The causes of the First Crusade
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the various causes of the First Crusade and the reasons why people chose to go on crusade.
Key learning points
- The invasion of Byzantium was one reason for the First Crusade.
- The actions of Urban II were one cause of the First Crusade.
- The desire to fight for their God and the Church motivated some crusaders.
- The desire to go on a holy journey motivated some crusaders.
- Historians disagree about the relative importance of the reasons why the First Crusade occurred as and when it did.
Keywords
Pope - the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church
Crusade - a crusade is a military expedition against a group considered by the papacy to be an enemy of the Church
Pilgrimage - a pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place
Common misconception
The only reason why crusaders went on the First Crusade was to capture Jerusalem for Christianity.
People went on crusade for a wide variety of reasons; for some people, capturing Jerusalem from the Muslims was important, but it was almost certainly not the reason why the First Crusade was called in the first place.
Teacher tip
Set up an argument tunnel by assigning students different reasons for the First Crusade that they need to argue on behalf of. Place students in two lines facing each other, then let them debate the person opposite. After two minutes move the students in one line down so that they debate someone new.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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.Those who chose to take part in the First Crusade were promised forgiveness for their .
Q2.Many crusaders thought that they would recapture the city of __________.
Q3.The first of the two crusading groups to reach Anatolia was called the ' Crusade'.
Q4.At which battle did the Seljuks fail to defeat the crusading army on 1 July 1097?
Q5.Starting with the earliest, place these cities in the chronological order in which they were captured by the crusaders.
Q6.During the siege of Jerusalem, the crusaders made use of two siege .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.One likely reason Urban II called the First Crusade was to establish his position as .
Q2.Warring nobles from __________ were a problem for Urban II at this time?
Q3.The spread of __________ into Europe was of concern to Urban II.
Q4.The Emperor Alexios I Komnenos asked for Pope Urban II’s help in fighting back the Seljuk Turks.
Q5.Which of these were reasons why people answered the call to go on crusade?
Q6.A lack of sources from people of this time means historians can only make inferences about crusaders' motivations.
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: The causes of the First Crusade, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: The causes of the First Crusade, 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.