History vocabulary for ESL students- The Middle Ages
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Medieval history vocabulary
Lesson Plan Content:
History vocabulary for ESL students – the Middle Ages
Find one thing in each section below which is not relevant to the topic of the Middle Ages in Europe, e.g. a thing that didn’t exist at that time.
Iron bridge Castle
Dungeon Gothic cathedral
Hut Walled town
Drawbridge (a bridge that goes up and down) Moat (like a canal around a castle)
Tapestry Thatched roof (= made of straw)
Jousting/ Tilting (fighting on horses with long sticks) Falconry (hunting with birds)
Tennis Football
Darts Skating
Marbles Bear baiting
Dog fighting Skittles (similar to ten pin bowling)
Wrestling
The Crusades Knight/ Chivalry
Chain mail (armour made of metal hoops) Mine
Bow and arrow Cavalry
Cannon Siege engine
Rifle Mercenary
Apothecary (similar to a modern pharmacist) Blacksmith
Tinker Troubadour
Guild Minstrel
Apprentice Serfs
Accountant Eunuch
Merchant Baron
Landed gentry Tenant farmer
Carpenter Mason
Bricklayer Glassblower
Rat catcher Potter
Chastity belt Dowry
Veil Bra burning
Monastery Excommunicate
Pilgrimage Evangelical Christians
The Inquisition Nun
Astrology
The Black Death (= bubonic plague) Leech
Humours Antibiotics
Herbal cure
Mead (a kind of wine made from honey) Potatoes
(Wild) boar Black pudding (= blood sausage)
Rabbit Fasting
Poll tax Salt tax
Cheques Banks
Government monopolies Tax farmer
Palanquin Steam engine
Horse and cart Inn
Toll gate Sailing ship
Torture The rack
The ducking chair Ordeals
Witch trials Poaching
Branding Corporal punishment
Mutilation The electric chair
Lute Passion plays (religious drama)
Dancing bears Trumpet
Piano Flute
Match the sections above with these categories:
- Buildings and architecture
- Food and drink
- Health and disease
- Law and order and crimes
- Music and entertainment
- Professions, trades and social classes
- Religion
- Sports and games
- The economy
- Transport
- War
- Women and marriage
Choose one of the categories and discuss which things in that section were also relevant to a country you know about outside Western Europe.
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Suggested answers
The words in bold are the odd words out that aren’t connected to the Middle Ages and the underlined parts in bold are the names of the categories
Buildings and architecture
Iron bridge Castle
Dungeon Gothic cathedral
Hut Walled town
Drawbridge Moat
Tapestry Thatched roof
Sports and games
Jousting/ tilting Falconry
Tennis Football
Darts Skating
Marbles Bear baiting
Dog fighting Skittles
Wrestling
War
The Crusades Knight/ Chivalry
Chain mail Mine
Bow and arrow Cavalry
Cannon Siege engine
Rifle Mercenary
Professions, trades and social classes
Apothecary Blacksmith
Tinker Troubadour
Guild Minstrel
Apprentice Serfs
Accountant Eunuch
Merchant Lord
Landed gentry Tenant farmer
Carpenter Mason
Bricklayer Glassblower
Rat catcher Potter
Women and marriage
Chastity belt Dowry
Veil Bra burning
Religion
Monastery Excommunicate
Pilgrimage Evangelical Christians
The Inquisition Nun
Astrology
Health and disease
The Black Death (= bubonic plague) Leech
Humours Antibiotics
Herbal cure
Food and drink
Mead Potatoes
(Wild) boar Black pudding
Rabbit Fasting
The economy
Poll tax Salt tax
Cheques Banks
Government monopolies Tax farmer
Transport
Palanquin Steam engine
Horse and cart Inn
Toll gate Sailing ship
Law and order and crimes
Torture The rack
The ducking chair Ordeals
Witch trials Poaching
Branding Corporal punishment
Mutilation The electric chair
Music and entertainment
Lute Passion plays
Dancing bears Trumpet
Piano Flute
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