Faithfull Fall
2009
The Crusades
Were the crusades a “great contest of faith fueled by religious fanaticism”
or a case of political and territorial aggrandizement?
Task 1: Memory Box
Invent a character who lived in the 11th through 13th century, originating either
from Europe or the Islamic world, and who participated in or was impacted by
the crusades. Create a scrapbook or memory box of primary artifacts that tell
his or her story during one of the nine crusades. You can select a character
who is a Western European Catholic or Jew, a merchant from Vienna, a Byzantine,
or a Muslim.
a. Write at least three journal entries (one might be dated before you leave;
another while you are on the journey; and the third after you have returned)
• Situate the character in a time, place, social class and religious faith.
• React to Pope Urban II’s speech in 1095 or a call for European
crusade or Islamic call for defense (include the primary document in your memory
box) that is appropriate to the crusade you choose. Include the primary document
in your memory box.
• Speculate on the motivations of the character.
• Trace and describe a journey. Be specific. Discuss the cultures and
languages you experience on the way, the new cities and towns you pass through,
and the difficulties of traveling such a long distance.
• Offer a point of view on Christian-Muslim-Jewish tolerance and co-existence.
• Reflect on the success or failure of the crusade.
• Each journal entry should be dated.
• You should do extensive research about your character and the crusade
you choose. The more historical detail you add to the project, the better.
b. Create a map or maps of your journey.
c. Include memorabilia that demonstrate the warfare in the crusades-weapons,
art, clothes, food, household items, religious artifacts. You can find these
on-line and at different museums around New York City. Each artifact you include
may be imagined but must be based on solid research and presented as authentically
as possible.
Task 2: Historian’s Statement
Now imagine that a historian-you-has found this set of artifacts. Each of the
artifacts should help you to prove your thesis. You should explain what each
of the artifacts is and why it is important to your character and to the crusades.
Build your thesis off of articles that we have read in class, and outside material
that you find. You must discuss at least three different historians.. The statement
should be 2-3 pages typed; include bibliography. See the prep sheet below.
Task 3: Quiz
Passing a quiz demonstrating knowledge of essential terms, concepts, historical
characters and geography relating to the Crusades. You will get a review sheet
before the test. Timeline
Character Chosen/ Developed: November 18
Rough draft (maps and journal/letter writing completed): November 24
Final version of project completed: November 30
Unit Assessment:
Scrapbook/Memory box: and historian’s statement 60%; Quiz: 20%; Daily homework and class participation: 20%
Some links for research:
Virtual Pilgrimage - http://crusades.boisestate.edu/vpilgrim/
The Metropolitan Museum’ Crusades Page - http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/HD/crus/hd_crus.htm
Primary Documents on the Crusades - http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html
Good maps of the Crusades - http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=historymedren&cdn=education&tm=32&f=10&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.allcrusades.com/index-2.html
University of Wisconsin’s Research on the Crusades - http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=browse&scope=History.HistCrusades
The History Guide - http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=historymedren&cdn=education&tm=28&f=10&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//historyguide.org/ancient/lecture25b.html
Other sites on the Crusades -
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/crusades-timeline.htm
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/index.htm
http://historymedren.about.com/od/crusades/Crusades.htm
http://www.crusades-encyclopedia.com/encyclopedia.html
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Sec10.htm
http://www.medievalcrusades.com/
http://history-world.org/crusades.htm
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab54
Rubric for the Crusades Project
Completion
The memory box/scrapbook includes:
• three journal entries that:
___ Situate the character in a time, place, social class and religious faith
___ React to Pope Urban II’s speech in 1095 or any call for European Crusade
or Islamic call for defense (include the primary document in your memory box).
___ Speculate on the motivations of the character.
___ Trace and describe the journey. Be specific. Discuss the cultures and languages
you experience on the way, the new cities and towns you pass through, and the
difficulties of traveling such a long distance.
___ Offer a point of view on Christian-Muslim-Jewish tolerance and co-existence.
___ Reflect on the success or failure of the Crusade.
___ Each journal entry should be dated.
___ There is evidence of extensive research about your character and the Crusade
you choose. The more historical detail you add to the project, the better.
-and,
___ A map or maps of your journey.
___ Includes artifacts that demonstrate the warfare in the Crusades-weapons,
art, clothes, food, household items, religious artifacts. You can find these
on-line are at different museums around New York City. Each artifact you include
may be imagined but must be based on solid research and presented as authentically
as possible.
• A historian’s statement that:
___ Has a clear thesis
___ Discusses at least three historians.
___ Includes a bibliography
Research
•The project demonstrates strong research on the Crusade and character
chosen, and integrates that research into the memory box/ scrapbook.
Creativity
• The project demonstrates attention to detail, and artifacts and journals
that reflect the time period.
Thesis Writing
• The historian’s statement shows an overall understanding of the
motivations for the Crusades, and clearly supports a thesis using three different
historians. Overall Grade _____The Crusades Character Worksheet
Personal Biography
What is you your character’s name?
What town or city and what country is your character from?
What language does he/she speak?
What is his/her religious background?
Describe the social class status of your character (for example, a peasant who
works on a small farm or a duke who controls half of France):Does your character
have a family? If so, describe the family.Draw what your character looks like
and wears.What motivates your character to go on the crusade? How did he/she
find out about the crusade? What different motivations get him/her to take this
dangerous journey?
Crusade Biography
Which crusade does your character go on?
What does your character take on the crusade? A horse? A servant? His wife?In
what years does that crusade take place?
What social or political events directly impact your character? For example,
did you lose your land to your older brother because of primogeniture, or were
you attacked because you were a trader who faced the Venetians, or a Jew or
Cathar who refused to convert to Catholicism?
Who else goes on the crusade? Be specific. How many people from what countries?
How do you get there? Be specific. Draw a map of where you start from and where
you end up. Do you go by land the whole way or take a boat part of the way?
What is the journey like for your character? Remember, you are walking for at
least a year outdoors. If you are wealthy, it may be relatively easy because
you have food and a horse. If you are poor, you may face starvation most of
the way.
What do you learn along the way? Remember you are exposed to many new cultures
(people from other parts of Europe, Byzantines, Muslims). What impresses you?
What is the result of your crusade? What happens to you as a result of the crusade?
Crusade Reflection
How does your character view the crusade? (For example, was it a glorious mission
for god, a fool’s mission, or a selfish mission for land?)
Has your character’s faith changed as a result of the journey?
Research Goals
What do you need to research to make this project a success? For example, if
you are a Templar, you should read a great deal about the Templars and their
role in the Middle East, or if you are a peasant, you need to research what
being a peasant under feudalism was like.
Where will you find this information?Preparation for the Historian’s
Statement
1. What is your thesis about the motivation (s) for the Crusade?
2. Look at the three historians discussed in the packet or the two historians
discussed in Holy Smoke! Find at least three historians that support or add
to your thesis.
Historian: ___________________________Quote: __________________________________________________________________Historian:
___________________________Quote: __________________________________________________________________Historian:
___________________________Quote: __________________________________________________________________
3. What evidence is there for your thesis (from your research, the textbook,
class readings or notes)?
Evidence:
Evidence:
Evidence:4. How do the artifacts in your memory box support your thesis?
Artifact:
Artifact:
Artifact: