What can we learn from computer games about medieval warfare?

1. What can we learn from computer games about medieval warfare? fighting From 1000-1400

2. So far you have studied • Medieval weapons • Medieval armour • You’ve compared your new knowledge to the computer games and asked how useful games are… • Today you will investigate: “What can we learn from computer games about medieval castles?”

3. The REAL history of castles… Let’s investigate!

4. In pairs, you are Master Castle Builders • You have been hired by the Kings of England to build castles for them • You are about to receive your first instructions • Listen carefully…the instructions will give you advice on how to build your castle

5. The year is 1066 • William the Conqueror has just won at the Battle of Hastings to become King of England • But in many parts of England the people don’t want him to be King, so they are fighting against him • William and his soldiers must be protected and the English people must be shown who is boss, so he decides to build a castle • But he says it must be built very quickly • William only has wood and earth (soil) available • It is very important that he is high up to see any danger approaching • He needs an area for the soldiers to live in too

6. 1066 Square wooden castle, high up to see enemies Hill (made from soil) Wooden fence Wooden houses for soldiers

7. The year is 1081 • The castles William first built have problems • The wood is rotting in the heavy rain, making them weak • Also, wood catches fire easily, so William’s castles are at risk of being burnt down • Finally, you need bigger buildings for your soldiers to live in – there is not enough room in the old design • But King William still needs to keep control of England • He has more servants now, and more money • Stone is available • William thinks the way the wooden castles looked was good

8. 1081 Lots of levels giving room for many soldiers Square stone castle (same design as the wooden ones)

9. The year is 1126 • Some English people have worked out that they can make your stone castles collapse! • They are digging holes under the stone walls, so the stone wall falls into it – breaking a hole in the castle so they can attack the soldiers • You must add extra defences to your castles • You must act quickly – do not re-design your castle: just add something that will protect it • Stone is available • Money is available too

10. 1126 Same square stone castle from before New wall to protect the castle, giving extra defence

11. The year is 1272 • The English are surrounding castles (called a siege) • If 100s of them surround it, the soldiers inside are trapped in one place, and will starve • You must revise your castle design • Make sure that the soldiers cannot be trapped in one place • It would be good idea to have lots of little castles within one bigger design, and more walls to protect peopleinside • Also, you discover that round walls won’t collapse if anyone digs under them • Stone is available • Money is available too

12. 1272 Rounded walls Lots of towers instead of one single castle

13. What are we learning about castles? True or false? • All castles were made of wood • Wooden castles had to be replaced by stone castles • There was only ONE type of castle design • There were DIFFERENT types of castle design • Castle designs were all invented at the same time • Castle designs were invented bit by bit – they changed over time • New castle designs happened mostly because of problems with the old designs

14. 1272 How castle design changed over time 1126 1081 1066

15. But do computer games make us think the right thing about medieval castles? ?

16. The computer games say this is how castles looked in 1191 Square tower Lots of towers – not just one Insert screen shot from computer games Two walls protecting castle

17. Square tower Insert screen shot from computer games At least two protective walls Rounded tower

18. Square tower Rounded tower Insert screen shot from computer games Castle on a hill

19. Compare the computer games to the REAL history… • Can you spot the problem? • Clue: look at the date the computer games say they are … Did the design of the castles in the games actually exist then?

20. How useful are computer games for learning history? • Write a paragraph explaining how useful you think computer games are for learning about castles • First explain why they are useful (what have they got right). • Next explain why they are not so useful (what have they got wrong) • Try to suggest why you think they get things wrong (think about the purpose of a game, and the motive of the game designers) • Finally, suggest what else a really good historian could do to check the historical accuracy of games

21. Final thoughts… • We can learn history from LOTS of different sources, like computer games, films, books and the internet • Each source gives us a slightly different view of the past • So we should always COMPARE sources to get our thinking right! • Ps. Why not visit the Tower of London: an amazing castle here in London!