MEDIEVAL TIMES

MEDIEVAL TIMES!

The Case of the Missing Crown:
a One Magic Classroom Production

Yeah, this is cute.  I know.

Whether you're seven or seventy-seven years old, you've probably dreamed of being a king or queen  of the manor (castle) at some point.  I recently visited Medieval Times in Chicago with other adult "nerds" who wanted an excuse to dress in robes and eat with their hands.  Not only did I purchase a seventeen dollar light-up wand, but I also got a photo with "FALCON MAN".  This little experience left me in a magical "la-la-Lily-land" of sorts, and inspired me to write a play for my students.

Download your own copy of "The Case of the Missing Crown" for free here! 

Introducing: The One Magic Medieval Royalty.  They may look friendly, but they will take everything you own if you mess with them. 

The Medieval Period took place more than 500 years ago in Europe, 476 (AD or CE) - 1500 to be exact.  Truth be told, life was NOT easy for the majority of those who lived in "Medieval Times".  Unless you were among the 10% who were knights, nobles, or clergy-- life was a bit like one long detention, full of hard labor on someone else's land.  If you were really unlucky, you may have ended up being a "gong farmer", which means you cleaned the toilets out at night.  (For kids who complain about everything…Take that!)

The King and Queen of One Magic Castle.

Speaking of royalty, let's talk about the social order during the Middle Ages (from highest to lowest ranking):

• King, Queen and Clergy (i.e. high ranking members of the church like Cardinals and Bishops)
• Nobles and Lords - Land owners who usually lived in castles
• Knights and Vassals - (vassals got land from Lords by doing work for them)
• Commoners - peasants or serfs who worked the land but never owned it

Can you tell these two are "entertainers" of the castle?  

A magician to your left and troubadour to your right.

Troubadours were medieval lyric poets.  They often sang or recited love poems.  Our troubadour Keoki even made a free-style dance to go with his poem. 

  

We also roll played a few other characters from the Middle Ages:

 

These four castle workers mean business.  The positions from left to right:

• Scribe - before printers, there were real people called scribes who made copies by hand.  Josh (above left) is not only a professional copyist, but a newly appointed knight.
• Grand Master - commander in chief of the medieval military (dang, those are big boots to fill!).
• Artillator - Medieval bow and arrow maker (master archery dude).
• Master of the Horse - Head horse trainer (before fast cars and jet planes).

The Gutierrez "Coat of Arms".  I highly recommend this as a means for locker identification in elementary or high school.

The coat of arms is a unique pictorial design that identifies families.  Each design has specific colors and symbols, which have different meanings.  For example GREEN (yes, my favorite color) represents hope, joy, and loyalty in love.  Important stuff.

I hope you enjoyed pretending with us today.  I'll end with with the greatest note ever written.  Thanks Audri.