Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the position of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century.
Key learning points
- Islamic caliphates existed in the Middle East during this period.
- The Seljuk Empire was a powerful Islamic state in the 11th century.
- Desert and steppe nomads fought in a similar style, which was effective against sedentary civilisations.
- By the 11th century, the Seljuk Empire was expanding into Byzantium's territory.
Keywords
Islam - Islam is the religion of Muslims
Caliphate - a caliphate is an Islamic state ruled by a single religious and political leader
Nomad - a nomad is a person who has no permanent home but moves from one place to another
Pastoral - pastoral refers to the raising of cattle and other grazing animals
Common misconception
The medieval Islamic world was a single entity.
The Islamic Empire started as a single entity, but by the 11th century had fragmented into several competing nations.
Teacher tip
For the revision wheel exercise, encourage students to prioritise the use of symbols rather than words as the abstract thought required for this task will cause them to think more carefully about the task.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1. was the form of Christianity practised in the Byzantine Empire.
Q2.The destruction of holy images is known as .
Q3.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened. Use numbers to show the correct order.
Q4.Why was Justinian I known as ‘the emperor who never sleeps’?
Q5.Which two of the following weakened the Byzantine Empire from within?
Q6.Which group posed a new major threat to the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.An Islamic state ruled by a single religious and political leader is known as a .
Q2.This keyword is a person who has no permanent home but moves from one place to another.
Q3.To which religion did the Seljuk Turks convert in 985 CE?
Q4.Which of the following were similarities between the fighting style of desert and steppe nomads?
Q5.Into which area was the Seljuk Empire expanding by the 11th century?
Q6.Which battle in 1071 opened the way for the Seljuks to advance into Byzantine lands?
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Crusades: did Europeans go on crusade to capture the 'holy land'? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.