The Door in the Wall Literature Unit Study - Homeschooling on a Shoestring

Introduce learners to life in medieval England through The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli. This unit study explores themes of perseverance, disability, and social class during the Middle Ages. With vocabulary, book tie-ins, activities, games, recipes, and field trip ideas, this flexible resource helps students connect historical context with literature in meaningful and budget-friendly ways.

Table of Contents show

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