Design a feudal system hierarchal chart. The king would be at the top followed by the barons, then the knights, serfs at the bottom. Smaller children will need help looking up a few facts about each level. They can place each section on cardstock which can then be assembled into a mobile. Older children can complete library and Internet research on each level, type and print the information using a large font, and attach their work to a trifold display board.
Role playing engages children and helps them remember the information. Write a simple script for younger children but have older children pen their own play. Designate a child to be a king, a noble, a knight and a serf. Have them design land grants called fiefs out of paper. Have students negotiate what will be given in exchange for the land. For example, the king will provide land but the noble will have to swear an oath. The noble will provide a portion of his land to the knight in exchange for his bravery. The knight will provide a portion of his land to a serf in exchange for food. The serf will promise to farm his land with integrity and honesty.
Foam core is inexpensive and available at most large chain and office supply stores. In a feudalistic society, the people lived in a manor usually consisting of a castle, church, village and farm land. Help your students construct a 3-D manor with foam core, glue, paint and natural materials such as sticks and dried grass. Do an Internet search on feudalism to find pictures of buildings that will inspire your construction project. This project can also be used as a visual for an oral report. The buildings can be assembled on a wood board, cardboard or foam core.
The library can be an invaluable and affordable source of information. Check out books on feudalism, medieval life, middle ages and castles. Search for both fiction and nonfiction books. The fictitious legends and stories such as those on the Knights of the Round Table, can be more entertaining to a child and make the study of feudalism fun. However, the nonfiction books will provide more photographs and statistics to help them complete their projects. DK and Kingfisher have published books with brief but concise information and lots of colorful pictures. The World Almanac Library has published "Feudalism and Village Life in the Middle Ages" by Mercedes Padrino Anderson. The books on feudalism are plenty and you will not have a problem finding resources.