Middle Ages’ Pecking Order

Second graders recently studied the four medieval levels of social, wealth, and power by making four-level box models. The levels are those closely represented on a chess set.

Using household items, dolls, and Lego bricks to distinguish between royalty, religion, privilege, and peasants is simple, yet profound. Boosted by discussions with both parent and teacher, the six-year-olds got a concrete understanding of status. In stacking boxes, each student saw that people lived in different positions.