1. Life in Medieval Times Technology was making changes to medieval life…
New sources of power/energy
At that time, scholars considered the medieval period to follow the fall of the Roman Empire and precede the Renaissance. This medieval era had long been ignored as unimportant compared to the time periods it bridged.
Since the 19th century, definitions of the medieval era (as well as when and whether or not Rome "fell" and the view of "The Renaissance" as a distinct time period) have varied greatly. Most modern scholars consider the medieval period to last from approximately the 5th century to the 15th century C.E. -- from the end of the Ancient period to the beginning of the Early Modern Age. Of course, the parameters of all three eras are fluid and depend on which historians you consult.
The attitudes scholars have taken toward medieval times have evolved over the centuries. Initially, the Middle Ages were dismissed as a "dark age" of brutality and ignorance, but later scholars began to appreciate medieval architecture, medieval philosophy, and the particular brand of religious devotion that caused some 19th-century scholars to label the era "The Age of Faith." Medieval historians of the 20th century recognized some seminal developments in legal history, technology, economics, and education that took place during the medieval era. Many of our modern western moral viewpoints, some medievalists would argue today, have their origin (if not their full fruition) in medieval times, including the value of all human life, the merit of all social classes and the right of the individual to self-determination

2. Increased crop rotation systems allowed more food to be grown
1/3 fallow
1/3 grains planted in fall for summer harvest (rye, wheat)
1/3 grains and veggies planted in spring and harvested in fall (oats, barley, peas, beans)
Iron was made into new tools: scythes, axes, hammers, plows, etc.

3. Large manors (farms) became established within a new social system….
Medieval manors varied in size but were typically small holdings of between acres. Every noble had at least one manor; great nobles might have several manors, usually scattered throughout the country; and even the king depended on his many manors for the food supply of the court. England, during the period following the Norman Conquest, contained more than nine thousand of these manorial estates. Another name given to this land was a Fief. A fief was the land held by a vassal of a lord in return for stipulated services, chiefly military.
Large manors (farms) became established within a new social system….

4. Feudalism was the basis of medieval life
A political and social system based on obligations and cooperation

5. Vassals were people indebted to others or who served others, usually in a military capacity
The common people were peasants, and serfs. There was a difference between a peasant and a serf.
Serfs were bound to the manor. They were not slaves. These people could not be bought and sold. But they could not leave the manor without permission. 
If they did not work, they were punished. If the manor land was sold or reassigned to a new owner, the serfs stayed with the land. 
Serfs had many jobs on the manor including craftsmen, bakers, farmers, and tax collectors - serfs did all kinds of jobs. Their job were assigned. They had to do the job they were assigned to do. 
Serfs could buy their freedom from the manor, but where would they get the money? Besides, in these violent times, being part of the land offered a certain amount of protection. If a new lord took over the manor, he would need the serfs for labor. 
Peasants were free to leave if they wished, but where would they go? War was everywhere. Peasants worked the land and made the goods in exchange for protection. They might own their own business or have room enough for garden of their own. Other than that, their life was just like a serf's life. A few peasants escaped the hard work on the farm by joining the church. But most lived and died on the manor where they were born.
Taxes: Everyone had to pay taxes to the lord. There was a payment due on every service they received. To pay the crop tax, some crops went to the lord, and some they kept. To pay the bread tax, some bread they made went to the lord, and some they kept. To pay the coat tax, some of the warm coats they made went to the lord, and some they kept. All peasants had to set aside a certain number of days each year to work on the roads or on the lord's home or on whatever else needed doing. Everything was paid in barter. Coinage or money did not exist on the manor. 
Church Festivals: The only time commoners had a chance to relax and enjoy each other's company was at a church festival. Festivals offered stage plays, which were religious in nature, along with  archery contests, wrestling, dancing, and singing. Often there were jugglers and magicians. Festivals were held often. Payment for the festivals was the responsible of the lord of the manor. The lord paid for the festivals by giving the church food and clothing the peasants had made. 
Power of the Priests: People believed that the only way to get to Heaven was to follow the teachings in the Bible. The common people could not read or write. The village priest read to them from the Bible and told them how to behave. The priest told them who they must marry and when. You had to do everything the priest said if you wanted to get to heaven. 
Feudal Obligations: In spite of the hardships of their lives, peasants and serfs were mostly content with their lot. For one thing, they knew no other life. For another, they knew their work kept everyone on the manor fed and comfortable, including themselves. 

6. can’t leave the manor without permission
Serfs …
can’t leave the manor without permission
Have limited political power
Guaranteed job and protection
Lords generally had full political authority over the land and workers
They can’t marry anyone outside the manor without approval
A freeman became a serf usually through force or necessity. Sometimes freeholders or allodial owners were intimidated into dependency by the greater physical and legal force of a local magnate. Often a few years of crop failure, a war, or brigandage might leave a person unable to make his own way. In such a case a bargain was struck with a lord of a manor. In exchange for protection, service was required, in cash, produce or labour, or a combination of all. These bargains were formalized in a ceremony known as "bondage" in which a serf placed his head in the lord's hands, akin to the ceremony of homage where a vassal placed his hands between those of his overlord. These oaths bound the lord and his new serf in a feudal contract and defined the terms of their agreement.[9] Often these bargains were severe. A 7th century Anglo Saxon "Oath of Fealty" states:
By the Lord before whom this sanctuary is holy, I will to N. be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him, on condition that he will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to him and chose his will.
To become a serf was a commitment that encompassed all aspects of the serf’s life.
Moreover, the condition of serfdom was inherited at birth. By taking on the duties of serfdom, serfs bound not only themselves but all of their future progeny.
But, the serfs were guaranteed jobs, land, food, and protection
Both were agricultural laborers, but serfs were "unfree." Not slaves, but they were tied to the land in a way that peasants weren't, exactly. They had rights, but they had more obligations to their lord and his manor. They had to work a certain number of days for him (for free) and they had to stay in the area (or get permission to go elsewhere

7. Economically, Europe became a center for trade
Which = wealth!
Italy and Flanders would be the most dominant centers of European trade

8. Guilds became very common in many cities
Organized groups of similar businesses

9. With the growth in capitalism, new cities and towns sprang up around Europe—usually nearby castles
Like in Roman times, cities were also very dirty and smelly
Cities were often surrounded by stone walls, but with most buildings being made of wood, fire was a constant worry