Illuminated Manuscript - Medieval Europe Project

Students create their own illuminated manuscript, designing an original border and illustration. For the text portion, students answer two questions in paragraph format that assess and analyze the power of the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe.

The product is a detailed rubric that includes expectations as well as a student and teacher evaluation.

This activity could easily be adapted to suit your class's needs. I provided class time for students to work on their illuminated manuscripts and played monk chants to simulate them working in a monastery. Students enjoying the combination of a creative outlet and critically thinking about the information they learned about in the Medieval Europe unit.

The variety of illuminated manuscripts made for striking, awesome art to put up on my student work bulletin board! Nearly every visitor in our classroom commented on the beauty of the illuminated manuscripts.