About

Most medieval towns had a castle within them to protect the townsfolk in case of attack by an enemy. A castle is a large building that is fortified with massive, high walls, and where the townsfolk can survive for days or even months if they are under siege by an enemy. Castles are easier to protect if they are on top of a hill or surrounded by water, as it makes it difficult for invaders to get close.
 

Your task

Design a medieval castle and its fortifications. Your castle should be made out of materials used in the Middle Ages. Think about the whole castle and all its buildings: Where should the castle be located? What will the townsfolk need to live while under attack? How will the fortifications and the soldiers protect the castle? Make a small model of your medieval castle using paper or card. Work on this project in a small team with a group of your classmates.
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Follow the design steps

To design something well, do it step-by-step and use the methods from the Design Thinking for Schools website. There are four design steps. The first step is LEARN. To design something, you must first learn about it. There is much to learn on any topic, and it is always interesting. Learning will help you to understand the thing that you are designing, so you can do a good job. The second step is DRAW. Try to think of as many different ideas as you can while you draw them with pencil on paper. Keep drawing until you have some ideas that you really like. Improve your ideas and combine them into a single excellent idea. Drawing is easy and fun. Enjoy it! The third step is MAKE. Make the thing that you are designing to show your teacher and classmates. You can only tell if your idea works by making it. Improve your idea while you are making it. Making something with your hands is fun too! The fourth step is TRY. Once you have made something, you should try it to see if it works or not. You can also let someone else try it to see what they think. When you try, you will often find ways to improve your design idea. That will make you a better designer.
 

​​​​​​​Note for teachers

Read the guide for teachers on Safety for the MAKE Step for Level II to safely supervise this design task.