catherine, Called Birdy include having students create storyboards depicting Medieval rules, making guidebooks about daily life in the thirteenth century, comparing the roles of nobles, peasants, and ladies, and using creative writing prompts based on the novel's characters and setting.
To help students understand Medieval life using Catherine, Called Birdy, have them research historical facts from the book, create illustrated guides or storyboards about daily routines, and discuss the challenges faced by women and other social classes in the thirteenth century.
A storyboard activity for Catherine, Called Birdy involves students identifying 5-10 rules characters followed, illustrating each rule, and writing brief descriptions. This helps students visualize and summarize key aspects of Medieval society.
Using Storyboard That, students can select scenes, add text, and depict rules or customs from Medieval times as described in Catherine, Called Birdy. The finished guidebook can be exported as PowerPoint slides or printed as a booklet for classroom display.
Catherine, Called Birdy is an excellent novel for teaching about women's roles in history because it realistically portrays the restrictions, expectations, and daily life of girls in the Medieval era, offering students insight into gender issues and social customs of the past.