Head-to-Toe Protection

Topic SentenceKnights in shining armor had protection from their heads to their toes. The helmet and gorget protected the head and neck of the knight. Body SentencesShoulder pieces and brassards protected the upper arm, while elbow pieces and gauntlets protected lower down. A breastplate and back plate kept the knight's torso from harm. Then, from the skirt of tasses at the hip down to the jambeaus and sollerets at the ankles and feet, the knight became a metal-clad man. Did you notice that many of the unfamiliar words were French? Ending SentenceThat's because the ruling class in England were Norman invaders who spoke French, and they were the only ones who could afford full plate armor!

Centuries of Protection

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Beginning ParagraphWhile armor dates back to ancient times, the materials used to make it have changed a great deal over the centuries. Focus StatementFour materials used for armor through the years are metal-and-leather combinations, chain mail, shaped steel, and synthetic fabrics.

Middle ParagraphsAncient Greek soldiers around 1600 B.C.E. carried huge metal shields and wore breastplates, back plates, and shin guards made of metal and leather. They Transitionsalso wore heavy bronze helmets. The foot soldier’s equipment, including weapons, weighed about 70 pounds. Imagine lugging that much gear as you marched into the heat of battle!

The first important innovation in armor happened around 1066, when soldiers began wearing chain mail. Chain mail was made of thousands of interlocking metal rings. The thin rings formed a kind of metallic fabric that could be draped around a soldier’s body. It was comparatively lightweight and could cover large areas of a soldier’s body. Chain mail was not perfect, however. It did nothing to lessen the impact of a blow from a sword. The chain mail wearer still could be seriously or fatally wounded from the force of another soldier’s weapon.

By the 1400s, suits of armor made of shaped steel were standard for royal soldiers. A complete suit had the following parts: a breastplate, a back plate, flexible arm and leg covers, gloves, shoes, and a helmet with a hinged door that protected the wearer’s face. The armored suits were extremely heavy and expensive to make. Only royalty could afford to wear them. A knight needed assistants just to help him dress and mount his horse for battle. Although suits of armor offered excellent protection from weapons, they made movement extremely awkward. Once knocked from his horse, a soldier in a suit of armor was as good as dead.

Modern armor is made of plastics and synthetic materials, including Kevlar. Invented in the 1970s, Kevlar is a lightweight fiber that is stronger than steel and more flexible than chain mail and, when layered enough times, can stop a speeding bullet. Think of the protective clothing worn by today’s soldiers—helmets, jackets, vests, and boots. It all contains Kevlar.

Ending ParagraphThroughout time, people have used a variety of materials and methods to protect themselves in war. Each form of armor became outdated as materials and technology changed. Science fiction suggests that someday we may be protected by invisible force fields. In the meantime, we will rely on the latest form of armor . . . and hope for peace.