A knowledge organiser for Year 7 History covering the Crusades, including the Battle of Hattin and Council of Clermont.
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The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land.
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What’s Included
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• Key Knowledge: Core facts covering the Levant, the Holy Land, and the 200-year span of the Crusading movement.
• Key Vocabulary: Definitions for terms including Pilgrimage, Infidel, Christendom, and Excommunication.
• Key People: Profiles of significant figures such as Pope Urban II, Saladin, Richard I, and Alexios I Komnenos.
• Key Timeline: A chronological sequence of events from the Council of Clermont in 1095 to the Third Crusade in 1192.

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How to Use It
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1. Use Key Vocabulary as a starter, asking pupils to define terms like ‘Saracen’ or ‘Penance’ before the lesson begins.
2. Display Key Timeline during the lesson so pupils can track the shift in control from the Siege of Jerusalem to the Battle of Hattin.
3. Set Key People for homework, with pupils researching the rivalry between Richard I and Saladin ready for a piece of extended writing.

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Curriculum Coverage
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• KS3 National Curriculum — History (Year 7): Develop knowledge of the religious and political landscape of the medieval world.
• KS3 National Curriculum — History (Year 7): Establish a chronological understanding of the Crusades, identifying key events from the Council of Clermont to the Third Crusade.

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Last updated: 1 July 2026
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File Includes
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PDF file included.