What is a Castle?

What is a castle?

Castles are fortified structures, predominately built during the Middle Ages. They were designed to protect the people who lived within their battlements from attack. Castles were built all over Europe and Asia, though the style of the buildings varies greatly according to location and time period.

Castles differ from fortresses, which were not also homes, and palaces, which were not fortified, in that they were the only structure used for both strategic defence and as a residence.

Why should I teach my child about castles?

Castles were built all over Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages, which means any teacher or parent can create lessons surrounding how many castles in Scotland are around. This is one reason why you should teach children about castles. The monuments are a simple and easy way to begin teaching about Scottish history. An example of this can be through topics such as a castles and knights subject, which can turn into role-play activities. You can teach the basics of Scottish history, all while having a good time.

Exploring a nearby historical site is another example of why you should teach about castles, as it brings history to life. You and your class can be creative with how medieval structures like the Edinburgh castle help the present day. Whether it is producing a strategy for battle on top of a rock with your class or having your children work with their peers to figure out how to climb the Warwick castle, there are so many ways to envisage what life would have been like within a castle’s walls. By doing this, your children can know how many castles in Scotland there are and fall in love with history.

How can learning about castles help my children develop?

From understanding how many castles in Scotland explore the beautiful history of the country to providing real-life opportunities to gain a better understanding of Scotland’s history, there are so many ways that learning about castles can develop a child’s skill or provide a new one. This can be through scientific, mathematical, technological and engineering challenges in any learning environment. You can also take children to a visit of a local castle to bring bigger and better context to what they are learning about.

Regardless of if you use role play in the classroom to develop speaking and listening skills, or if different lesson plans surrounding castles can help with any reasoning skills when it comes to knowing why, where, and how a castle is built, it’s a unique topic.

• Learning about castles can develop communication skills. Resources such as our Castle Parts Labelled Diagram are great for showing how many castles in Scotland there are and discussing the different parts of a castle and what they were used for. By using resources like that, children can work with their peers to improve how they talk about the subject, and then get into whole-class discussions and use fresh vocabulary. It’s a brilliant way to enhance any learning experience, as well as being able to associate a word with an image.
• Using castles in a lesson helps bring Scottish history into your children’s lives. By learning about the history and knowing more about Scottish culture, first and second level students can understand something new about the world around them and how the past as influenced the present. Whether it be through whole-class activity or independent study, our Scottish History Timeline Quiz PowerPoint is here to keep children focused on the task at hand, and develop their historical knowledge.
• Children can develop and improve their reading, writing, and research skills all through learning about castles. Why is this? With a focus on early history, how castles were used, and the different features of the monument, children can begin their development of research skills in independent reading sessions, and then focus on writing and reading skills in whole-class activities and discussions. Teachers, parents, and carers can use our Castles Quiz to work on these skills as it makes learning about history fun and entertaining. It does this through the mixture of multiple-choice questions and seeing how children can retain their new knowledge.

Discovering how many castles in Scotland there are and how children can learn something from them is truly something special. It’s a part of a child’s education that is vital as they can not only be introduced to Scottish history, but it provides indoor and outdoor lessons. By doing this, it becomes a tool in any teacher’s toolbox to keep lessons fun and engaging.

Why is learning about castles so important?

Understanding castles and how they have impacted Scottish history over the years is always something special to teach, which is where this teaching wiki comes in. How many castles in Scotland help begin this topic with a great question, as it provides children a simple and small introduction to castles.

You can talk about how castles have influenced other cultures over the years, such as architecture and house design, or you can discuss glorious battles that have taken place over the years at the monuments. Either way, it’s important to teach about castles for two reasons. The first reason is that it transports children to the past and helps bring Scottish history to their learning. By doing this, children of early, first, second, and third level classes can understand fights at castles, how they were used, who lived in a castle, and so much more.

The second reason why learning about castles is so important is that it provides an insight into life in the past. By using mind maps and photos, children can learn how people would dress in a castle if lords and nobles lived in a castle, as well as what activities would take place in this kind of monument. Teachers and parents can also use PowerPoints to discuss how invaders would try to fight at the castle, and how supplies would be used to begin any attack and defence.

Children can learn about how many castles in Scotland there are in so many different ways, but as long as it is in a fun and fascinating way, you can do it in any learning space.

What are some fun facts about castles?

There is something wonderful when it comes to teaching children about how many castles in Scotland there are and where they are located. It’s not only because of bringing Scottish culture into different lessons, but it also gives children an opportunity to learn something new about the world around them.

Whether you want to teach your children fun facts such as Dover Castle being one of the most iconic of all English fortresses or if it is Edinburgh castle being the most well-known castle in Scotland due to its ties to the Royal Family, there is something for everyone. This is why our teaching wiki keeps things light and simple for any children who are struggling to understand Scottish history.

Below are some of those fun facts about castles:

• The first castles were built in the UK by the Normans. They were called ‘Motte and Bailey Castles’ because they were fortified with wooden or stone on a part of ground motte accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey.
• Castles were originally built with wood. This was the main material to use during the Middle Ages, and it was part of creating castles such as the Prague Castle, which is considered the biggest one in the world.
• Castles were always considered confused with palaces and fortresses. This was because a lord or noble, such as a prince, would live there.
• Moats would surround a castle during battles. Not only does it make it harder for enemies to get an advantage by tunnelling underground, but it also helps spot enemies quicker.
• Different sections of a castle are built specifically for battle. From the high walls of a castle created to stop people climbing them to the high ground that castles were built on for helping to have a clear view on any battle, there was always something unique about a castle or monument.

Knowing how many castles in Scotland there are and the history behind them is why teaching these facts are so crucial to your children’s education. Talking about facts like this can produce fun and exciting whole-class activities to keep children interested in the topic. Using facts like the ones above are also great for introducing children to a new subject if they are struggling to understand it. It could be through quizzes, class discussions, or exploratory activities, either way, you can understand history in the UK through a simple, effective, and engaging lesson.

More resources to do with castles

Castles Mind Map - Not only can you know how many castles in Scotland there are, but it’s a simple and effective way to learn something different. Helping first level students to feel confident about sharing their knowledge is always important, this is where our mind map comes in. Children can complete their research and share it with their peers in a safe learning space. This resource can be used as a start of a Scottish history topic to keep children entertained.

Scottish Castles Display Photos - Encourage children to learn something new with these photos. Included are 12 photos to show off the different castles in Scotland, with the locations of each one. This resource is perfect for indoor and outdoor lessons and can be a part of whole-class activities and independent learning sessions. Our photo’s helps first level students understand more about life in the past.

Scottish Castles First Level CFE Interdisciplinary Topic Web - Whether you want to know what castles were used for or if children want to know more about the past, this topic web is here to bring classes together. This resource helps keep Scottish culture at the heart of any lesson as it gets first level children involved with activities to do with literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing, science, and arts.