Why did the Normans build Motte & Bailey Castles?

This lesson has been designed to help students understand why the Normans built Motte and Bailey Castles after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It also looks at their key features, military strengths, weaknesses as well as why historians sometimes find it difficult to find evidence of what they looked like. This lesson could be used as part a unit of work on medieval castles or as part of the theme on how did William keep control. If you are interested in delving deeper into this topic, then this lesson can be purchased as bundled discount along with lessons on medieval castles from my TES shop.

When you purchase these resources you will be able to download a worksheet and an accompanying PowerPoint. The worksheet includes two pages of information and sources as well as a third activities page with two different options of tasks for low or higher ability students. The nineteen slide PowerPoint includes a ‘snowballing’ and a ‘buzz and go starter’ as well information slides, historical sources, pictures, diagrams, tasks and activities to support the lesson. The PowerPoint also includes aims, objectives, differentiated outcomes, graphic organisers, thinking skill templates and a plenary. For your convienance, we have also unloaded all the files as PDFs and added in a bonus crossword puzzle on Motte and Bailey Castles.

The aims and objectives for these resources are as follows:

Theme: How did William keep control?
Know: What were the key features of a Motte and Bailey castles?
Understand: Why did the Normans build Motte and Bailey Castles?
Evaluate: What were their military strengths and weakness?
Skills: Cause and Consequence, Source Analysis

WILF: What Am I Looking For this lesson?
Can You Describe: The key features of a Motte & Bailey Castle.
Can You Explain: Why did the Normans build Motte and Bailey Castles?
Can You Analyse: What were their military strengths and weaknesses?

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Kind Regards

Roy