Professionals of the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, a wide range of professional skills were needed. A profession was learned by observing, practicing and working together with a more experienced professional. In the late Middle Ages, professional guilds, or associations of people working in the same profession, emerged, which monitored the quality of work and decided who was allowed to work in the profession. The videos show historical researchers and enthusiasts at Hämeenlinna Castle. The tasks are aimed at School grades 4-6.
Baker. 2:19 min.
Pharmacist. 2:18 min.
Scribe. 2:18 min.
Tailor. 2:29 min.
Shoemaker. 2:03 min.
Brewing. 2:27 min.
Tasks
Choose a profession, watch the video and think about:
- What tasks did the profession entail?
- What skills were needed in the job?
- Who performed the work?
- What kind of work would it have been for a modern person?
- Which modern profession is most similar to it?
- What was this person’s typical day like?
- Final assignment: Write a diary entry that begins with “I am your 12-year-old assistant at Hämeenlinna Castle in 1475…”
Each student or small group represents one of the professions described in the videos: pharmacist, printer, baker, brewer, tailor, shoemaker. Watch a video about the chosen profession.
- Create a job advertisement for the profession. Write a description of a typical working day, what skills are required for the job, what the work community is like and who works there, as well as an introduction to the job and the benefits it offers.
- Present the job advertisements to others. If you want, you can organize a recruitment fair and try to get your friends to apply for the job you are advertising.
Each student or small group chooses a profession, watches the video and based on it writes a fictional interview with a professional. Alternatively, the interview can be done as a couple of drama exercises.
“Hey baker! When does your workday start?”
“What do you eat yourself?”
“What is the hardest part about your job?”
Reflect on sources. Is the source of the task an object, an image, a text?
Is it an original source or a later source that explains or interprets the original sources?
Who produced the information?
What does the source tell you? What is being left out?
Infer what type of original or primary sources the video writers might have used?