Coat of Arms Lesson Middle Ages: The Easiest Win the Day Before Vacation

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Coat of Arms Lesson Middle Ages: The Easiest Win the Day Before Vacation

aka How a coat of arms lesson tricked my freshmen

OMG, my freshmen were so funny today.

We start class and they’re already negotiating with me:

“Can we just take it easy? It’s the day before vacation…”

Yeah. No. 😄

A Coat of Arms Lesson Middle Ages Students Actually Enjoy

So here’s what we actually did.

I kept the notes short. Like, really short. Nine slides short.
Lots of pictures, not a lot of words, and just enough structure to keep us moving without losing them completely.

Because let’s be honest, attention spans the day before vacation are hanging by a thread. I was getting a steady stream of:

“Are we done yet, Miss?”

We reviewed the code of chivalry, talked about knights all suited up in armor, and then I asked them:

How could you tell who you were fighting… and who you were fighting with?

And that’s when things started to click.

Because suddenly, it wasn’t just notes anymore. It was a problem. And not just any problem, but one I wanted them to solve.

We did a little brainstorming, and I started dropping some very intentional hints. Football teams. Hockey teams. Uniforms. Colors. Logos.

And you could see it happening.

They were getting it.

The “Summative Assignment” That Caused Groans

And then I gave them a summative assignment.

The groans.

Oh, the groans.

You would have thought I had just assigned a ten-page essay due by the end of class.

But I kept going.

We talked about the development of coats of arms, how knights used symbols and colors on their shields to identify themselves, and why that actually mattered in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.

And then…

I passed out a blank shield.

Pointed them toward the crayons, markers, and colored pencils.

And said:

“Go.”

The Moment They Realized What Was Happening

There was this pause.

Like… a full processing moment.

And then you could actually see it happen.

“Wait… are we just… coloring?”

Yes. Yes, you are.

But also?

No, you’re not.

Because as I lovingly remind them:

“I am mean and cruel and evil, and my goal in life is to make you suffer.”

(They never fully believe me, which is honestly rude.)

What Students Are Really Learning

During this coat of arms lesson middle ages activity, they were quietly doing a whole lot more than “coloring.”

They were:

choosing symbols that represented who they are
thinking about meaning and identity
applying historical concepts from the lesson
creating something personal within a structured framework

And the best part?

They didn’t realize it felt like work.

They were focused. They were on task. They were actually quiet.

On an academic assignment.
The day before vacation.

I’m pretty sure I discovered the holy grail of teaching.

You know what’s funny? This is exactly the kind of lesson that reminded me why I started creating my own materials in the first place. Sometimes the best ideas don’t come from a textbook. They come from real classrooms, real kids, and real moments like this. If you’ve ever thought about building your own lessons, I talked more about that here: Why Teacher-Created Classroom Resources Matter More Than Ever

Why This Middle Ages Lesson Works So Well

This coat of arms lesson for the Middle Ages works because it hits everything at once without overwhelming anyone:

Short, manageable content delivery
Built-in engagement from the start
Creative application that feels low-pressure
A clear connection to real historical context

And best of all?

It works on the day before vacation.

Actually… it especially works on the day before vacation.

And if you really want to seal the deal, this is the line that gets them every time:

“This is basically your medieval Instagram profile… except instead of selfies, you had symbols telling people who you were.”

Instant buy-in.

Want to Use This Coat of Arms Lesson Middle Ages Activity?

If this sounds like your kind of lesson, meaning short prep, high engagement, and just enough structure to keep things from going off the rails, I put everything together so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.