Lesson: The Crusades
Year: 7 | Subject: History | Time Allocation: 100%
Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________
LO (WALT): To explain the causes of the First Crusade and compare Christian and Muslim perspectives on the conflict.
Success Criteria (WILF):
- I can identify three key reasons why Pope Urban II called for a Crusade in 1095.
- I can describe the significance of Jerusalem to both Christians and Muslims.
- I can use the PEE structure to explain how perspectives on the 'Holy War' differed between the two groups.
1. Starter (15%)
- Activity: 'The Holy City' Retrieval Grid.
- Display: Show an image of the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
- Discuss: Ask students to identify why this specific city might be a "flashpoint" for conflict.
- Recall: Students list three things they already know about the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to establish the religious context of the 11th century.
2. Main Activity (70%)
Teacher Input:
- Explain: Outline the political and religious climate of 1095. Use a map to show the expansion of the Seljuk Turks and the threat to the Byzantine Empire.
- Model: Analyse a short extract from Pope Urban II’s speech at the Council of Clermont. Highlight: The promise of "remission of sins" (an immediate ticket to heaven) as a primary motivator for knights.
- Contrast: Present the Muslim perspective. Explain: That for the Muslim world, this was not a "Crusade" but a "Frankish invasion" of their established territories and holy sites. Introduce the term 'Dar al-Islam'.
- Check: Use "Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce" to check student understanding of why a peasant might join the Crusade versus a wealthy knight.
Student Task:
- Distribute: A dual-perspective source sheet containing a chronicler's account of the Siege of Jerusalem (1099) and an extract from a Muslim historian like Ibn al-Athir.
- Task A (Analysis): Complete a 'Perspectives Table' comparing the motives and feelings of a Crusader 'Frank' and a 'Saracen' defender.
| Feature |
Christian Perspective |
Muslim Perspective |
| Goal |
Reclaiming the Holy Land |
Defending home/territory |
| View of Enemy |
"Infidels" / Occupiers |
"Invaders" / Barbarians |
| Motivation |
Religious duty / Salvation |
Jihad (Struggle) / Defence |
- Task B (Application): Write one PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) paragraph answering the question: "Why did people see the First Crusade so differently?"
- Support: Provide sentence starters: "One reason perspectives differed was...", "For example, the source says...", "This shows that Christians believed..."
- Challenge: Evaluate which motive was more powerful: religious devotion or the hope for land and wealth.
3. Plenary (15%)
- Check: 'The Hot Seat'. One student acts as a Crusader, another as a defender of Jerusalem. The class asks them: "Why are you here?" and "What do you hope to achieve?"
- Consolidate: Use a 'Think-Pair-Share' to define the term 'Perspective' in the context of History. Ensure students understand that History is often "his-story" depending on who writes the account.
4. Resources
- Map of the Byzantine Empire and the Levant (c. 1095).
- Extract from Pope Urban II’s speech (Council of Clermont).
- Ibn al-Athir source extracts (Simplified for Year 7).
- PEE Paragraph Writing Frame.
⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE
💡 Pedagogical Insights
- Oracy Focus: This lesson relies heavily on the concept of 'perspective'. Conduct the starter as a carpet-style discussion if the room layout allows, focusing on the visual cues of Jerusalem's architecture to prompt prior knowledge.
- Common Misconception: Students often assume the Crusades were purely about religion. Clarify: During teacher input, ensure you mention 'Primogeniture' (the eldest son inheriting everything), which left younger sons of knights looking for land and wealth in the East.
- Sensitivity Check: When discussing "Holy War" and terms like "infidel," place them strictly in their 11th-century context. Ensure students understand these are historical terms used by the people of the time, not modern descriptors.
✅ Answer Key & Solutions
