Activity One - Describe

You are going to be developing a bank of information on A3 paper about what life was like to live in cities in the Middle Ages and we are going to be specifically looking at London. You will be given a range of information to help you build this 'bank' from images, written sources and media clips.

• Using the images in the table below describe what London city life may have been like in the Middle Ages.

Activity Two - Read

You may have been to visit London and there are a number of buildings and structures that still exist today that were designed and constructed during the Middle Ages. Life though was distinctly different. Read the two articles below about Medieval London and write down additional information about what life was like in London that you have not found in the images.

Useful Resources

The Telegraph - Medieval London 10 Disgusting Facts

The Museum of London - Every day life in Medieval London

Activity Three - Watch

Medieval London was actually a disgusting time to live. There was no real sanitation and rules around what to do with waste. The way that people lived actually led to the spread of diseases and the life expectancy of Londoners was only in the 30s. Watch the clip below by Dan Snow. He will be describing what life was really like in the cities of Medieval Europe. While he is focusing on London there are similarities between them. As you watch the clip answer the following questions by adding the information to your 'banks'.

1. What made London popular?
2. What facilities were there in London?
3. Why did people live closely together?
4. Where did all the waste go?
5. What impact did the waste have on London?
6. Describe what happens at the butchers and what happens when there isn't a fridge.
7. Who treated the sick?
8. Describe the different treatments of illness.
9. What was the impact of the different treatments on people that were ill?
10. What was the average life expectancy during this time?
11. How did the plague spread?

Extension

Would you like to live in London during this time in history? Try and write your answer in no more than 500 words. Remember to explain and use evidence from the clip you have just watched.