Students begin the experience with a gripping and perhaps troubling video about the Crusades. They explore more deeply the role and structure of the medieval Catholic Church, the role of religious orders, and the unique situation of Muslim Spain and Portugal. Then they return to the Crusades, describing the effects and explaining their views on why those effects were positive or negative.
Students are introduced to the experience with background text about medieval religious figures and the Crusades, then imagine themselves as a medieval knight responding to the pope’s call to capture the Holy Land. They learn that this campaign was called the Crusades and watch First Crusade to visualize what the conflict may have looked like. Students then respond to a word cloud prompt by entering words and phrases that convey their impressions of the Crusades.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, then invite students to share and elaborate on their word cloud impressions of the Crusades in a brief discussion.
Students examine an image of a medieval cross and read Catholic Church and Cathedrals to learn how, in the absence of strong central governments, the Catholic Church became the most powerful institution in medieval Europe. They record an important fact from the reading in a shared table, then answer multiple-choice questions about the Church’s roles and sources of wealth. Next, they read Abbots, Bishops, Cardinals, Pope to understand the Church’s power structure and post to a class wall explaining how the medieval Church was like a government and how it was different.
Teacher MovesDiscuss students’ recorded facts to highlight key aspects of the Church’s influence and wealth. After students post to the wall, share an interesting or exemplary response and use it to prompt whole-class discussion about the Church’s governmental and spiritual roles.
Students read The Monastery to explore the purposes and daily life of medieval monasteries and convents, including their role in preserving knowledge and offering alternative paths for people who did not fit into the feudal system. They then find and upload an image of a medieval monastery or convent, add an informative caption, and write one or two sentences describing what the image reveals about monastic life.
Teacher MovesUse student responses to identify understandings and misconceptions, and to guide follow-up discussion.
Students study a map of Muslim and Christian kingdoms in Iberia around 1000 C.E. and read Reconquista and Islam in Spain to learn about the coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Spain and Portugal and the later Christian movement to reclaim the region, known as the Reconquista. They complete a Venn diagram graphic organizer comparing Muslim Spain and Catholic Spain, noting similarities and differences in religious tolerance, leadership, and social conditions.
Teacher MovesInvite volunteers to summarize their Venn diagrams for the class, using their comparisons to discuss how power, religion, and tolerance changed over time in Iberia.
Students read The Crusades #1 and The Crusades #2 to learn about the causes, major events, and course of the Crusades, then read Effects of the Crusades to examine their long-term political, economic, and cultural impacts. They post to a class wall explaining in one or two sentences how the effects of the Crusades are still felt today.
Teacher MovesHighlight an interesting or exemplary student response and use it to launch discussion about how the Crusades expanded European trade, introduced new goods and art forms, and contributed to social changes such as the rise of a merchant class that helped set the stage for the Renaissance.
Students watch Impact of the Crusades to deepen their understanding of how later Crusades unfolded and their consequences. Acting as historians, they post to a class wall arguing whether the effects of the Crusades were mostly positive or mostly negative, supporting their claim with factual evidence and acknowledging an opposing view. They then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment to extend the discussion.
Teacher MovesUse students’ posts as discussion starters, ensuring that both positive and negative interpretations of the Crusades are represented, and prompt students on each side to support their views with clear reasoning and factual evidence.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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