The Apple and the Arrow Unit Study & Lapbook

The year is 1291, and Walter is the twelve-year-old son of William Tell, the greatest bowman in the land of Uri. Walter lives happily in the remote heights of the Alpine Mountains, caring for his family’s goat herd and practicing his marksmanship in the hopes of making his father proud. But as the end of the year approaches, Walter’s peaceful life is shaken as his country enters a revolution, and Walter must carry a secret that could threaten the life of the father he loves so dearly.

This legendary story is the base for oodles of language arts, social studies, science, math, and art lessons–all found in our free The Apple and the Arrow unit study and lapbook.

Thanks to Wende for preparing this The Apple and the Arrow unit study and lapbook.

The Apple and the Arrow Unit Study Lessons

This unit study includes lessons and activities based on the book The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff.

Here is a sample of the many lessons found in this The Apple and the Arrow unit study:

Social Studies: Middle Ages
This story takes place in what is now Switzerland, during King Albert’s reign. The Middle Ages, also called medieval times, are the period of European history beginning at the downfall of Rome in 476AD and lasting until about 1500AD. During the middle ages, the form of government and society that was set up was called the feudal system.

It was based on the ownership of land. While the king of a region owned all the land, he could give possession of tracts to those who worked for and pledged allegiance to him. People were separated into different classes during the middle ages. There was the nobility, or vassals, which was composed of people having hereditary title, rank and privileges.

The nobility included those that worked directly for the king, mainly having the job of protecting the kingdom. Then there was the clergy, who were in charge of the spiritual needs of society. And then there were the peasantry, also called serfs, who worked for the nobles, cultivating the lands and performing the manual labor. Lastly, there were slaves. Many of the nobles owned slaves, who may have been prisoners captured in war, or people who actually sold themselves to the nobles in order to survive. The dream of the serf was to become a nobleman, and the dream of the nobleman was to become a knight.

Social Studies: Medieval Occupations

• King: The male ruler of a kingdom
• Bowman: A person skilled at archery
• Herdsman: A person who owns or tends to a herd of goats
• Bailiffs: A person under the king given certain functions in a certain district, such as keeping the peace.
• Knight: Knights worked for the lords of the land to defend and protect the property.
• Soldier: a brave, skillful warrior that shows loyalty to the king.
• Blacksmith: a person who works iron on an anvil and using a forge to make things such as tools, weapons, horseshoes, etc.

You can grab a copy of the entire The Apple and the Arrow unit study and lapbook in an easy-to-print file at the end of this post.

The Apple and the Arrow Lapbook Printables

In addition to the unit study lessons, the file also includes a The Apple and the Arrow lapbook with a huge variety of mini-books:

• Flag of Switzerland Simple Fold
• Vocabulary Shields
• What Is a Feudal System? Octagon Fold
• Medieval Weapons Simple Fold (includes dagger, sword, spear, and crossbow)
• Medieval Occupations Mini-book

• Middle Ages Timeline Fan
• Switzerland Shutterfold
• Legends Simple Fold
• Character Comparison Flap Book
• Various Copywork
• Having Courage Flap Book
• Having Compassion Flap Book
• Faith and Belief Flap Book
• Graphing Apples Graph & Pocket

• Hedwig Tell Notebook Page
• William Tell Notebook Page
• Walter Tell Notebook Page
• Swiss Cheese Envelope Fold
• Apple Fractions Cards & Pocket
• Apple-licious Accordion
• Apple Tree Flap Book
• Apples Are Healthful Simple Fold
• Inside the Apple Seed
• Rudolph the First Mini-book
• and MORE!

How to Get Started with the The Apple and the Arrow Unit Study

Follow these simple instructions to get started with the The Apple and the Arrow unit study and lapbook:

1. Buy a copy of the book, The Apple and the Arrow, or grab one from your local library.
2. Print the The Apple and the Arrow unit study.
3. Choose the lessons you want to use with your student (a highlighter works great for this).
4. Choose the The Apple and the Arrow lapbook printables you want to use with your student and print them.
5. Enjoy a week of learning about The Middle Ages with your student.

Download Your Free The Apple and the Arrow Unit Study

Simply click on the image below to grab the free The Apple and the Arrow unit study and lapbook.

More Resources for Learning About the Middle Ages