CLASS OVERVIEW
COAT OF ARMS and FAMILY CRESTS can be very interesting; it was fun to watch the student's enthusiasm as they shared their family's coat of arms with the whole class!
HERALDRY was an art that came around in the middle ages. It is believed to have begun during the Crusades with the individual shields of the knights. These decorate shields then made their way onto flags to identify a knight, his family, and his followers. As time went on, these developed Coat of Arms were carried into tournaments, where HERALDS would announce the knight it represented. Theses coat of arms can still be seen today, predominately throughout Europe.
Together we talked through and sketched out the parts of the Coat of Arms. These include:
-The Shield
-The Crown
-The Helm
-The Torse
-The Crest
-The Mantling
-The Motto
-The Compartment
-The Supporters
ASSIGNMENT
Students are to create their own personal Coat of Arms that represents them/their family. They are encouraged to feature all the various parts. Coat of Arms usually featured TWO dominant colors with sometimes the use of other colors. Please complete the coat of arms in full color; markers is the encourage media to use at it captures the solid, bold colors used in the Coat of Arms.
Bring in completed Coat of Arms to class next week.
The following links have great information behind the colors and symbols used in Coat of Arms:
Heraldry Animals and Positions
Herald Shield Dividing
Heraldry Color, Patterns, and Symbols
Shield Shapes
