DIY Medieval Fantasy Camp, part 3: Meeting The Mentor, part 3: The Wizard's Guild

Wizard's Guild

The idea of the Wizard's Guild is for physical science to be reviewed and applied to a Medieval Fantasy setting by translating these laws into possible "spells." Just as with the Healer's Guild, students will be able to use their pretend spells both in defensive and offensive measures in the battles we will be having later on in the camp. Just as with the Healing "spells," students will make them sound mystical by translating the key commands in Latin. All students need for this is a English-Latin dictionary or access to the Internet through Smartphone or laptop computer. Students write these spells as long as they can justify them with the correct laws of physics. If they need to research additional physical laws, this should be encouraged. As long as students correctly identify the appropriate laws of physics and convert these instructions into Latin, they are able to "cast their spells" during battle and have a chance to "injure" or subdue their opponents. 

Introduction

You might want to start off your discussion of physics with the question, How Does Weight Affect the Speed at Which an Object Falls? If you would like an example of how you can teach physical science concepts in this way, you can see it done in this Youtube video. This is a bit more campy (no pun intended) than is my taste, but it may appeal to younger students.

Newton's Laws of Physics

1. Newton’s first law of motion: Objects at rest will stay at rest, and objects in motion will stay in motion in a straight line unless they are acted upon by a force.

project:Make a Zoom Ball

See how force causes an object to change in motion?

2. Newton's Second Law: Force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration. (F = ma)

projects:1 Make a Catapult 

2 Using the Zoom Ball, have your students pull their hands apart at differing speeds; the faster they pull their hands apart, the greater the force exerted on the ball, which will make the ball zoom to the other end faster.

3 Balloon Rocket: (see below) the more air initially in the balloon, the further the balloon travels along the string because the action force is greater. You can have your students experiment with this by putting different amounts of air in the balloon and noting how far the balloon propels.

3. Newton's Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

projects: Make a Balloon Rocket

Although this activity demonstrates all three of Newton's laws of motion,the focus of the activity is Newton's third law of motion. The air pushing its way out of the balloon is an action force, and it causes an equal reaction, which is the movement of the balloon.

Weather Cycle

The same came be done with the weather, with students learning about weather and then making spells such as ones that call lightning or rain. You can begin this study with a demonstration on the water cycle.

Put some water in a saucepan and begin to heat on the stove, to speed up the evaporation process.

While you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, take a zippered sandwich bag and fill it full of ice and then zipper shut. Place a bowl next to the saucepan and get a pot lid that is larger than the saucepan. Put the bag full of ice on top of the lid and hold the lid so that part of it is over the pot of boiling water and part is over the bowl, tilting toward the bowl, as shown above. (You might want to use a potholder, so you don't burn your hand.) When the steam, or water vapor, hit the pan lid, the coolness caused by the ice should turn the vapor back into liquid form, or condensation. This represents what happens when clouds form.

Eventually you will see water dripping off the pot lid and into the bowl.  This represents precipitation. (source)

Demonstrations can also be done to illustrate lightning. Instructions for a simple demonstration using readily available household materials can be found at Web Weather for Kids, but I actually prefer this one at Education.com because the students can actually feel the "lightning."

DIY Medieval Fantasy Camp, part 4: Meeting The Mentor, part 2: The Healer's Guild

Healer's Guild

These activities and lessons are based on the lessons at the Red Cross UK website. You nay want to go there are get more ideas and lessons for your students based on their interests and knowledge. You could also either purchase or borrow from the library a book on first aid.

Warm-up

Have your students brainstorm what situations your student's characters may go through in which they might need first aid. They might come up with abrasions, broken bones, rashes, etc. You can have them just say them verbally, say them while you write them down on a whiteboard or have them write them down in small groups and then review them together. 

First Aid Lessons

The first lesson is to always call an adult and/or 911 in the case of emergency. The following first aid steps are what to do after you have called for help and while you are waiting for help to arrive. This is why it is called first aid.

• Heavy Bleeding: Apply pressure to wound, whether it be by hand or cloth until help arrives.
• Broken Bone: Support the injury with hand, cushion or cloth to prevent movement.
• Severe Burns: Run cool running water over burn for 10 minutes while waiting for help to arrive. Wrap in clear plastic bag.
• Head Injury: Ask person to rest and apply something cold to the injury.
• Choking: Give back blows by bending the person forwards and hitting them firmly between the shoulder blades. 
• Hypothermia: Wrap the person in warm clothes and a blanket, give him warm drinks and high energy foods like chocolate.
• Sprains: Rest injured area and apply ice pack.
• Unresponsive and Breathing: Tilt head back and watch chest for breathing. If breathing, move them on their side and tilt head back.
• Unresponsive and Not Breathing: Tilt their head back and look at their chest or stomach to see if it is moving. Look, listen and feel for breaths on your cheek. If they are not breathing, their chest or stomach will not be moving. Give chest compressions by pushing firmly in the middle of their chest and then releasing. Push firmly, at a regular rate, until help arrives.

Creating Healing Spells

As we are (hopefully!) only going to be having pretend injuries in our battles, then we can heal with pretend spells. Students will also make them sound mystical by translating the key commands in Latin. All students need for this is a English-Latin dictionary or access to the Internet through Smartphone or laptop computer. Students write these spells as long as they can justify them with the correct methods of first aid. For example, to cure severe wounds, they would need a piece of cloth and to utter the Latin words, "Firmiter Press!" which means,"press firmly!" Or, for Cure Head Wounds, utter the words, "et requiem applicare frigus" which means "rest and apply cold." As long as students correctly identify how to use first aid and convert these instructions I to Latin, they are able to cast their spells and have a chance to heal their fellow students of their battle injuries.

DIY Medieval Fantasy Camp, part 3: Meeting The Mentor, part 1: The Warrior's Guild

Hero always has supernatural help

Once your heroes have accepted the challenge set before them, they will then need a mentor or mentors who will give them the guidance they need. For this summer camp, you (and other adults, if you have gotten their assistance with the camp) will be the mentors. You can dress up and give them their assistance in costume and in character. Have fun with this! You can do each of these guilds, one each week, or you can run them all at the same time, with the students rotating from one guild to another, or you can just focus on one guild. It is up to you.

Warrior's Guild

Making their Weapons

from Under the Sycamore

First our heroes need to make their own weapons. We like the tutorial from Under the Sycamore because they are sturdier that the ones made from just pool noodles and yet they have a bit of buffer from the foam that is wrapped around the pvc pipes. You will need enough 1/2 inch pvc pipe, the foam that goes around them, plastic adaptors that fit onto the pipes, duct tape for all your students and at least one saw. These swords can pack a punch, however, so your sword wielders need to be taught how to use them.

The Swordsmaster

Because I don't want my students actually hurting anyone and I want to later film some of the battle scenes, I want to teach my sword wielders dramatic and yet harmless sword maneuvers. I have found this video from Albion Schoole to be the best way to teach them. You (or whomever you are getting to play the Swordsmaster) can either watch the video and learn the maneuvers and then teach them to your students or you can watch the video with your students, stopping as you go along and learn the maneuvers together.


Have your students practice as long as they need to in order to get the skills down.

Battle Strategies

Once your students have their sword skills mastered, they need to be taught some basic battle strategies. These can only be done if you have a group of students participating in the camp. I have picked out four of the basic battle strategies, but there are many more that you can add or substitute.

The first is called Leapfrogging. For this, you divide your students into two teams. The two teams need to agree on a signal. Once this signal is used, Team A will attack the enemy while Team B breaks off and attacks the enemy from a different, and more favorable position, such as a flank. At some point in the battle, Team A will give Team B the signal again and the teams will change position, with Team A attack the other flank, for example and Team B moving to the straight on position. Teach this in the form of a drill.

The second maneuver is called a Charge which is when your students advance towards their enemy at full speed and engage in close combat. It's benefit is shock value. 

The third is the Ambush, in which the students hide behind the existing cover and come out of concealment with surprise as its key benefit.

The fourth technique is called Encircling. Students form a line and circle the enemies' forces, leaving just a small break in the line for retreat. This break ensures that your enemy will retreat just where you want them to. Its downfall is that your forces are spread out and therefore weakened at any one point.

DIY Medieval Fantasy Camp, part 2: Call To Adventure

An event, sometimes traumatic, leads to adventure or quest

There are less specific directions for your camp week this week, as it must be tailored around the world and characters that you and your students have just created. 

You will need to use your own creativity for this part of the camp. You will need to decide what event will spark the heroes into action. This may come from the legends or other aspects of the world you have jointly created. Or, you may add some spark to the story that has been laid out so far. Think of all the calls to adventure you have read about or seen in movies. The call to adventure can come in the form of a verbal or written message, letter, dream, temptation, last straw, or loss of something precious. Whatever it is, it makes the hero aware that there is something beyond his ordinary world. The objective of the adventure is often treasure, but the treasure can be something other than a physical treasure such as the freeing of a captive or the acquiring of knowledge.

Examples: 

• Give them the goal of traveling to some distant land to rid the world of an evil monster like how Gilgamesh travels with Enkidu to the Land of the Cedars to kill the guardian, Humbaba. You can have them go to the edge of whatever you have mapped out, or you can even go beyond the map, if that is possible. Be very descriptive in medieval fantasy terms.
• Request them to help in a major war such as Agamemnon requesting Achilles’ presence in the Trojan war or Odysseus convincing him to fight. For this you will have to have an actual "battle" complete with safe foam swords they will make.
• Have them receive a message that requests their help in a rescue mission, such as the hidden message Luke obtains in the droid he just bought to rescue the princess in Star Wars. What will they rescue and why? Make sure it is a journey of sorts to get to what they will rescue. Put it on the edge of the mapped area, or perhaps beyond it, if possible.
• Nudge your students by giving them a prophecy that they will participate in whatever adventure you have created just as the prophecy that predicted Achilles’ role in the Trojan War. Be very descriptive in the prophecy and they may jump at the chance.
• Have the adventurers or your character have a vision such as Fiver's vision of the impending doom for the warren in Watership Down. What will the vision show your students? Be as descriptive as possible.
• A special object that calls to the adventurers to go on the adventure such as when Elf script appears on the ring in The Lord of the Rings after it is tossed into the fire. You will need to create a special object for this call.

Whatever your call is, make it a difficult one; one that seems almost impossible to accomplish. We are dealing with heroes, so the adventure has to be heroic, too. Include difficult areas that the students will have to go through to get to where they want to go, such as through areas that have enemies of your students. Whatever it is, it has to give our heroes a chance to use their abilities such as strength, courage, loyalty, hospitality, generosity, and leadership skills.

After you have decided on what your call to adventure will be, then write a basic script or general notes that you will present to your students. You will also need to create any props you might need.

Refusal Of The Call

So, what happens if you set the call to adventure out for your students, and they don't take it? Well, this is not uncommon in the hero's story either, (think of Achilles leaving battlefield) and in fact is one of the steps of the heroic journey. But, thankfully, we sometimes get a second chance. Make the mundane world less comfortable for your students and the call more appealing. This can include giving your students chores to do that would be appropriate for the world, such as gathering wood, making a fire and cooking their own dinner. (I know, this might be appealing to some. You know your students and what they would not like as much.) Along with the chores, give them more incentive to come along on the adventure, such as a reward at the end.

This week, then will be filled with acting and preparing for their adventure. If you have additional time, give them the task of determining the call to adventure in the books they are reading. This may give them inspiration.

DIY Medieval Fantasy Camp, part 1: The Ordinary World

"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. " -Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

This Summer camp is structured around the concept of the hero's journey as put forth by Joseph Campbell in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In his book, he put forth that there is a common template that is used in heroic tales that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, and in a decisive crisis wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed. Each week of the camp is based on one of the phases in the hero's journey. 

Day 1: Creating the Hero

In the first few days, students will create their character, which is the role which they will play throughout the adventure. The hero exists before the story begins, oblivious of the adventures to come. We learn about the hero's everyday life first because we can learn from his background crucial details about the hero, his true nature, capabilities and outlook on life. In the character creation, students learn about the heroic tradition of there being unusual circumstances around their birth; sometimes in danger or born into royalty. They also paint a background that has seeds which will make his character a hero as the story moves forward. After your students have created their backgrounds, they can pick the abilities, skills and the like from the possibilities in the Renaissance roleplaying game rule book that would most closely match the character they wish to play. (Characters could also be created using other role-playing systems.)

Generating Characteristics 

How-To's
You will need 3 six-sided dice. Roll them five times and assign the totals to the characteristics of Strength, Constitution,  Dexterity, Power and Charisma as you and your student feels is appropriate. Have your student give justification for his choices. Strength is the character's physical force, which will determine how much he can lift, how much damage he can do in a fight, what weapons he can wield and the like. 
Constitution measures the character's health.
Dexterity  is your character's agility, coordination and speed of reaction. 
Power is a measure of the character's life force and strength of willpower. This is perhaps the most abstract characteristic.
Charisma quantifies the character's attractiveness and leadership qualities. 

Next, roll 2 6-sided dice twice and assign the totals to Intelligence and Size. 
Intelligence is the character's ability to think through problems, analyze information and memorize instructions. 
Size is pretty self-explanatory. It also affects the amount of damage he can deal and how well he can absorb damage.

Hit Points: Add your character's Size and Constitution points together and this score determines the character's general health and physical wellbeing. This determines how much damage he can take before receiving grave wounds or dying.

Now you can determine the character's skills.

Common Skills:
Athletics: Dexterity + Strength 
Close Combat: Intelligence  + Strength 
Culture  (the Character's own): Intelligence x 2
Dance: Dexterity  + Charisma 
Dodge: Dexterity  x 2
Drive (as in buggy):  Dexterity  + Intelligence 
Evaluate: Intelligence  + Charisma 
First Aid: Dexterity  + Intelligence 
Influence: Charisma  x 2
Insight: Intelligence  + Power
Lore (regional): Intelligence  x 2
Perception: Intelligence  + Power
Persistence: Power  x 2
Ranged Combat: Intelligence  + Dexterity 
Resilience: Constitution  x 2
Ride: Dexterity  + Power
Sing: Power  + Charisma 
Sleight: Dexterity  + Charisma 
Stealth: Dexterity  + Intelligence 
Unarmed Combat: Strength + Dexterity 

The characters also get 250 additional skill points they can either add to a common skill score or get an advanced skill. No single skill can benefit from more than 30 free skill points for common skills or no more than 20 for advanced skills.

Advanced Skills
To get an advanced skill, characters must purchase them at a cost of 10 free skill points. The Advanced skill then starts at its basic characteristic-derived score as given below. Once  purchased, the character can take from the free skill points, just like the common skill points.:
Alchemy: Intelligence  + Power 
Art (specify type): Power  + Charisma 
Artillery: Intelligence  + Dexterity 
Beliefs  (factions): Intelligence  x 2
Commerce: Intelligence  + Charisma 
Courtesy: Intelligence  + Charisma 
Craft (specify type): Dexterity  + Intelligence 
Culture (other than your own, specify): Intelligence  x 2
Disguise: Intelligence  + Charisma 
Dual Weapons: Intelligence  + Dexterity 
Engineering: Intelligence  x 2
Gambling: Intelligence  + Power 
Healing: Intelligence  + Power 
Language (native or other): Intelligence  + Charisma 
Lore (specify type): Intelligence  x 2
Mechanisms: Dexterity  + Intelligence 
Oratory: Power  + Charisma 
Play Instrument  (specify type): Dexterity  + Charisma 
Ship handling: Intelligence  + Constitution 
Streetwise: Power + Charisma 
Survival: Power  + Constitution 
Teaching: Intelligence  + Charisma 
Tracking: Intelligence  + Constitution 

For more information on character generation, refer to the guide, Renaissance, by Cakebread and Watson.

Day 2: Characteristics of Fantasy Genre

Students learn about the genre of Medieval Fantasy and what elements make up this world. This can be applied to all parts of the Medieval Fantasy that they will be creating.

• contains elements that are not realistic, such as mythical beings or supernatural creatures
• set in a Medieval setting with a unique quality to the landscape
• key element is magic, often the hero possesses a very strong magical ability that they don't know they have, or learn to develop.
• conflict is good vs evil
• often there is an element of a love story, especially one that is unattainable
• the villain must be extraordinary and not easily defeated
• an epic battle, in which the hero is nearly defeated but is victorious in the end
• special weapon in its capabilities and also in the reason behind its existence
• often has a unique language

Literary Analysis

Students will apply what they know about the heroes of the Iliad and the Odyssey, of The Epic of Gilgamesh, and of more contemporary heroes of The Lord of the Rings and Watership Down, analyzing the heroes in these stories, comparing and contrasting them. 

"Heroes often exist in a world that seems normal and uneventful to all others that inhabit it. Usually, the heroes possess some special ability or trait that distinguishes them from ordinary people. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk. His people live their everyday lives, their only concern being that their leader is tyrannical. Gilgamesh on the other hand, is simply restless, so he acts domineering to ease his boredom. In addition, as the king, he possesses unique characteristics. He has a perfect body, great strength, and wisdom beyond compare. These attributes set him apart from his subjects in the city." -The Hero's Journey

We also look at the epic as a genre. The original form of the epic is a long narrative poem. This definition has been stretched to include the novel as well. 

• The topic is serious. 
• It is often written in a grand or elevated style.
• Centered on a larger-than-life hero.
• Often opens in medias res, or in the middle of the action.
• Tends to have an invocation to the Muse.
• Concerned with the fate of a nation or people.
• Everything is done on a grand scale.
• Includes an Epic Journey, a long arduous which often includes traveling to the underworld.
• The intervention of some sort of supernatural figure.
• Contains Epic Similes (extended similes) and Epithets, or repeated descriptive phrases, such as "wine-colored Sea"
• Long catalogs -lists of some sort of ships, characters, places, etc.
• Epic battles, extensive and important battle scenes, which often include betrayal.
• Takes place when the current culture is falling apart.

We look at each of these characteristics and determine if they are in each of the works we are studying.

Day 3: The Ordinary World

Now it is time for students to be introduced to the setting. For this I wanted to make a fictional setting within a real place. I also wanted it to be a joint creation between myself and my students.

To accomplish this, I had my students map out a park near our house. You could instead use your backyard or neighborhood. Any place that you can have access to when you need it for lessons. How accurate, realistic and detailed the map should be is dependent on the grade and abilities of your student. High school students should be as accurate as possible with the measurements and they might want to use Google maps to accomplish this. 

Day 4: Including Elements of a Medieval Fantasy

Next, the students should turn this area into a Medieval fantasy world. What elements would be in it?  Have them sketch in such details, such as changing your house into the castle. 

Once they completed this map, I took it and added my own secret elements, also keeping true to the genre.

Now it is time to create a history of this fictional place. Who lives there? Do they all get along? Are their some past conflicts? 

Day 5: The History of the Setting

The next assignment for your students is to create a legend from the setting's history. These are to be all blended together forming a teacher-students collaboration. Some elements may conflict, creating a conflict that may add to the evolving story. Sometimes, however, conflicting elements may have to be decided upon, with either the teacher or the entire group deciding to eliminate certain particulars.

Creating Costumes

At this point, your student may want to create a costume to go along with his character. This is not necessary, but adds fun to the imaginary world they have created and will participate in.

Now they are ready for their call to an adventure.

DIY Medieval Fantasy Summer Camp: Summer Reading List

This is perhaps a short list, but large and heavy reading, and so will be enough for the summer. Middle School students can read children's versions if that is more appropriate. They can also watch The Lord of the Rings movies if the amount of pages is too much for them.

The Epic of Gilgamesh  considered the first great work of literature, begins the epic tradition. 

The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer 
Classical epic poems.

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
As it is three volumes, this is a lot to read, but so much of study and fun can be take from this trilogy.

Watership Down, Richard Adams
As it is my favorite book, I feel this book is underappreciated. It follows the epic tradition, but uses rabbits as the characters.

(optional) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell