The most popular lesson on heraldry is instructing your students to make their own family crest or coat of arms. Before this is done it's important to give a preliminary lesson on the historical significance of heraldry during the medieval period. Family crests didn't become prominent throughout medieval Europe until between 1135 and 1155. They were invented because during battles enemies would get so muddled together it became difficult to distinguish one another in the midst of a chaotic battle. Have your students imagine their favorite sport. Now have them imagine what it would be like to watch and play if all the players wore a similar uniform. Use the idea of team uniforms, banners and flags to help students understand how important heraldry was and still is.
Family crests and coat of arms weren't just arbitrarily designed. Every image and color used had a purpose and was laden with symbolic meaning. Each color was symbolic of a major family trait. Yellow or gold, for example, was used to symbolize generosity, blue symbolized loyalty and red symbolized military fortitude. Furthermore charges such as a lion symbolized courage while a horse symbolized an unflinching willingness to work for country and kin. Instruct your students about the different symbolic meanings behind traditional colors, ordinaries and charges.
A coat of arms is generally designed to fit onto a shield. Using the knowledge you have passed on to your students about the purpose and traditional symbols of a medieval coat of arms instruct them to design their own. Once the students are finished ask them to share their coat of arms with the class and attempt to decipher their symbolism as a group. Confirm that the guess was right or wrong with the student to whom the coat of arms being deciphered belongs. Have the students paste the coat of arms onto their desk or put them on display throughout the classroom.
Every noble family had a herald who instructed the children about the significance of their family coat of arms. It was also the herald's responsibility to understand the significance of other families' coats of arms. The herald would use this knowledge to instruct a nobleman's children about the significance of enemy and friendly coats of arms. Find examples of traditional medieval coats of arms and instruct your students to decipher their meaning. Give each student his or her own coats of arms to decipher and have them act as the herald by asking them to educate the class about its significance.