Instructify

Hark! Forsooth! Hie thee hence! These are just a few of the neat words and phrases your students can use in creating their own medieval epic, thanks to the Historic Tale Construction Kit.

Based on the Bayeux Tapestry which chronicled the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Kit allows students to create their own stories on a virtual tapestry. Students will get to type the story in their best Middle English. They can add “FOLC” like cooks and beggars, as well as “BEASTS” such as dogs, goats, even dragons.

This program is a great opportunity to talk about medieval history and the events depicted in the original tapestry. And it makes for a really fun storytelling activity.

The Gallery didn’t work when I tried the kit, so I wasn’t able to save my own epic tale. However, using the “Print Screen” button and then pasting the image into a graphics program (or even Microsoft Word) will let your kids record their tales for posterity. Hey, if you’re going to make a story look like it’s survived for a thousand years, you may as well do what you can to make it last. -BILL FERRIS

Historic Tale Construction Kit