The Door in the Wall Literature Unit Study
The unit is suitable for grades K–12, with flexibility to adapt based on your learners’ ages and abilities. Please preview links and activities to ensure they are appropriate for your family. New resources will be added as time allows.
Many of the links below lead to printable resources that can be added to a notebook or lapbook for this study.
Learning Objectives
Many parents and teachers will need to create their own goals. You can compare the goals at these sites to create your own goals depending on how stringent your requirements need to be. All links have several suggested activities for different ages.
Suggested Curriculum Standards:
- World Book Scope Basic Course structure https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos
- Michigan Department of Education https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
- Maine as an example of state level requirements https://www.maine.gov/doe/ela/standards/index.html
- California state level requirements https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
- McREL Compendium National Level https://www2.mcrel.org/compendium/
- Ontario Canada K-8 Expectations https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum#elementary
- Abeka Scope and Sequence https://www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ScopeAndSequence.aspx
- The series of books called “What your nth Grader needs to know” May also be helpful nth representing the grade your child is in. This series only Goes to grade 8
- To gain an appreciation and understanding of life in the Middle Ages by reading The Door in the Wall.
- To gain an understanding of the Middle Ages by completing activities, discussions, and the use of other books.
Timeline
The story is set during the reign of Edward III (Middle Ages).
Create a custom timeline using these tools:
• ReadWriteThink Interactive Timeline
• OurTimelines Generator
Vocabulary
Vocabulary by chapter with definitions:
The Door in the Wall Vocabulary Resource
General vocabulary words from this timeframe
| Kings | Curtain | Peasant |
| Middle Ages | Queens | Helm |
| Joust | Chivalry | Villains |
| Barons | Chain mail | Rents |
| Wattle and daub | Noblewomen | Coat of Arms |
| Serfs | Monarch | Craftsmen |
| Minstrel | Jester | Gatehouse |
| Knight | Tower | Heralder |
| Crenel | Half-timber | Fortress |
| Castle | Armour | Page |
| Ward | Bailey | Vassal |
| Battlement | Dungeon | Moat |
| Noble | Archer | Trebuchet |
| Drawbridge | Battering ram | Catapult |
| Feudalism | Crossbow | Siege |
| Palisade | Breach |
WordWeb Free Download
Dictionary.com
Book Resources
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Usborne Book of Castles by Leslie Sims
Castle by David Macaulay
Eyewitness Books: Castle by Christopher Gravett
Eyewitness Books: Knight by Christopher Gravett
Eyewitness Books: Medieval Life by Andrew Langley
If You Lived in the Days of the Knights by Ann McGovern
What Were Castles For? by Phil Roxbee-Cox
Knight and Armor Coloring Book by A.G. Smith
Middle Ages: My World by Peter Chrisp
Games
Use these ideas to turn key concepts from this unit into creative, engaging games your learners will love.
Game Board Blanks
Create your own themed games for this unit using printable templates and inspiration from the sites below:
- Games . . . Tools for Learning by Mark and Janice Vreeland
- Games for Learning ideas from Mary Peterson
- Board Game Templates – Tim’s Printables – free blank game boards
- JustFamilyFun – Board Game Paths
- Educational Board Games – Cardboard Cognition – printable game boards and pieces
More Game Ideas
Heraldry Game from Owl & Mouse – Create your own coat of arms.
Rescue at the Castle – Archived printable game from National Geographic.
Shoot for Your Life – Practice virtual archery skills in a medieval setting.
GeoSafari Cards
Using the GeoSafari Instruction Guide, you can create a wide variety of custom cards for this unit. GeoSafari is especially great for independent learning and long car trips!
Donna Young shows you how to make GeoSafari Cards
DIY Card Ideas
- Timeline event ↔ date matching cards
- True or false review questions
- Vocabulary words ↔ real-life images
- Chapter-based quizzes or review sets
Recipes
A Boke of Gode Cookery – Medieval recipes based on historical sources.
Overview of Medieval Cuisine – Background on food, ingredients, and customs.
How to Cook a Medieval Feast – 11 authentic recipes from the British Museum.
Medieval Food and Cooking – Daily meals, feasting, and more.
Cariadoc’s Recipe Index – Table of contents for medieval food preparations.
What Did People Eat in the Middle Ages? – Medieval dietary norms from MedievalBritain.com.
Medieval & Renaissance Food Clip-Art – Archived collection for creative projects.
Field Trips
Check your local museums for medieval exhibits or artifacts.
Visit Medieval Times for a live jousting experience.
• Educator resources available at Medieval Times Education.
Explore the Society of the Middle Ages – Reenactment group focused on arts, crafts, and historical accuracy (400–1500 AD).
Bonus: Dream medieval getaway? Explore this real castle for sale in Michigan with moat, drawbridge, and hidden rooms.
Check online for medieval fairs, Renaissance festivals, or historic reenactments near you.
Arts and Crafts
– Create Your Own Coat of Arms – Archived Scholastic PDF guide.
– Castle Siege Activity – Build a simple castle and simulate an attack.
– Cardboard Castle Template – Printable and buildable paper castle.
– Instructables Paper Castle – Step-by-step castle craft project.
More coat of arms and medieval design projects:
– Glazer Museum Coat of Arms Activity
– Ducksters: Learn About Knights & Coats of Arms
Browse medieval-themed crafts for kids:
– Baker Ross: Medieval Craft Ideas
Activities and Lesson Plans
The Door in the Wall: 7th Grade Teaching Guide – Archived lesson plans from SCORE (California Department of Education).
Information and General Resources
Newbery Award Speech Excerpt – Archived page featuring excerpts from Marguerite de Angeli’s acceptance speech.
Medieval Siege Engineering – PBS Nova describes the arms race behind medieval siege weapons like trebuchets.
Worksheets
Make your own worksheets with these worksheet creation tools:
- SchoolHouseTech https://www.schoolhousetech.com/ This company gives away two free software worksheet factories one for Basic math and one for wordsearch utility that will make wonderful complements to this unit when you include the clipart listed in the clipart section.
- Start Write – This program makes nice reports and handwriting worksheets for the unit. https://www.startwrite.com/
- TeachNology has several online worksheet makers and a ton of Rubric makers. Rubrics work great with Homeschool Tracker because they give you total points and you count up exactly how many points your child gets. https://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/
- Online Crossword Puzzle Maker to use with your vocabulary words or locations or even dates from the timeline. https://www.happychild.org.uk/wks/english/ssm/crosswords01.htm
Evaluation Ideas
Assemble a three ring binder and please include:
- A copy of this unit
- Course Description (Highschool Students)
- Write a summary about books read for the unit
- Write an essay on the various topics discussed
- Your Lapbook created for the unit (K-8 Students)
- Any worksheets or activity books created with SchoolhouseTech Software https://www.schoolhousetech.com/
- Your journal and its contents
- Your Log of activities from Homeschool Tracker https://www.homeschooltracker.com/free-homeschool-tracker-basic-edition Its Free!
- Your Timeline
Last Updated on May 1, 2025 by Jodi
