DIY Homeschooler

Cedric the Forester by Bernard Marshall takes place during the time of King Richard the Lionhearted and troublesome Prince John. We will use this Newbery Honor winner as the basis for studying the world of knights and castles.

Cedric of Pellham Woods, a Saxon yeoman, is an expert at the crossbow. This humble, valiant young man ends up saving the life of Dickon Mountjoy, a Norman nobleman.  And that act of selfless bravery is never forgotten. The two share many adventures, interceding to do justly for those who are treated unjustly.

Wonderful, action-packed tale of knights, barons, and the common people with an interesting, historical ending.

Free eBook

• Read online
• PDF
• Various other format (Kindle, EPUB)

Suggestions

Have your students do one or more of the following (you may enjoy this book as a read aloud for the entire family):

• Create a Knights and Castles notebook.
• Copy the first paragraph onto drawing and writing paper.
• Provide a written narration of that first paragraph. Explain what any unfamiliar words mean.
• Learn more about Lincoln.
• Find Lincolnshire and Scotland on a map.
• Provide a narration after reading each chapter.
• Explain the parts of a castle (see resources below).
• What was the dungeon used for?
• Take a side trip through Robin Hood.
• Learn more about Richard of the Lion Heart.
• What was the purpose of having a moat?
• Locate Runnymede on a map.
• Explain the significance of the Magna Carta.
• Create a timeline of events in the book.

---

Further Investigation

The Medieval Knight (archived)
ThinkQuest that explains what a knight was, how he became a knight, the code of chivalry, and his armor and weapons.

Medieval Arms Race
Diagrams and explanation of a siege from Nova.

The Magna Carta
Full text.

Activities

Castle View
Interactive way to explore a castle.

Medieval Life — Feudalism
Explanation and simple activities.

Shields, Knights and Heraldry
Free educational software to help you make your own coat of arms.

Heraldry Game
You are a young aristocrat who needs to know friend from foe.

Build a Medieval Castle
Free educational software to help you build your own.

Castles Lesson Plan
The “plan” is to create 3-dimensional castle art work. From Dick Blick.

You Are There: The Signing of the Magna Carta
From the old radio series.

Build a Pencil Catapult
Great idea and go-along!

Popsicle Stick Catapult
Another option.

Attacking a Castle
Walk through a castle’s defenses in this interactive from PBS.

Books

The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
The story of the real men who stood up to King John, demanding a “document of freedom.” Robin Hood, King Richard the Lionheart, Queen Eleanor, Stephen Langton, Hubert de Burgh — all here. Fast-paced story by Newberry and Caldecott winner, James Daugherty, tells the story of the famous document and its future implications.

Castle by David Macaulay
A favorite book by a favorite author with a passion for explaining how things work. Caldecott Honor winner.

The Defense of the Castle by Tudor Jenks
Wonderful, lively tale of defending an English castle during thirteenth century siege. A perfect example of how much easier it is to learn the names of things and understand how they work by reading a living book! Free public domain work.

Unit Studies & Lesson Plans

Castle Adventure
57-page unit study download for grades K-6 from Lego.

Kings, Queens and Castles
A Karen Caroe unit study covering history, geography, language arts, and many activities.

Printables & Notebooking Pages

Kid’s Castle (archived)
Diagram of the parts of a castle for notebook.

Armour
Illustration detailing a knight’s armor for notebook.

Cedric the Forester Notebooking Pages
Simple pages for copywork, narrations, or wrapping up.

These units have been created specifically with do-it-yourself (DIY) homeschoolers in mind: those that don’t want a lot of hand-holding. If this doesn’t describe your need, you might prefer a few of these pre-planned units. For those brave souls who enjoy pulling things together themselves, there are many ways to use these resources!