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History homework task 1 - a research task on a Medieval explorer.

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HWK 1 Research- Significant Medieval Explorers

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Information to help with homework task 1 (research on an explorer).

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An overview of the Humanities Project brief.

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History revision activity to help learn the definitions of key terms from this first unit in preparation for the Humanities assessment.

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Microscope & Telescope Key Word Glossary

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Microscope & Telescope Key Word Glossary

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Information about the Romans to support your understanding of the Roman Chester lesson.

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Who were the Romans? - KS3 History - BBC Bitesize

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Find out about the origins of the Roman Empire, Roman emperors and the Roman invasion of Britain with BBC Bitesize KS3 History. For students aged between 11 to 14.

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Information about the Anglo-Saxons to support your understanding.

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The Anglo-Saxon period spans the time after the Romans left England in 410 and before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

England was not a united country. It was divided up into separate kingdoms.

The best-known Saxon king was Alfred the Great, who ruled Wessex from 871-886 and all of England from 886-899.

evidence and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle give us a good idea about what life in England was like in this period.

The Anglo-Saxon period lasted from the year 410, when historians think the Romans left England, to 1066 when the Normans invaded .

Sources suggest that people known as the Angles and the Saxons were people who to Britain around the 4th and 5th centuries. They travelled from areas of Europe that would now identify as northern Germany, France and Scandinavia. Anglo-Saxons was the name given to this group of people who formed together in England.

It is often said that the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain after the Romans had left but we are not actually sure exactly what happened. It is likely that many people peacefully migrated to Britain before the Romans left.

There were a number of reasons for the Angles and Saxons to move to England:

Some were invited to help fight against attacks from Vikings and tribes in Scotland. Many were given land in return.

There was good farmland in England, which could provide food and resources for people to live off.

The Roman Empire had collapsed, so some Angles and Saxons believed they could win power and control over areas of Britain that previously wouldn't have been possible.

Archaeological evidence suggests people in already living in England were keen to trade with Angles and Saxons.

Alfred the Great is perhaps the most famous Anglo-Saxon king. He ruled from 871 - 899.

At the start of his reign, he ruled over Wessex, in the west of England. He defeated several Viking raids, and eventually signed an agreement, making peace with Vikings in the north. This resulted in England being divided in two: one area controlled by Alfred, and another area under Viking rule, called Danelaw. Alfred expanded his kingdom, taking land from the Mercia area and winning control of London.

Under his leadership, many books were translated from Latin into English. This encouraged improvements in education. He also ordered many new ships to be built to protect his kingdom from invasion, as well as the building of new monasteries.

Aethelflaed was Alfred the Great's eldest daughter. She was married to the ruler of Mercia, possibly to seal an alliance between Alfred's lands and the English controlled part of Mercia. When her husband died in 911, she ruled Mercia herself until 918.

Aethelflaed worked hard to protect Mercia from the Vikings by building forts and in 917 she sent an army to capture Viking-held Derby. In 918, Leicester also surrendered to her without a fight. The Viking leaders of York offered their loyalty, but she died before the offer could be accepted.

Athelstan was the grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Aethelflaed. He ruled from 924 - 939. During his rule, Athelstan defeated the Vikings and reclaimed York. In 937, he won a famous war against a combined Scottish, Irish and Viking force at the Battle of Brunanburh. In doing so, he united the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex. He is widely considered to be the first king of a united England.

In the 700s, a monk called the Venerable Bede who lived in Northumbria wrote a book called the Ecclesiastical History of the English People , which gives us important information about life in the early Anglo-Saxon period. Bede tells us, for example, about terrible famines that hit England, and about plagues that caused a great deal of disease and suffering. This gives us an idea of how difficult life could be in early medieval England.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is another important text that gives historians an idea about what life was like in Anglo-Saxon England. It is a collection of manuscripts written under Alfred's leadership that places great emphasis on Alfred's successes as a leader, but often ignores the more negative parts of his reign. The Chronicles were written by monks. Several copies were made and sent to monasteries across the country. The monasteries then updated the manuscripts each year. These documents are collectively called the Chronicles.

Most people in Anglo-Saxon England lived in villages . Their homes were made of wood, , and thatched roofs. They were normally just a single room with space for a fire and a hole in the roof to allow smoke to escape.

Most Anglo-Saxons were farmers and lived off the land. They were able to make equipment such as ploughs and tools to help them in their work. They would grind wheat to make flour so they could make bread. Some Anglo-Saxons were skilled craftsmen who made decorative jewellery such as brooches and necklaces.

England had several Christian during the Roman period, but the spread of Christianity increased during the later Anglo-Saxon era. The spread of Christianity also helped to unite the different kingdoms of England, as more and more people across the country were following the same religion.

Children in Anglo-Saxon England didn't go to school. Instead, they learned skills from their parents. Boys often learned farming or craftsmanship from their fathers while girls would often learn how to spin cloth and look after the home. Archaeological digs have discovered evidence of activities and games that children would have played. Discoveries have included carved horses, wooden musical instruments, dice games and a range of different board games.

Adults enjoyed sports such as hunting, running, horse racing and playing musical instruments. Evidence of these activities has been found in archaeological digs and written accounts from the time.

Storytelling was a popular pastime of the Anglo-Saxons. People would often sit together and tell each other tales. One of the most famous examples of this time was the story of . This is a poem set in Scandinavia, in which Beowulf battles against a monster called Grendel.

Anglo-Saxons also enjoyed riddles. In the 900s, around one hundred were gathered together in the Exeter Book Riddles .

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What was life like in Anglo-Saxon England?

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Explore what life was like in Anglo-Saxon England with BBC Bitesize History. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

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Information about the Crusades to support your understanding of the Crusades.

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In the medieval era, there were several made by people from European Christian countries.

Crusaders believed they were carrying out their God's work by taking part in military campaigns to 'reclaim' the for Christianity. They followed the wishes of the Pope - the head of the Catholic Church.

People who went on the Crusades were motivated by different reasons including the prospect of wealth, freedom or power.

Key figures involved in the Crusades included Richard the Lionheart and Salah ad-Din who was known to the Crusaders as Saladin.

In the Middle Ages, the stretched from stretched from India, in South Asia, to Spain, in Western Europe, and included Jerusalem and the . For Jewish people, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem was and still is a holy city and a destination for .

For Christians, Jerusalem is the place where they believe Jesus died and was buried. Christian had come to the city for centuries.

To Muslims, it is considered to be a holy site, where they believe Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven from Jerusalem. Arab Muslims conquered the Holy Land in 638. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque are sites of pilgrimage for Muslims.

For Jewish people, Jerusalem is important it is seen as the centre of the world, and is believed to be the site where Abraham, the founder of Judaism, was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as God tested his devotion to his faith.

The Crusades were economically significant too. They opened up new opportunities for trade. Crusaders brought back new spices and textiles from the Holy Land and the wider Islamic world. New trade routes were established, meaning more goods could be bought and sold both across Europe and with the Middle East.

The routes of the Crusades

Around 1077, Muslim Turks took control of the . It became harder for Christian to visit as various Muslim groups struggled for power.

The Seljuk Turks saw Christian presence in the Holy Land as a threat to their authority. They imposed taxes and charges on Christians wanting to visit holy sites. Rumours of mistreatment of local Christians and pilgrims spread. The Emperor, Alexius, fearing the spread of Seljuk rule towards lands he controlled in south eastern Europe and a threat to the Christian city of , appealed to the Pope for help.

In 1095, Pope Urban II promised the knights of Europe forgiveness of their sins if they went on a to win back Jerusalem for Christianity. He:

wanted to reclaim land and prevent further expansion of the Islamic kingdoms

felt that any expansion of Islamic kingdoms was a threat to the Christian countries under his guidance

believed the Crusades would help to unite Christian countries in Europe, who were frequently in conflict with each other

knew the Crusades would financially benefit the Church

How might a Crusade financially benefit the Church?

In the medieval period, peasants had to give 10 per cent of what they produced on their land to the Church. If the Church controlled more land by gaining territory in the Middle East, the people who lived on the land would have to pay tithes to the Church which would make the Church wealthier.

Many people responded to the Pope's wishes by joining the Crusades - showing this by cutting out red crosses and sewing them onto their tunics.

There were several reasons why people joined the , including:

To obey the Pope's call to free the from people that they believed to be and ensure access for . St Bernard of Clairvaux wrote in 1140, 'Of mighty soldier, oh man of war, you now have something to fight for. If you win it will be glorious. If you die fighting for Jerusalem, you will win a place in heaven.'

To be forgiven for past sins. The Pope offered forgiveness for anyone who took part. This was important for knights who had killed many people in battle. Most people believed in Heaven and Hell, so the offer of forgiveness from the Pope was highly influential.

To see the world, have an adventure and prove their bravery, which was important when was highly valued.

To gain land. During the First Crusade, Jerusalem was seized by Christians. Some Crusaders gained land in the newly conquered territory.

joined the Crusades because the Pope promised them their freedom if they went.

To gain wealth, for example through trade or selling land or property that was seized during the Crusades.

Kings would encourage troublesome knights to go on a Crusade because it reduced their influence and potential threat when they were out of the country.

The First began after 1095. Some Christians from France, Germany and Italy, known as the , set out on the long journey to the , led by and knights. Up to 30,000 Crusaders gathered at , before taking control of the cities of Edessa and Antioch.

The loss of Jerusalem was a terrible blow to the Muslims. They had been in control of Jerusalem for over 400 years, and it was of great religious significance. Christians took control of significant religious sites such as the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The Crusaders established a kingdom around Jerusalem.

After uniting large parts of Syria, Palestine and Egypt, a powerful new Muslim leader called Saladin later conquered the now Christian-held Jerusalem in 1187. In contrast to the events of 1099, when many people were brutally killed, Saladin showed mercy to the Christians in Jerusalem, allowing them to leave in safety for a . The exact amount Saladin demanded is not known, but the ransom would have helped him pay his soldiers and fund his army.

Saladin and Richard are believed to have shown great respect for each other as leaders, yet they never met. Richard wrote to Saladin during the Third Crusade, expressing his 'sincere desire for peace and an end to this conflict'. Saladin did reply to Richard, but the exact contents of his letter are not known. Some historians believe that he expressed his respect for Richard as a military leader.

On his journey back to England in 1192, Richard was captured by Leopold of Austria and held hostage. Leopold had accused Richard of being involved in the murder of his cousin. He would also have realised he could gain a high for releasing Richard. He was only released in 1194, once a ransom had been raised.

Several more were launched, lasting for a period of around 200 years in total.

One event for many historians that signalled the end of the Crusades occurred in 1291 when the city of Acre was reclaimed by Muslim forces.

Christian forces never regained control of Jerusalem.

Find out more by working through a topic

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What were the Crusades? - The Crusades - KS3 History - BBC Bitesize

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Find out about why the Crusades began, the importance of the Holy Land and the role of the Church with BBC Bitesize KS3 History. For students aged between 11 to 14.

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An informative video to explain the concept of migration.