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
• Youve 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 Lets 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 carefullythe 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 dont
  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 Williams
  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 people inside
• Also, you discover that round walls wont
  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?

1. All castles were made of wood
2. Wooden castles had to be replaced by stone
   castles
3. There was only ONE type of castle design
4. There were DIFFERENT types of castle design
5. Castle designs were all invented at the same time
6. Castle designs were invented bit by bit they
   changed over time
7. 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!