SED, Teaching Secondary Social Studies

Francis, Fall 2019

Title of lesson: Crusades Inquiry Introduction

Your Name: Meghan Asbury

Length of lesson: 50 minutes

Context of Lesson: This lesson marks the first day of an inquiry on the Crusades. The
overarching question that the students have set out to answer by the end of the inquiry is
“Were the Crusades really about religion?” Each day, they have been given a guiding
question strictly for that day’s sources. The question for day 1 is “What was the Pope’s
motivation for the Crusades?” After this lesson, students will be told what the next day
of inquiry holds for them and how they will approach the sources. This aligns with the
unit that it is in, in that it provides further background to students on the Pope’s role in
the Crusades.

Overview: The lesson will begin with a brief recap of the previous two days of inquiry.
Students will then be given direction for day three’s inquiry of sources. At the end of the
lesson, the class will debrief on that day’s readings and guiding question.

Central problem/question: To my knowledge, there has not been a central problem

identified for this unit. For the module, the central problem is: Were the Crusades really
about religion?; new information can change perspective. For the lesson itself, the central
problem is: How can a person’s motivations affect the decisions they make?; motivations
effect action.

Objectives:
Students will be able to:
● Analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources in order to determine the
motivations of the Pope during the Crusades. (D2.His.4.9-12., D2.His.16.9-12.,
HSCE.4.1.2)

Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: Students may struggle

with making connections to the text as well as reading the text as they are written in a
dialect that is difficult to read. The way that I plan to address both of these challenges is to
walk around the classroom and go from table to table to check on individual students, as
well as to have a group discussion/debrief of the information at the end of class.

Materials/Evidence/Sources:
● Powerpoint presentation to guide intro and end-of-class discussion
● Handout of sources to be read
● Handout of supporting questions for each source
● Handout of yes/no chart to track evidence for answering module question.

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SED, Teaching Secondary Social Studies
Francis, Fall 2019

Instructional Sequence:

The first step of your instructional sequence should detail how you will launch the lesson,
including what you will say to the students about the importance of the lesson, what it is that
you want the students to learn, and how this lesson links to what has come before and what
will follow it.

1. Open class by
starting on the “Compelling Question” slide and remind students that this question
is what is driving the inquiry forward. (1 minute)

2. Go to the slide that contains the questions for Day 1 and say, “We’ve looked
at what the context and background surrounding the Crusades. Now we’re going to
look at what motivated the Pope to call for the Crusades.” Then tell the students that
the goal for today is to answer the question on the slide. Have a couple of students
help you pass out the YELLOW sheets of paper (there should be two: one with the
sources and another with the supporting questions for each source). (2 minutes)

3.. Tell students that for today’s inquiry, the class will be working together to get
through the sources. HOW: For the first source, either read or have a volunteer read
paragraph-by-paragraph. After one paragraph is read, give students one minute to
highlight or underline anything that stands out to them or confuses them or seems
significant. After that minute, ask students what stood out to them. If they respond,
ask them why it stood out to them. If they do not respond, either call on a random
student OR tell them one thing that stood out to you. This should just be about a
minute of conversation. Repeat this exercise until the entire source has been read
through. (10-15 minutes)

4. Once the first source has been analyzed by the class as a whole, instruct the
students to answer the supporting question for source 1A. Then ask students the
supporting question, answers should include: The Pope says that it is their duty to
help protect their brothers in the East because they have devoted themselves to God;
he also states that it is the Lord that is praying for them to participate and not just
himself; he also says that they need to protect the Holy Land; Non-religious motives
might look like wanting to protect land under his influence. (5 minutes)

5. Instruct students to work through the sources with their shoulder partner for
6-7 minutes. Walk around the classroom as they work and engage with students to
see how they are progressing through the sources and if they have any questions.
Also, say, “If you happen to finish reading through the sources, go ahead and
answer the supporting question.” (6-7 minutes)

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SED, Teaching Secondary Social Studies
Francis, Fall 2019

6. Debrief the supporting question with students. HOW: Call on a couple of

students to answer the question. Answers should include: to unite the Western and
Eastern churches after the Great Schism. (5 minutes)

7. Instruct students to work through the sources on their own or with a

shoulder partner for 6-7 minutes. Walk around the classroom and engage with
students to see how they are progressing through the sources and if they have any
questions. Also say, “If you happen to finish reading through the sources, go ahead
and answer the supporting question.” (6-7 minutes)

8. Debrief the supporting question with students. HOW: Call on a couple of

students to answer the question. Answers should include: The Pope promised
remission of sins and the eternal reward of heaven; He placed an emphasis on
“Christ commands it” and being “soldiers of Christ;” He also talks about picking up
one’s cross and following Him (Him being Christ). (5 minutes)

9. To close, recap what the motivations of the Pope included (religious and non-
religious). Tell students: “The plan for tomorrow is to go through 4 more sources
and answer the supporting questions with their shoulder partner.” (3 minutes)

The last step of your instructional sequence should detail how you will conclude the lesson,
including
what you would say to the students about the lesson’s “take away” or main objective and
how today’s
lesson links to tomorrow’s and thereafter.

Assessment: The assessment for day 1, will simply be an informal discussion on each
source. The summative assessment will take place the fourth day of the inquiry with a
Silent Debate.

Attach all handouts, texts, images, lecture notes, etc.

Day 1 Sources
Day 1 Supporting Questions
Yes-No Chart
Powerpoint Slides