Teacher Information Sheet #1: Beliefs and Worldview Teacher Information Sheet #2: Responses to Change Teacher Information Sheet #3: Analyzing Change Teacher Information Sheet #4: Examples of Large Migrations of People Throughout History Teacher Information Sheet #5: A Medieval Story Teacher Information Sheet #6: Inferences Chart Teacher Information Sheet #7: Response to the Peasant Revolts

PDF file for all of Grade 9 Unit 2 Teacher Information Sheets

Process of Change

Change is a process that occurs continually. Over time cultures change naturally, and people usually have the opportunity to adjust to these changes gradually.

Influences for Change

There are three general factors that can influence individuals within a culture to accept change:

• If the natural environment changes or the culture moves to another environment, then new cultural adaptations are required.
• Any contract between two societies with different cultural patterns will result in cultural change.
• Technological change will result in adaptive changes to a whole range of cultural patterns within a society.

Types of Change

• Evolutionary change comes about as the result of gradual development or growth, and often is the result of a design or plan.
• Revolutionary change is sudden, and often chaotic and violent.

Reaction to Change

• Denial is the stage at which the person completely rejects the change. Any acceptance of change at this stage is coincidental.
• Acknowledgement of change occurs when the new idea is given some credence and recognition.
• Acceptance of change means that more of one's behaviour centres on the new approach than on the old.
• Defense of the change occurs when the old idea is seen as wrong and the new idea is basically common sense.

 
 

As a way of analyzing the relationships, students might use the following grid:

• Two important categories of change (reactions to change and influences for change) are used to encourage students to work out relationships in the change process.
• Along the top are the three influences that force individuals and societies to deal with change: environmental change, contact with another culture, and changes from within a culture such as technological
• Along the side are common reactions to change, which are on a continuum ranging from flat denial of any change to complete acceptance and defence of the change.

• For a long time society denied the existence of the problem (denial).
• Then it said, well, maybe there is a problem, so we will do some more research but we will not do anything that will cost jobs (acknowledgement).
• People began to accept that something had to be done before the environment changed permanently and before it injured people's health permanently (acceptance).
• Most people now believe that the emissions, which cause acid rain, must be drastically reduced, despite the expense (defense).

Reaction to Change	Influences for Change
	Impact of Environmental Change	Impact of New Cultural Ideas	Impact of Technological Change
	Example: acid rain	Example: police wearing turbans	Example: Internet in schools
Denial/Rejection of the change
Acknowledgement of change
Acceptance of change
Defense of change

4^th to 6^th Centuries - Germanic Tribes

Throughout this period Germanic tribes, both small and large, pushed into Europe from western Asia. They spread throughout most of Europe, causing disruption wherever they went. Some of the invading tribes were more violent than others, but most became a cause of terror for European inhabitants. The Germanic invasions were a constant source of trouble for the Roman Empire during this period. Although the mighty Roman Empire had once crushed much greater threats, internal weaknesses prevented the Romans from effectively blocking the Germanic invasions. Consequently, the Germanic peoples overran most of the empire. They even attacked and destroyed much of Rome in 410 A.D.

9^th Century - Vikings

Throughout most of the 9^th century, Vikings from Scandinavia mounted invasions into Europe. At first they moved in and plundered the area, then left. Later they would return to settle the area. The Vikings were ruthless and skilled warriors, as well as outstanding sailors. Vikings landed in North America in the late 9^th or early 10^th centuries.

12^th and 13^th Centuries - European Peasants

Throughout this period hundreds of thousands of peasants moved into unoccupied, forested areas of Europe. It is uncertain why they moved, but the moves were almost certainly organized and planned by powerful lords. The peasants would move into a new area, clear the forest and establish a new manor. Much of Europe's forests were cleared during this time.

19^th and 20^th Centuries - Europeans

Migration from Europe during this period was the greatest movement of people in history. Between 1815 and 1932, over 60 million people left Europe. Most headed to North America, although some settled in Africa, Australia, India and Latin America.

Post World War II - East Europeans

Following World War II, the Soviet Union occupied Eastern Europe. More than 13 million people from Eastern Europe and the Eastern portion of Germany either fled to the west or were forced out by the Soviet army.

A burgher (citizen of a medieval European city) is also accustomed to visit the chapel and pray before the Blessed Mother of God Our Lord, Holy Mary. He finds the purse and sees that it is sealed and locked. What is he to do? If he lets it be known that he has found it, people will cry that they have lost it. He decides to keep the purse and advertise for its owner, and he writes out a notice in big letters, saying that whoever has lost anything should come to him, and he posts it on the door of his house.

When the merchant has gone a good distance, he realizes that his purse is missing. Alas, all is lost! He returns to the chapel, but the purse is gone. The priest, questioned, knows nothing about it. Coming out of the chapel, the merchant finds the notice, enters the house, sees the burgher who found the purse and says to him, "Tell me who wrote those words on your door." The burgher pretends he knows nothing and says, "Good friend, many people have come here and put up signs. What do you want? Have you lost anything?" "Lost anything!" cries the merchant. "I have lost a purse full of money, sealed with such and such a seal and such and such a lock." The burgher sees that the merchant is telling the truth, so he shows him the purse and returns it to him. When the merchant finds the burgher so honest, he thinks, "Good sir God, I am not worthy of such a treasure I have amassed. This burgher is far worthier than I." "Sir" he says to the burgher, "surely the money belongs to you rather than to me, and I will give it to you, and commend you to God." "Ah, my friend," says the burgher, "take your money, I have not earned it." "Certainly not," says the merchant, "I will not take it" and he leaves.

The burgher runs after him crying, "Stop, thief! Stop, thief!" The neighbours take up the hue and cry and catch the merchant and ask, "What has this man done?" "He has stolen my poverty and my honesty, which I have carefully preserved up to this moment."

Gies, Joseph and Frances. Life in a Medieval City. Harper and Row: New York, 1981, pp. 123-124. Used with permission.

Although the nobility succeeded in crushing the revolts, it failed to impose new obligations and duties on the serfs. Indeed, the gradual reduction of duties and obligations continued. By 1550, serfdom had been eliminated in England.