Sick Week

Yeah, the flu knocked me out this past week.  I DID GET A FLUE SHOT...but this year's common flu strain was NOT INCLUDED.  SO, we fell back a bit in terms of pacing (after jumping ahead a bit), which is a bummer.  What we did this week is detailed below:

1. Monday - You received your "Design Your Own Castle" handout with relevant material.  Castles were built to Protect (Defend) & Impress.  They were expensive.  but they were effective, especially since they were fortresses built in hostile (foreign) territory that were in the process of being conquered.  
2. Tuesday - You watched "PBS - Castle Macaulay" via Youtube.  This is a little childish, but is an excellent narrative showing the design and construction of a castle.  While his was not real, it was based on Beaumaris Castle, never completed.
3. Wednesday - We went through everything again, since I was finally back.
4. Thursday - You watched "Black Death 1347" and answered questions with 2003's Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Hoag.  He was also on The Bachelorette a few years ago.  He was also a former student of mine and a former player for Percy 7 I back when he was here.
5. Friday...We had an interesting discussion regarding labels and stereotypes.  I then brought it back to our Middle Ages unit by connecting labor specialization & education to current labels & stereotypes.  

2.4 Labels 

Are there truths to stereotypes?  Regardless, can awareness of stereotypes be used for beneficial purposes?  In other words, can labels be used positively?  How difficult is it to change perceptions?