Mini Task: Charlemagne’s Capitularies — Palace/Estate Rules about Geese, Bees & Wax

Age: 13 years (Year 8, ACARA v9 scaffolded)

Learning intention

You will learn what a capitulary is, how Charlemagne used rules to manage palace and estate life, and how to read and write a short historical rule using clear language and a playful legal-cadence.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a capitulary is and why rulers made them.
• I can find one or two short pieces of historical evidence about animals or wax and explain them in my own words.
• I can write a short, clear capitulary (2–6 sentences) in a playful legal style that mentions geese, bees or wax and shows an understanding of the original purpose.

Background (quick, kid-friendly)

Charlemagne was a king and emperor in the early Middle Ages who ruled large parts of Western Europe. To keep his realm organised, officials wrote rules and laws called capitularies (like short written orders). Some of these rules were about everyday things on the palace estate — for example, how to look after bees (important for honey and beeswax), what to do with geese, and how to manage wax for candles.

Step-by-step scaffolded task

Starter — Read and notice (10 minutes)

Read this short passage aloud or with a friend/teacher:

"Rulers issued capitularies to make sure people who worked in the palace or on royal lands knew what to do. Bees were important for honey and for wax, which made candles for church services. Animals like geese were kept for food and sometimes for gifts. Capitularies could say who looked after the bees, how to collect wax fairly, and how to care for animals."

Underline two things you notice: one about bees or wax, and one about geese or animals.

Activity 1 — Explain it in your own words (10 minutes)

1. Write one or two sentences explaining why bees and wax were important in Charlemagne’s time.
2. Write one sentence explaining why a ruler might make a rule about geese or animals on an estate.

Activity 2 — Creative writing in Ally McBeal legalese (20–30 minutes)

Now you will write a short capitulary (2–6 sentences) that might have been issued for the palace or estate. Use a playful legal style. Think of an old‑timey court announcement mixed with a quirky inner voice (like Ally McBeal’s asides). Try to include one rule about bees or wax and one about geese/animals.

Sentence starters you can use:

• "Hear ye, by the grace of the palace steward: concerning the bees, let it be known that..."
• "Whereas the wax of the realm is needed for holy lights, therefore..."
• "And as for the geese (yes, the honking ones), they shall be..."

Keep it short and clear. You can be playful but include a clear rule (who, what, and why).

Example (Ally McBeal cadence + legalese, with a little humour)

"Hear ye, hear ye: let it be recorded in the ledger (and in the small notebook where I keep my emergency chocolate), that the bees of the royal apiaries shall be tended by the appointed beekeeper each morning and at sunset, so that honey is gathered gently and wax is set aside for the chapel's candles. Further (and this is very important — do not feed the bees gossip), any wax found must first be weighed and accounted for in the steward’s book, then delivered to the chapel store. As to the geese (the noisy diplomats of the pond), they shall be sheltered from fox and cold, given marsh grass, and not allowed to wander into the barley fields — violators will be asked politely, then sternly, to repay the grain."

Activity 3 — Peer review or teacher check (10 minutes)

Swap your capitulary with a partner or show it to your teacher. Check these things:

• Is there a clear rule that someone could follow?
• Does it mention bees/wax or geese/animals?
• Is the tone playful but understandable?

Assessment checklist (what exemplary looks like)

• Explains the purpose of capitularies in one clear sentence.
• Identifies why bees/wax or geese mattered to palace/estate life (food, candles, gifts, economy).
• Writes a short capitulary that contains: a named person or group responsible, a clear action to take, and a reason why (for example, "to provide candles for the chapel").
• The piece is creative and uses the legal-cadence (e.g., "Hear ye", "Therefore", "Whereas") while staying age-appropriate and readable.

Extension tasks

• Research one real capitulary (with help or teacher guidance) and summarise it in a short paragraph.
• Draw a simple poster that explains your capitulary for workers on the estate (use symbols for bees, wax, geese).

Resources

• Short encyclopedia or textbook entry on Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire (school library).
• Teacher handout with an authentic short capitulary excerpt (if available) or selected quotes from reliable history websites.

Parent-teacher report comments for an exemplary outcome

Use one of these comments in a report if the student achieves an excellent result:

• "[Student name] demonstrated outstanding understanding of Carolingian capitularies and confidently explained why bees, wax and animals were important to palace life. Their creative capitulary was imaginative, historically aware and very well structured. Excellent work."
• "[Student name] produced an exemplary written capitulary that combined historical purpose with a playful, legal style. Their explanation showed clear reasoning and attention to detail — a confident and original piece of work."
• "[Student name] exceeded expectations: accurate historical understanding, precise success criteria met, and a creative presentation that engaged classmates. Strong research and communication skills demonstrated."

If you would like, I can create a printable worksheet version of this task or provide a shorter excerpt of an actual capitulary to use in class.