Lakeland Village students go medieval

By: CRAIG SHULTZ - Staff Writer
Creativity abounds on castle project | Sunday, December 16, 2007 11:20 PM PST ∞

LAKE ELSINORE ---- Social studies students at Lakeland Village Middle School were kings, and queens, of their own castles last week. And architects. And construction workers.

Seventh-graders in three classes taught by Stephanie Hobbs were given an assignment to create medieval castles. Dozens were on display in the school's multipurpose room, ranging from painted cardboard boxes to Styrofoam kits and elaborate wooden structures that would make any knave or knight feel secure.

"Everyone was assigned a castle in October and encouraged to use whatever creativity they could muster," Hobbs said.

The students read about castles and watched a video, and were told to incorporate what they learned into their creation. The castles didn't have to be three-dimensional, although most were.

The students also had to turn in plans with sketches and an essay about any problems they encountered and who helped them.

Looking at some castles, it was obvious that some dads got out the power tools to help their children.

"I don't care how much parents helped," Hobbs said. "One of my best memories of school is when my dad and I built a covered wagon and it won a blue ribbon. I never touched it.

"One of the girls said (she and her father) bonded over this project."

While many of the projects were grand castles with moats and drawbridges, one was a simple shoe box containing a sleeping princess.

"I didn't feel like making a castle. I was more interested in the ladies than the lords," said Isabel Moreno, 13.

Isabel said she's glad she lives in a time of equality for women, unlike the Middle Ages, when women had second-class status.

"I'm proud women have their rights nowadays and are equal to the guys," Isabel said.

Isabel said the hardest part of the project was coming up with her theme.

"The rest was pretty easy," she said.

Marlon Rodriguez, 12, said it took a lot of trial and error before he found the right material for his castle. Some attempts fell apart before his Styrofoam castle came together, he said.

Amanda Ulrich, 12, said her castle fell apart Monday morning as she was attempting to bring it to school. She used cardboard, dirt and plastic wrap, and blamed the collapse on faulty glue.

Jayme Orr, 12, worked with her father on her castle. She said the most difficult part was setting up the drawbridge, which moves up and down.

"My dad did the cuts, but I put it together," she said.

One of the more elaborate castles was made by Christian Klutts, 13. He said he took two months to build his castle, using Styrofoam, wood, straw, artificial grass and candle wax for a realistic looking moat.

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