The most exciting day in a medieval town was market day! Farmers brought eggs, cheese, and vegetables. Crafters brought their goods to sell or trade.
Every worker had a special job. The baker made bread. The blacksmith hammered hot iron into tools and horseshoes. The weaver turned thread into cloth. The cobbler made shoes, and the potter shaped clay into bowls and jugs.
Sometimes people paid with coins, but often they traded — a basket of eggs for a loaf of bread! Today you will set up your own market and try trading just like they did.
1. What happened on market day?
2. What did a blacksmith make?
3. What does it mean to trade?
Match each worker to what they make. Write the letter: A (bread), B (tools), C (cloth), D (shoes), E (bowls).
| Worker | Makes (A–E) |
|---|---|
| Baker | |
| Blacksmith | |
| Weaver | |
| Cobbler | |
| Potter |
You need: a family member and small items from around the house (toys, snacks, drawings).
Step 1: Pick a medieval job — baker, blacksmith, weaver, cobbler, or potter.
Step 2: Set up your 'stall' with items to sell (pretend your items are bread, tools, or cloth).
Step 3: Trade with your family — no money allowed! Try to make a fair trade.
After trading, talk about it: Was it hard to agree on a fair trade? Why might coins be easier?
1. What job did you pick and what did you 'sell'?
2. What trade did you make? Was it fair?
3. Why might coins be easier than trading?
Draw a busy medieval market with at least two stalls. Show what each stall is selling.
1. On day, everyone came to buy and sell.
2. The made bread.
3. The hammered iron into tools.
4. The turned thread into cloth.
5. The made shoes.
6. To means to swap one thing for another.
| I did it! | Circle one |
|---|---|
| I can name three medieval jobs | YES / NOT YET |
| I played market day and made a trade | YES / NOT YET |
| I can explain what trading means | YES / NOT YET |