ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Phone & Laptop/Tablet for Canva

Notebook

Pencils/markers

ACTIVITY PROMPT

Many modern cities in Europe (and beyond) are built on top of medieval ones. While the world has changed, the structure of medieval cities still shapes how we move, gather, and live today. Your challenge is to explore your own city and collect physical and visual evidence that shows how medieval city design still exists in modern urban spaces.

ACTIVITY PROMPT

How You May Explore

1. Walking through the city
2. Using Google Maps, Google Earth, and Street View
3. Or a combination of both

Choose the method that allows you to observe most carefully.

What to Gather (Evidence Collection)

1. Collect at least ONE piece of evidence from each category.(Write location and label it)
2. Each item must be documented (photo, screenshot, rubbing, sketch, or map trace).

؜Look for arches, thick walls, courtyards, and repeating geometric patterns that reflect Islamic and Christian medieval design traditions. Notice the narrow, winding streets and irregular building outlines typical of medieval urban planning.

SHAPES

COLORS

1st

؜Evidence Collection

1. Materials & Surfaces

1. Collect 3 different urban textures
2. Stone, brick, pavement, wood, metal, etc.
3. This may be:
4. For texture you can use clay to take stamps and use ink to transfer them on paper
5. Photos
6. Street View screenshot

؜Evidence Collection

2. Street Layout

1. Document a one block facade
2. Show evidence of:
3. Narrow streets
4. Winding or irregular paths
5. Streets leading into squares or markets

This can be:

1. A walking route map
2. A Google Maps trace
3. A hand-drawn plan

؜Evidence Collection

3. Architectural Details

1. Identify and sketch or capture at least TWO building details with medieval origins, such as:
2. Arches
3. Gothic windows
4. Columns or buttresses
5. Timber framing

Include:

1. What the detail is
2. Where it appears
3. Why it mattered in medieval construction

؜Evidence Collection

4.Find evidence of how the city once defined its edges

1. City walls
2. Gates
3. Towers
4. Boundary markers

This may be a preserved structure, a fragment, or a trace visible in the city layout.

؜Evidence Collection

5. Social & Gathering Spaces (Optional / Bonus)

1. Observe a public gathering space (square, market, plaza)
2. Document:
3. How people move through it
4. What activities happen there

Question:

How does this resemble medieval marketplaces or civic centers?

2nd

Create an Evidence Board that brings together:

1. Images
2. Maps
3. Textures
4. Sketches
5. Short written annotations

It shows that medieval city design continues to shape modern urban life.

You could print and create a collage or do it on CANVA

Physical

Canva

3rd

Pin your visual board on the class wall and reflect on those questions:

1. Which medieval features were most visible in your city?
2. Did walking or digital exploration reveal more? Why?