Island School Humanities
  • Home
  • MYP 1
    • 1. The Universe & Earth >
      • 1. Where did our Universe and Earth come from? >
        • 1. What is the Universe?
        • 2. How Big, Far, Hot, and Old is the Universe?
        • 3. What are Ultimate Questions?
      • 2. What are origin stories?
      • 3. What is the Christian origin story?
      • 4. How did the scientific origin story develop?
      • 5. How do theories become accepted? >
        • 1. Charles Darwin and Evolution
        • 2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics
      • 6. Can religion and science co-exist?
      • 7. Assessment: Personal beliefs on creation
      • 8. Reflection: Changing Beliefs
    • 2. Natural Systems >
      • 1. How did early humans adapt to natural systems?
      • 2. How did farming help early human societies?
      • 3. What are natural systems?
      • 4. How do tropical rainforest systems work?
      • 5. How does farming affect natural systems in rainforests?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can rainforests be used in a sustainable way?
      • 8. Reflection: The future of natural systems
    • 3. Ancient Civilisations >
      • 1. What are Ancient Civilisations?
      • 2. How and why do civilisations rise and fall?
      • 3. How successful were the Greeks?
      • 4. How successful were the Chinese?
      • 5. How successful were the Aztecs?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Ancient Civilisations Presentation
      • 8. Reflection: What is the legacy of Ancient Civilisations?
    • 4. Conflict and Crusade >
      • 1. What are the core beliefs of Christianity?
      • 2. What are the core beliefs of Islam?
      • 3. What do world religions teach about conflict?
      • 4. Was religion the main cause of the crusades?
      • 5. What did Muslims think about the Crusades?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Does religion cause conflict?
      • 8. Reflection: Can religion help end conflict?
    • 5. Island Learning - What's MY Hong Kong? >
      • 1. What is the cultural identity of Hong Kong?
      • 2. What is tourism?
      • 3. Where is tourism in Hong Kong located?
      • 4 - 6. Designing Graphics
      • 7-8. Assessment 1: Tourist Attractions in Sha Tin
      • 9-10. Assessment 2: Planning the Fieldtrip
      • 11. Assessment 2: Creating the Brochure
      • 12-14. Developing Design Skills
      • 15. Assessment 2: Designing the Icons
      • 16. Reflection: What have we learnt about HK?
    • Further Reading
  • MYP 2
    • 1. Significance & Symbolism >
      • 1. What and where was the Renaissance?
      • 2. What influenced artists in the Renaissance?
      • 3. Who was the ultimate Renaissance 'artist'?
      • 4. How does culture express time and place?
      • 5-7. Assessment: Artists, Culture & Expression
      • 8. Reflection: How is my own culture expressed?
    • 2. Trade & Exchange >
      • 1. Why do people explore?
      • 2. What is the impact of exploration?
      • 3. How was trade unequal in the past?
      • 4. How does trade and exchange work today?
      • 5. Is the global trade of chocolate fair?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How does fair trade reduce inequalities?
      • 8. Reflection: How can I make trade fairer?
    • 3. Diversity & Change >
      • 1. What is cultural diversity?
      • 2. How did beliefs differ in pre-Colonial Hong Kong?
      • 3. How did the British change Hong Kong's culture?
      • 4. What can we learn about culture from the local area?
      • 5. How does globalisation influence culture today?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How cultural diverse are Hong Kong neighborhoods?
      • 8. Reflection: Should we preserve cultural diversity?
    • 4. Sustainability & Society >
      • 1. Why is urbanisation a problem?
      • 2. How can we research solutions?
      • 3. What have we found out about our issue?
      • 4. How could Hong Kong be more sustainable?
      • 5. What is our solution to the issue?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can we share our learning?
      • 8. Reflection: Can Hong Kong change?
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        • 1. Tell us who you are
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        • 4. Identify your ideas
      • Part 2 - Develop >
        • 5. Build your throughline
        • 6. Plan your talk arc
        • 7. Research and support your idea
        • 8. Write your script
        • 9. Make it visual
        • 10. Say your talk out loud
      • Part 3 - Share >
        • 11. Practice, Edit, Practice
        • 12. Present your final rehearsal
        • 13. Record the talk
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5. What did Muslims think about the Crusades?

Activity 1 - Are biased sources useful?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What does "bias" mean? Watch this video then discuss with your partner. The discuss as a class.
  2. Source Analysis - Read through this worksheet and complete the following tasks:
    1. Task 1 - Name three countries in northern Europe where you think these ‘Franks’ lived?
    2. Task 2 - Do you think al-Masudi admires these Franks? Give reasons for your answer. 
    3. Task 3 - Give three examples from the source to show that al-Masudi is biased against the Franks.
    4. Task 4 - Give some reasons why al-Masudi’s description might be biased against the Franks.
    5. Task 5 - Give some examples to show how the bias in al-Masudi’s description can help historians to understand the thoughts and feelings of medieval Muslims.
  3. Summary - ​Write down 2-3 points of advice to remember when using biased sources. 
The Franks lack a warm sense of humour; their bodies are large, their character is coarse, their customs rude, their minds dull and their tongues heavy. Their skin colour is of such an extreme white that they appear blue. Their skin is thin and their flesh rough. Their eyes are blue. Their hair is smooth and reddish due to the damp fog. Their religious beliefs are unreliable, which can be traced to the type of coldness and lack of warmth. The further north they reside, the dumber, more vile and primitive they are.
Source 1 - al-Masudi, Muslim man, in 950 CE
Picture
ABOVE: Moroccan Muslim geographer Al-Idrīsī's world map created in 1154 - do you notice anything different about this map?

Activity 2 - How do we summarise sources?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What does it mean to "summarise"? Examine the tips here and discuss your ideas with the class.
  2. Source Analysis - Read through this worksheet and complete the following tasks:
    1. Task 1 - Do you think al-Harawi is more upset by the violence of the Crusaders or the failure of the Caliph to send help?
    2. Task 2 - Write a simplified version of al-Harawi’s words that captures his main points in a clear and direct way. Once finished, share your version with a partner and check to see if you have any different points.
  3. ​Summary - Write down 2-3 points of advice to remember when using summarising sources.
How can you slumber in the shade of comfort and safety where life is as soft as orchard flowers? How can your eyes sleep while your Muslim brothers in Syria have no dwelling place, other than the saddles of camels and the bellies of vultures? Must the foreigners feed on our shame! Beautiful young girls have been shamed and now hide their sweet faces in their hands! White swords’ points are red with blood, and the iron of brown lances is stained with gore! This is war, and the infidel’s sword is naked in his hand, ready to be sheathed in men’s necks and skulls. For fear of death, the Muslims are evading the fire of battle.
Source 2 - al-Harawi, Syrian Muslim, in 1099 CE
Picture
ABOVE: King Baldwin I of Jerusalem (1060-1118) receiving the homage of the Armenians in Edessa.

Activity 3 - Can sources imply things?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What does it mean to "inference"? Examine the tips here and discuss your ideas with the class.
  2. Source Analysis - Read through this worksheet and complete the following tasks:​
    1. Task 1 - In the picture, find: a) Baldwin; b) Christian subjects; c) Baldwin’s knights; d) Muslim subjects
    2. Task 2 - Why do you think the artist has shown Muslims in the background?
    3. Task 3 - Our hopeless historian does not know what we mean by the word “implies”. Help him by copying the chart and adding more examples from the sources.
  3. ​​Summary - Write down 2-3 points of advice to remember when inferring from sources.
I entered a church. Inside were ten old monks, their bare heads as white as combed cotton. They wore crosses on their chests. They offered hospitality to all who needed it. The sight of their piety touched my heart, but it also saddened me for I had never seen such devotion amongst the Muslims. But later, nearby, I saw about a hundred prayer mats, and on each one was a Sufi Muslim, his face expressing serenity and devotion. I thanked Almighty God that there were among the Muslims men of even more devotion than those Christian priests.
Source 5 - Usamah ibn Munqidh, Educated Muslim, in 1175 CE

Franks who have mixed with Muslims over many years are much better than the ones who have recently arrived. But they are the exception. For example, I went to the home of a Frankish knight who served me with extraordinary clean and delicious food. Later, as I was in the marketplace, a Frankish women grabbed my clothes and began to mutter words in their language. I was immediately surrounded by a large crowd of Franks. I was convinced that death was at hand. Then, that same knight approached. He said to the women, “What is the matter?” She replied, “This Muslim has killed my brother”. The knight shouted at her, saying, “This is a merchant who neither fights nor attends a fight.” He also yelled at the crowd and they all dispersed.
Source 3 - Usamah ibn Munqidh, Educated Muslim, in 1175 CE
A Frankish knight who had become my close friend said to me: “My brother, I am leaving for my homeland and I want you to send with me your 14-year-old son. He will come to our country where he can learn wisdom and chivalry. When he returns, he will be a wise man”. These words would never come out of the head of a sensible man. For even if my son were to be taken captive in war, it could not bring him a worse misfortune than carrying him into the lands of the Franks.
​
Source 4 - Usamah ibn Munqidh, Educated Muslim, in 1175 CE
Picture
ABOVE: A possible portrait of Saladin (1137-1193), found in a work by Ismail al-Jazari, circa 1185
Picture
ABOVE: Genghis Khan (1162-1227) as portrayed in a 14th-century Yuan era album
Picture
ABOVE: The Mamluk general Baybars (1223-1277), Sultan of Egypt

Activity 4 - What can source 'tone' tell us?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What does the "tone" of a source refer to? Examine the tips here and discuss your ideas with the class.
  2. Source Analysis - Read through this worksheet and complete the following tasks:​
    1. ​Task 1 - What impression do you get of Saladin from his portrait above?
    2. Task 2 - According to Ibn al-Zaki (Source 6), what was so special about the recapture of Jerusalem?
    3. Task 3 - How does al-Athir (Source 7) make it clear that the Mongols were a serious threat to Islam?
    4. Task 4 - Al-Athir died in 1233. Do you think he believed Islam was safe by then?
    5. Task 5 - Our hopeless historian is struggling again! He needs to choose one word to sum up the mood or tone of each of the three sources. Which words would you advise him to choose and why? ​
  3. ​​​​Summary - Write down 2-3 points of advice to remember when describing the tone of sources.
God who gave you Antioch has taken it away again. If you had been there, you would have seen your knights prostrate beneath horses’ hooves, your houses stormed by pillagers and ransacked by looters, your women sold for a coin of your own money! You would have seen the crosses in your churches smashed, the pages of your false Testaments scattered, and tombs overturned. You would have seen fire running through your palaces, your dead burned in this world before going down to the fires of the next. Then you would have said: “Would that I were dust, and that no letter had ever brought me such tidings!” Your soul would have left your body for sadness.
Source 8 - Baybars, Muslim General, in 1268 CE

​
Glory to God who has bestowed this victory upon Islam and who has returned this city to the fold after a century of perdition! Honour to this army; which He has chosen to complete the re-conquest! And may salvation be upon you, Salah al-Din Yusuf, you who have restored the lost dignity of this nation!
Source 6 - Ibn al-Zaki, Muslim Preacher, in 1187 CE
The events I am about the describe are so horrible that for years I refused to speak of them. It is not easy to announce the death-blow of Islam. O, would that my mother had not born me or that I had died and become a forgotten thing before this happened! History does not contain anything like it. Nay, it is unlikely that mankind will see the like of this calamity until the world comes to an end. This catastrophe passed over the lands like clouds driven by the wind. For these were a people that had emerged from the confines of China, taking possession, destroying, slaying and plundering. They slew all who withstood them. We ask God to grant victory to Islam and the Muslims, for there is none other to aid, help or defend the True Faith. But if God intends evil to any people, naught can avert it, nor have they any ruler, save Him.
Source 7 - Ibn al-Athir, Muslim Historian, in 1218 CE
Picture
ABOVE: Map showing the major routes of the Crusades and areas of religious influence

Activity 5 - How can we choose quotations?


Activity Tasks
  1. Choosing - From each of the worksheet sources on this page, choose ONE short quotation from a source that the historian could use to back up each of his statements in this table. 
  2. Quoting - ​Write the quotation in the second column, remembering to choose words that capture the Muslim reaction really clearly. See the tips here for help.
  3. Origin - In the final column, write the name of the author of the source, who he was and the date when the source was written - we call this the ‘origin’ of a source.​
  4. ​​​​Summary - Write down 2-3 points of advice to remember when choosing and using quotations.
Picture
ABOVE: Saladin’s forces recapture Jerusalem from the crusaders, 1187 CE

Activity 6 - How can we remember skills?


Activity Tasks
  1. Design something to remind historians and yourself how to use historical sources properly. It could be a bookmark, a paperweight, a poster, or an infographic. Above all, it should also include one important piece of advice about each source skills you have learnt today:
    1. Using biased sources
    2. Summarising sources
    3. Making inferences
    4. Detecting the tone of sources
    5. Choosing/Using Quotations
Picture

PREVIOUS LESSON - WAS RELIGION THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE CRUSADES?
NEXT LESSON - ASSESSMENT: DOES RELIGION CAUSE CONFLICT?

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  • Home
  • MYP 1
    • 1. The Universe & Earth >
      • 1. Where did our Universe and Earth come from? >
        • 1. What is the Universe?
        • 2. How Big, Far, Hot, and Old is the Universe?
        • 3. What are Ultimate Questions?
      • 2. What are origin stories?
      • 3. What is the Christian origin story?
      • 4. How did the scientific origin story develop?
      • 5. How do theories become accepted? >
        • 1. Charles Darwin and Evolution
        • 2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics
      • 6. Can religion and science co-exist?
      • 7. Assessment: Personal beliefs on creation
      • 8. Reflection: Changing Beliefs
    • 2. Natural Systems >
      • 1. How did early humans adapt to natural systems?
      • 2. How did farming help early human societies?
      • 3. What are natural systems?
      • 4. How do tropical rainforest systems work?
      • 5. How does farming affect natural systems in rainforests?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can rainforests be used in a sustainable way?
      • 8. Reflection: The future of natural systems
    • 3. Ancient Civilisations >
      • 1. What are Ancient Civilisations?
      • 2. How and why do civilisations rise and fall?
      • 3. How successful were the Greeks?
      • 4. How successful were the Chinese?
      • 5. How successful were the Aztecs?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Ancient Civilisations Presentation
      • 8. Reflection: What is the legacy of Ancient Civilisations?
    • 4. Conflict and Crusade >
      • 1. What are the core beliefs of Christianity?
      • 2. What are the core beliefs of Islam?
      • 3. What do world religions teach about conflict?
      • 4. Was religion the main cause of the crusades?
      • 5. What did Muslims think about the Crusades?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Does religion cause conflict?
      • 8. Reflection: Can religion help end conflict?
    • 5. Island Learning - What's MY Hong Kong? >
      • 1. What is the cultural identity of Hong Kong?
      • 2. What is tourism?
      • 3. Where is tourism in Hong Kong located?
      • 4 - 6. Designing Graphics
      • 7-8. Assessment 1: Tourist Attractions in Sha Tin
      • 9-10. Assessment 2: Planning the Fieldtrip
      • 11. Assessment 2: Creating the Brochure
      • 12-14. Developing Design Skills
      • 15. Assessment 2: Designing the Icons
      • 16. Reflection: What have we learnt about HK?
    • Further Reading
  • MYP 2
    • 1. Significance & Symbolism >
      • 1. What and where was the Renaissance?
      • 2. What influenced artists in the Renaissance?
      • 3. Who was the ultimate Renaissance 'artist'?
      • 4. How does culture express time and place?
      • 5-7. Assessment: Artists, Culture & Expression
      • 8. Reflection: How is my own culture expressed?
    • 2. Trade & Exchange >
      • 1. Why do people explore?
      • 2. What is the impact of exploration?
      • 3. How was trade unequal in the past?
      • 4. How does trade and exchange work today?
      • 5. Is the global trade of chocolate fair?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How does fair trade reduce inequalities?
      • 8. Reflection: How can I make trade fairer?
    • 3. Diversity & Change >
      • 1. What is cultural diversity?
      • 2. How did beliefs differ in pre-Colonial Hong Kong?
      • 3. How did the British change Hong Kong's culture?
      • 4. What can we learn about culture from the local area?
      • 5. How does globalisation influence culture today?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How cultural diverse are Hong Kong neighborhoods?
      • 8. Reflection: Should we preserve cultural diversity?
    • 4. Sustainability & Society >
      • 1. Why is urbanisation a problem?
      • 2. How can we research solutions?
      • 3. What have we found out about our issue?
      • 4. How could Hong Kong be more sustainable?
      • 5. What is our solution to the issue?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can we share our learning?
      • 8. Reflection: Can Hong Kong change?
  • Futures
    • Elements >
      • Big History Project
      • Freakonomics
      • History: Film, Food and Fashion
      • Law
      • Mundo Geographico
      • Philosophy at the Movies
      • Run Your Own Business
      • Social Psychology
      • Urban Survival
    • Entrance >
      • Business
      • Economics
      • Geography
      • History
      • Religious Studies
    • Escape
    • Explorations
  • IBDP
    • Business & Management
    • Economics
    • Environmental Systems and Societies
    • Geography
    • Global Politics
    • History
    • Philosophy
    • Psychology
  • ECA
    • Model United Nations
    • TED-Ed Club >
      • Part 1 - Discover >
        • 1. Tell us who you are
        • 2. Discover great ideas
        • 3. Learn the art of feedback
        • 4. Identify your ideas
      • Part 2 - Develop >
        • 5. Build your throughline
        • 6. Plan your talk arc
        • 7. Research and support your idea
        • 8. Write your script
        • 9. Make it visual
        • 10. Say your talk out loud
      • Part 3 - Share >
        • 11. Practice, Edit, Practice
        • 12. Present your final rehearsal
        • 13. Record the talk
  • More
    • About
    • I&S Blog
    • Links >
      • Island School Business and Economics
      • Island School Global Politics
      • Island School History
      • Island School PRS