Crusades Activity – Council of Clermont

In this Crusades Activity – Council of Clermont we create Medieval Scrolls with our own crusaders and role play the Council of Clermont in our living room, dressed up in a curtain! This is part of our study of Pope Urban II’s speech of 1095. This goes along with my ‘Crusades Persuasion Homeschool Lesson‘ which discusses different version of this speech and in addition to this recreation of the Council of Clermont, where the speech was first given by Pope Urban II, we also created a persuasive poster.

Crusades Activity – Council of Clermont: Making Propaganda Scrolls

As part of our Crusades Activity – Council of Clermont, we created leaflets designed to look like medieval scrolls, which we later handed out during our reenactment. This was a fantastic way to combine history, creativity, and a bit of hands-on crafting.

We started by using a free Word leaflet template and adapted it to suit our theme. I resized an image of our original poster and added it to the leaflet. To make it feel more authentic, we researched some simple Latin phrases to use as a headline, this really helped set the medieval tone.

The children then dictated what they wanted the leaflet to say, and I typed it up as they spoke. Their goal was clear: to persuade knights to fight for their Holy Lands, just as Pope Urban II had done in 1095. The whole process was quick, taking less than an hour, but incredibly effective.

Printing and Design Choices

For our Crusades Activity: Council of Clermont, we printed the leaflets onto parchment-style paper in black and white. While we did talk about how printing didn’t exist in the same way during the Middle Ages, this approach made the activity more accessible and practical, plus it’s a useful skill for future projects.

We made an effort to choose fonts and layouts that reflected medieval styles, helping the children think carefully about presentation and historical accuracy. Of course, creating these by hand would have been even more authentic, but this was a great balance between realism and practicality.

Adding Persuasive Propaganda

The children thoroughly enjoyed filling their scrolls with as much persuasive language as possible. During this Crusades Activity: Council of Clermont, they drew on ideas inspired by Pope Urban II’s famous speech—appealing to bravery, faith, and duty.

This was a brilliant opportunity to explore the concept of propaganda in a way that was accessible and engaging. The children naturally picked up on how powerful language can influence people’s decisions.

Sealing the Scrolls

Once the leaflets were complete, we rolled them into scrolls and sealed them using a wax stamp. We used a medieval wax stub and seal that we had picked up at a reenactment of the Battle of Hastings the previous year, which made the experience even more special.

The process included:

• Dripping melted wax onto the paper
• Pressing the seal firmly into the wax
• Watching the design appear as it cooled

The finished scrolls looked fantastic and really brought the activity to life.

Crusades Activity – Council of Clermont: Role Play and Reenactment

To finish our Crusades Activity: Council of Clermont, the children dressed up—one took on the role of the Pope, while the others became knights. We then staged our own version of the Council of Clermont.

This role-play element helped the children fully immerse themselves in the historical moment. By handing out their scrolls and delivering their messages, they gained a deeper understanding of how events like the First Crusade were sparked.

Why This Crusades Activity Works So Well

This Crusades Activity: Council of Clermont combines:

• History learning
• Creative writing
• Art and design
• Hands-on crafting
• Drama and role play

It’s an engaging, memorable way to help children understand a complex historical event in a way that feels real and meaningful.