Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 11, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 11, Lesson 3: The Crusades (pp. 295-302)

The Big Idea
Framework Concepts: Conflict and Interconnectedness Between 1096 and 1270, European Christians fought a series of wars to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims. Oddly enough, this led to increased contact between east and west.

Show students a map of Europe and the Middle East. Ask for volunteers to locate Jerusalem, Christian lands in Europe, Muslim lands in the Middle East, and the routes that crusaders might take to travel from Europe to Muslim lands. Remind students what life was like in feudal Europe, and ask them to brainstorm what a journey to the Holy Land might be like for a foot soldier in the Crusader army. Then ask what trade goods, ideas, technology, etc., would flow to and from European lands. What would flow to and from Muslim lands?

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Ask students to take the persona of either a Muslim or Christian man or woman traveling with the crusaders and to write a series of letters covering one of the crusades that describe what they see, hear, and know. Encourage students to include details that show a changing landscape, styles of dressing, types of foods, etc.
Ask students to imagine that Richard the Lion Heart and Saladin meet during the Third Crusade. Have them role play a short scene that shows the character of the two men and their attitude toward each other.

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