Unit 5:
Emerging Europe,
the Byzantine Empire,
and the Crusades
(Chapters 6, 9-10)
PROJECT A OPTIONS
PROJECT 1A: You may take the following set of vocabulary terms/key concepts from your textbook and class notes, and
on plain notebook paper, neatly HANDWRITE the following things for EACH WORD:
1. The definition as it pertains to the content of this unit (32 pts)
2. A sentence that properly uses the word or term in a related way as exemplified in this unit—its purpose is to
show me that you know how the word should be properly used in the context of this unit. Sentences should
also not be so simple that they are a 4-5 word sentence (32 pts). So, here is one example:
QURAN: This is the Islamic holy book that explains the principles by which followers of the religion
are expected to live by.
“The Quran is considered as precious to Muslims as the Holy Bible is to Christians.”
(NOTE: whether you use the term as a noun, adjective, or something else, does not matter to me—as long
as you use it in its appropriate context. If your sentence does not make sense or you do not accurately
demonstrate the concept, you will not earn full points)
3. Formatting and presentation should be neat, as well as grammatical usage and sentence structure.
I expect you to skip lines between each definition and sentence and the following definition and
sentence, etc. for organizational purposes. Ask if you are uncertain (11 pts)
The terms and key concepts you must write a definition and sentence for include all the following:
SHEIKH
HAJJ
SHIITE
MOSQUE
MINARET
ORDEAL
MONASTICISM
FEUDALISM
FEUDAL CONTRACT
MAGNA CARTA
CRUSADES
MONEY ECONOMY
LAYINVESTITURE
INQUISITION
SCHOLASTICISM
NEW MONARCHIES
QURAN
SHARI’AH
SUNNI
BAZAAR
MUEZZIN
BISHOPRIC
MISSIONARY
VASSAL
TOURNAMENT
ESTATE
INFIDEL
COMMERCIAL CAPITALISM
INTERDICT
RELIC
BLACK DEATH
TAILLE
ISLAM
CALIPH
VIZIER
DOWRY
ARABESQUE
POPE
NUN
KNIGHT
CHIVALRY
PATRIARCH
MANOR
GUILD
SACRAMENT
THEOLOGY
ANTI-SEMITISM
HIJRAH
JIHAD
SULTAN
ASTROLABE
WERGILD
MONK
ABBESS
FIEF
COMMON LAW
SCHISM
SERF
MASTERPIECE
HERESY
VERNACULAR
GREAT SCHISM
PROJECT 2A: Create a miniature biography about a famous person during the era of Byzantine Europe. You must choose
one of the following individuals and then follow the directions that continue below the list of names:
CLOVIS
CHARLES MARTEL
WILLIAM OF NORMANDY
KING EDWARD I
ALEXANDER NEVSKY
SALADIN
RICHARD THE LIONHEARTED
KING FERDINAND
KING HENRY V
KING HENRY IV
SAINT BENEDICT
CHARLEMAGNE/CHARLES THE GREAT
ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE
KING PHILIP II
EMPEROR JUSTINIAN
SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
FREDERICK BARBAROSA
POPE BONIFACE VIII
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS
POPE GREGORY VII
POPE GREGORY I
KING HENRY II
THOMAS A BECKET
KING OTTO I
POPE URBAN II
POPE INNOCENT III
QUEEN ISABELLA
KING PHILIP IV
ARISTOTLE
After choosing a person, you must use your textbook/notes and additional research, to find information about this
person regarding the following topics and put that content in your book. If you have difficulty locating any of this
information for your chosen person, discuss the issues with the teacher (in advance/prior to the eve of the due date).
1. Date and place of birth (4 pts)
2. Date and place of death (4 pts)
3. Any family information—minimum of four facts (could be in reference to parents, siblings, spouse, children,
etc.) (8 pts)
4. Notable achievements/contributions to European and/or world history—should have a minimum of six facts
(will vary and could involve documents signed, decisions made, wars waged, countries ruled, etc.) (12 pts)
5. Any other interesting or miscellaneous facts about the individual—should be a minimum of five facts (10
pts)
Besides incorporating the above five topics in your book, you must meet the following requirements:
1. Presented information about the individual is developed in a clear and organized fashion—like a book
would be—so it’s easy to follow. This book is to be compiled entirely on the computer. You are
encouraged to either present information on each page as facts under appropriate headings or as an
easy-to follow narrative. (5 pts)
2. You include at least 8 different pictures of the person and/or related images within the book (perhaps
family, place where he/she lived, maps related to wars he/she were involved in, images related to
his/her achievements, etc.) Each of these pictures must be accompanied with a caption that is in
addition to any other text already on the page. (8 pts)
3. A cover page is included that states the name of the person you researched as well as your name as the
author, and a picture of the book’s subject (5 pts)
4. Your book is between 10-15 pages long (this does not include the cover page) (10 pts)
5. Your book is no larger than 8 ½ x 11 inches (2 pt)
6. Have solid binding of some type so the book is held together properly (string, staples, etc.) (2 pts)
7. Include color and creativity in your book. Consider font styles, color pictures, color paper, border
designs, overall layout, etc. (5 pts)
8. An element of neatness and professionalism is exhibited in the project in terms of grammar, spelling,
and design layout. This book is to be made entirely on a computer---it cannot be hand-drawn/compiled
(5 pts)
PROJECT 3A: You may complete the following sections of the Chapter 6 textbook review (pages 212-213), Chapter 9
textbook review (pages 310-311), and Chapter 10 review questions (pages 342-343). Answers must be handwritten and
clearly organized into sections with appropriate labels (5 pts). All of the following listed sections must be completed to
earn full points, but not every section on the pages in your book must be done, so read the list below carefully:
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Page 212 “Using Key Terms” #1-10 (5 pts)
Page 212 “Reviewing Key Facts” #11-20 (10 pts)
Page 212 “Critical Thinking” #21-22 (4 pts)
Page 213 “Analyzing Maps and Charts” #28-30 (3 pts)
Page 310 “Using Key Terms” #1-10 (5 pts)
Page 310 “Reviewing Key Facts” #11-20 (10 pts)
Page 310 “Critical Thinking” #21-22 (2 pts)
Page 311 “Analyzing Sources” #24-25 (2 pts)
Page 311 “Analyzing Maps and Charts” #28-30 (3 pts)
Page 342 “Using Key Terms” #1-10 (5 pts)
Page 342 “Reviewing Key Facts” #11-25 (15 pts)
Page 342 “Critical Thinking” #26-27 (2 pts)
Page 343 “Making Decisions (2 pts)
Page 343 “Analyzing Maps and Charts” #33-34 (2 pts)
PROJECT 4A: Medieval architecture is something to marvel. Stained glass windows in churches were used to tell Bible
stories or commemorate saints and popes of the church in such a way that even someone who was illiterate could learn
from the window and understand what was going on in the picture. Pretend you have been commissioned to design
some stained glass windows for a church in Europe. You must design four windows and briefly explain your inspiration
behind them. Details are as follows:
1. Use four sheets of 8 ½ x 11” white paper to design your stained glass windows. These windows may be circular,
rectangular, or arched (ask if uncertain of these descriptions), and you must first design the outside shape of
your windows. All your windows can be the same shape, or you can have several different shapes. The shape
must take up the majority of the space on each paper drawn, however—so draw the largest shapes you can for
the paper size (one window design per paper) (8 pts)
2. Then design the interior of each window. Think of how stained glass windows look in churches and/or look at
online images to help you if necessary. Window designs are usually “dissected” by many black lines (because of
the way the stained glass is poured into the spaces), so be sure to incorporate that into you design for each (8
pts). Each window must also have a clear, Christian design/theme—again, they should commemorate a Bible
story, Christian virtue, sacrament, or famous figure, etc. Additionally, each window should be unique in its own
way—without all four being exact replicas of each other. They must also not be exact replicas of ones found on
the Internet or in real-life (25 pts)
3. Color your windows with bright, bold color—that is a necessary aspect of stained glass windows. Be sure to
keep overall outlines and interior lines black, however—I suggest a black fine-tipped marker (12 pts)
4. Attached to the back of each finished windows should be a single, typed or neatly handwritten explanation
about each window. It should be a 5-6 sentence paragraph that explains what you draw as your design for each
window and why—be specific. In other words, think of the inspiration behind them—does it show your favorite
Bible story, patron saint, etc.? (25 pts)
5. The windows should be completed neatly—void of smudges and pencil marks, and the essay portions should use
proper grammar and spelling. (5 pts)
PROJECT 5A: You must make a chart on a full or half-sized-poster board that compares the three major religions of
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Get the poster board from Mrs. Swanson. Use your textbook, notes, and/or
independent research to make comparisons on the following topics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
FOUNDERS OF THE FAITH
HOLY BOOKS OF WORSHIP
REGULAR PLACES OF WORSHIP
FAMOUS LOCATIONS SIGNIFICANT TO THE FAITH
WORDS USED IN REFERENCE TO “GOD”
BASIC FORM S OF WORSHIP
NOTABLE PROPHETS
TERMS USED TOWARDS RELIGIOUS LEADERS
You will be graded on the following criteria:
1. Presence of the overall heading: “Comparing the Faiths” (2 pts)
2. Information is organized in a chart-like fashion—ask for guidance if unsure. One set of titles for your
rows/columns should be the three individual faiths, and the other set should be the eight topics you are
researching as listed above. (10 pts)
3. All the topics for comparing the faiths that are listed above must be included and accurately represented
by researched information. Make sure you do your research. Some topics require more information to
be included on the poster than others. Again, ask for clarification if uncertain. (40 pts)
4. At least eight pictures or images relative to the subjects being compared must be incorporated into the
chart—such as a picture of prophets, holy books, places of worship, traditions, etc.) (8 pts)
5. The space of the poster board must be entirely filled by the chart—plan your rows and columns out well
so there is no excess white space that goes unused. (5 pts)
6. Demonstrate neatness and professionalism in writing, gluing, organization, drawing the chart lines, etc.
Be sure to use fine-tipped markers to write your information on the chart so that the data stands out
nice and bold against the colored background. (10 pts)
PROJECT 6A: Do you have an idea for a project that you think would be a great way to get a more in-depth review of the
content we are studying? Are you curious about a specific topic from the unit you would like to delve more in to?
Would you like to do write a paper on an aspect of medieval culture, knighthood, the Black Death, or the Crusades? Do
you want to do something regarding the history behind a medieval legend, such as Robin Hood? Any ideas must be
discussed with the instructor PRIOR to beginning work on it, because INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL is necessary for the
project to be done and to receive a grade for it. If you do not have instructor approval of a self-created project at least 1
week in advance of the due date, you cannot do it. The instructor must approve and establish criteria for grading
requirements on the project so the student has guidance on what is expected.
PROJECT B OPTIONS
PROJECT 1B: You may take a full or half-sheet of poster board (get it from Mrs. Swanson) and use it to show how one
aspect of our lives today has changed since the Byzantine/medieval era. This will involve some outside research on your
own. The possible topics you may choose from include the following:
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN WARFARE
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN DRESS
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN FOODS
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN ENTERTAINMENT
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN HOUSING
THEN AND NOW—MEDIEVAL AND MODERN EDUCATION
After choosing a topic, you must create a poster board that incorporates the following requirements:
1. It must have your chosen topic boldly stated as your “title” or “heading” somewhere on the poster (2 pts)
2. You must present at least 30 facts about your chosen topic presented on the poster board—15 facts about
“then” and 15 facts about “now” for whatever subject you chose. These facts should be presented in
bulleted format and appear in your own words. (30 pts)
3. You must include at least 10 pictures/images that appropriately support your information with brief
captions that identify the image and tie it to your topic. These captions must be above and beyond the 30
facts otherwise presented on the poster. (20 pts)
4. All content on the poster board must clearly relate to one of the above, specific topics that is part of this
unit (5 pts)
5. You must incorporate color and creativity into the poster somehow—whether in the pictures, borders
lettering styling, background design, etc. (8 pts)
6. You must demonstrate neatness in organization, layout, lettering, designing, cutting, gluing, and overall
presentation. Make sure there are no pencil marks visible. It should look professional and clear that you
put time into the poster and the research behind it. (10 pts)
PROJECT 2B: Get a packet of information about heraldry from Mrs. Swanson, as well as a blank shield design. You must
create your own crest based on medieval traditions and heritage, and then explain your rationale. Specific criteria for
this project are as follows—if you are confused at any time, please ask. Instructions continue onto the next page too:
1. You must begin by choosing an overall shield layout design for your coat of arms that mimics one of those from
actual history, as provided on page 1 of your packet (2 pts)
2. You must choose one or more specific line design for your coat of arms that mimic those found on page 2 of
your packet (2 pts)
3. You chose two or more colors for your coat of arms that mimics those found on page 2 of your packet. Only
those colors listed may be used in your shield design (5 pts)
4. You chose one or more specific symbols from history as provided on pages 3-8 of your packet. The symbol(s)
you choose must be one of the heraldic beasts, plants, or other charges specifically shown in the packet. You
cannot create your own image as the shield you design is meant to be based on history (10 pts)
5. You color the helmet, wreath, and mantle design around your shield using color options that are found on page
2 of your packet (5 pts)
6. You write a personal motto in the banner below your shield that represents you (your beliefs, standards, ideas,
goals, attitude toward life, etc.) It should be a short phrase (5 pts)
7. Your coloring must be done neatly and professionally. It should clearly have taken time to color all the aspects
of your crest, and should show evidence of carefulness and attention to detail in your work. Also be sure any
drawing and writing was neatly done—avoid scribbles, excess pencil marks, etc. (10 pts)
8. Attached to your completed shield/crest, you must have a typed essay that explains why you chose all the colors
and symbols you did. Specifically, you must address the following:
a. Why did you choose the initial shield layout design you did (of the options on page 1) (2 pts)
b. Why did you choose the line design on the shield that you did (from page 2)? (2 pts)
c. Why did you choose the colors for the crest that you did (from page 2)? Be specific. (5 pts)
d. Why did you choose the heraldic beast, plant, and/or charge(s) that you did (from pages 3-8 in your
packet)? Be specific in your explanation (5 pts)
e. Why did you write the motto you did to represent you? Elaborate. (2 pts)
9. You essay should be 12-15 sentences altogether and be presented in paragraph format, not bullets/numbers (12
pts)
10. Your essay should be typed and maintain proper grammar, spelling, and sentence structure throughout it (8 pts)
PROJECT 3B: Pretend you are a medieval king or queen, and you are preparing to design your own castle for your family
to live in. This castle serves not only as your home but also as a source of safety against enemies. What features would
you give your castle? You must do the following:
1. Design a castle that will serves as a homey place for you and your family to live, as well as your many servants.
Medieval castles had many variable features—refer to page 294 in your textbook to get started—but look up
other examples online. Many images are available and will be helpful in your planning. Use regular 8 ½ x 11”
white paper to create your design. Your design must include labels to note what the various features of your
castle are. Designs should show all aspects and features of the castle both inside and outside. (25 pts)
2. The castle design should remain black and white (no color) and all pencil lines used in the initial drawing of the
castle should be covered with black fine-tipped marker or otherwise erased. It cannot remain in pencil. (5 pts)
3. The castle design and labels should take up the majority of space on the sheet of paper used. It should not be so
small a picture that details cannot be visible or labels cannot be easily read. (5 pts)
4. Accompanying your design, you must type a 1-1 ½ page paper (single spaced) describing your castle and
responding to three questions posed below. This paper should follow the format and subject matter presented
below (in the exact order presented here). Note that the questions continue onto the next page (5 pts):
a. As the royal matriarch or patriarch of your family, briefly describe the members of your family (names
and approximate ages). You can pretend to be true to life and describe your real family, or you can
make up a fictitious family. This description will help show how many “royal” people are living with you
(5-6 sentences) (5 pts)
b. Explain the “highlights” of your castle. You can’t possibly mention everything about it, but explain the
most notable points about it. Why is your castle the coolest one around, and why will it ensure the
happiness and safety of your family in Europe? Elements discussed here should be specific, and should
be appropriately labeled on your design diagram as well---though you will generally have even more
labeled elements of your castle than what you can explain here. (10-15 sentences) (10 pts)
c. Explain how many servants you will have living with you in the castle. Be specific in describing their
numbers and jobs for accommodating you and your family. Explain also the area of the castle where the
servants live and sleep—this should also have been noted on your design (10-15 sentences). (10 pts)
5. The explanation paper and castle design should be neatly done—without marker smudges, misspellings, pencil
lines, punctuation/grammatical errors, etc. (10 pts)
PROJECT 4B: You must get a set of four articles from Mrs. Swanson and then read and analyze them under the theme
“Were the Crusades Just?” One of the passages is from the Catechism and three of them are from historians. After
reading them, you must respond with essays to the following set of questions. Essays must be typed and clearly
labeled/organized by each question being asked (5 pts). Pay attention to sentence lengths stipulated below, and
questions/requirements continue onto the next page:
1. Considering the first element of the Catholic Church’s “Just War: doctrine, do you believe the crusades did meet
the requirement that stated: “the damage inflicted by the aggressor (enemy) on the nation or
community…must be lasting, grave and certain”? In other words, were the early Christians truly “wronged”
bad enough to justify the assault(s)? You may answer yes or no, but must explain yourself specifically through
facts from the readings, class, movie excerpts, etc. (10 pts) Response must be 6-8 sentences long (5 pts)
2. Considering the second element of the Catholic Church’s “Just War” doctrine, do you believe the crusades did
meet the requirement that stated: “all other means of putting an end to it (the conflict) must have been
shown to be impractical or ineffective”? In other words, do you think the early Christians simply overreacted
and started fighting when they could have been more diplomatic, or do you think we were not in a position to
do any diplomacy/negotiation? Again, you may answer yes or now, but must explain yourself fully with specific
facts from the readings, class, movie excerpts, etc. (10 pts) Response must be 6-8 sentences long (5 pts)
3. Considering the third element of the Catholic Church’s “Just War” doctrine, do you believe the crusades did
meet the requirement that stated: “there must be serious prospects of success (before a war effort is
begun)”? So in other words, do you think the odds would have been in our favor to wage this war against the
Muslims? State your opinion & explain with specific facts (10 pts) Response must be 6-8 sentences long (5 pts)
4. Considering the fourth element of the Catholic Church’s “Just War” doctrine, do you believe the crusades did
meet the requirement that stated: “the use of arms must not produce evils or disorders graver than the evil to
be eliminated…”? In other words, were the early Christians excessive in their means or interest in waging war?
Otherwise, was more damage done in the long run overall than the good that came out of the war? State your
opinion with full elaboration (10 pts) Response must be 6-8 sentences long (5 pts)
5. What do you think about the pope stating that those who fought in the crusades could have their sins
forgiven and death during the war meant a certain presence in Heaven? Explain your thoughts (3 pts)
Response must be 4-6 sentences long (2 pts)
6. In your opinion, what do you think Jesus Christ would have said about the crusades if he could be/could have
been interviewed at the time)? Would He have supported them, been indifferent to them, or condemned
them? Explain your thoughts (3 pts) Response must be 4-6 sentences long (2 pts)
PROJECT 5B: Pretend you are living in a medieval town when suddenly your fellow townspeople start dying from the
Bubonic Plague (Black Death). You want to stay in town and try to “ride out the storm,” but the rest of your family
wants to leave. Create a scripted dialogue about the conversation that occurs between you and your family that
includes the reasons each side feels the way they do. Details of this assignment are as follows:
1. You must type a “script” that presents the fictional dialogue that takes place between you and your family
regarding the topic given in the introduction of this project. The script must focus entirely on this overall topic
(10 pts). Furthermore, think of this as being like a script that would be used in a play. So, the following
elements must be included:
a. You must present the “setting” where this discussion is happening---pick a real life town and country in
Europe that was affected by the plague (look at the map on page 336 to assist you) (2 pts)
b. Characters must also be identified and described at the beginning of your script. List the names of all
your immediate family members and briefly describe them (ages and appearance, for instance) since
they are the “characters” of this script. Be authentic and true to life in discussing family members.
Don’t forget to include yourself as one of the characters. (5 pts)
c. Then you must create the scripted dialogue between you and the other characters. Each character must
be include at some point within the dialogue, though some characters will likely speak more than
others—yourself definitely being one of them. Be sure that as you create your dialogue—always be
making a note of who is speaking. (10 pts) For example:
SUSY: “Why do we have to leave here---I love this place!”
JONATHEN: “But, Susy, I agree with our brother. I am afraid of getting sick!”
DAD: “Kids, we have to talk about this. I don’t understand why Alex doesn’t want to leave
but we have to take time to think about this. This is a family decision.
d. Within your script, you must provide at least at least three clear reasons for each side about why it
would be wise to leave the town and why it would not be wise. Be specific in your reasoning—don’t just
state each reason—they must each be elaborated on and explained within the script. This may require
some outside research on the Plague to help you construct your arguments (18 pts).
e. Your script must end with an overall decision being made—what will your family decide to do? It all
depends on whose argument is stronger (5 pts).
2. Be sure to format your script as the sample dialogue shown above—skip lines between responses by different
characters. This makes for neatness in formatting and following the discussion. (5 pts)
3. Be sure to use Times New Roman, 12 pt font in your typing (1-inch margins). The entire script must be a
minimum of five full pages long. It can definitely be longer, but think of it as though this discussion will take
about 10-20 minutes in real time to discuss—so it cannot be shorter than five full pages of text. (15 pts)
4. Be sure to maintain overall neatness in your spelling and grammar while composing this script. (5 pts)
PROJECT 6B: Do you have an idea for a project that you think would be a great way to get a more in-depth review of the
content we are studying? Are you curious about a specific topic from the unit you would like to delve more in to? Do
you want to build and explain a detailed model of something? Do you want to put together a PowerPoint presentation
to share with the class? Do you want to analyze the effect of the Magna Carta on the development of future
government styles? Any ideas must be discussed with the instructor PRIOR to beginning work on it, because
INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL is necessary for the project to be done and to receive a grade for it. If you do not have
instructor approval of a self-created project at least 1 week in advance of the due date, you cannot do it. The instructor
must approve and establish criteria for grading requirements on the project so the student has guidance on what is
expected.