Crusades Activity – Persuasive Poster

In this post, I will be sharing a Crusades Activity – Persuasive Poster. 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 poster activity, includes us also recreating the Council of Clermont, where the speech was first given by Pope Urban II.

Introducing the Crusades Activity – Persuasive Poster

One of the children’s projects linked to this speech was to design and make a poster calling all Europeans to fight the “good fight” to regain control of the Holy Lands. The purpose of this Crusades Persuasion Homeschool Lesson was two-fold. Firstly, the children needed to apply the persuasive techniques they had been learning to make their poster as effective as possible. Secondly, and just as importantly, I wanted to introduce them to the concept of propaganda.

Half of our historical discussion this week centred around war propaganda and its associated power, so it felt only right that their finished piece should be, quite unapologetically, full-on propaganda!

Reflections on Homeschooling Older Children

Bearing in mind we had only been studying this topic since Monday, I was genuinely delighted by the ideas that came pouring out. In many ways, homeschooling becomes more challenging as the children get older. The subject matter deepens, the questions become more complex, and balancing everyone’s needs isn’t always straightforward.

That said, I can’t begin to express how much fun it is. I am incredibly fortunate to have fairly outspoken children who are more than capable of holding their own in a discussion. Add to that a household full of banter (helped along nicely by my Irish husband!), and you can imagine the lively atmosphere. Over the past year especially, I’ve noticed a real shift, they are more confident, more assertive, and far more willing to contribute thoughtfully to our little school.

Watching Ideas Come to Life

During this Crusades Persuasion Homeschool Lesson, I found myself stepping back quite often, simply to enjoy the to-ing and fro-ing of ideas. It’s one of my favourite parts of homeschooling.

Before starting, I had shown them a selection of propaganda posters from the Second World War, designed to persuade young men to enlist. We talked about what made them effective, what stood out, and how they made the viewer feel.

Choosing Powerful Imagery

It didn’t take long for the children to begin forming their own ideas. They quickly decided that, since the crusades are often referred to as religious wars, a cross would be the central image of their poster.

L10, who has recently begun to show a real artistic flair, had a very clear vision. She described in detail how the cross should look: not flat, but three-dimensional, with depth created through contrasting shades. She wanted it to be curved to reflect the beauty of the church, painted in a rich, deep gold to symbolise both virtue and divine purpose, and adorned lavishly to represent the heavenly rewards promised to those who took part.

It was wonderfully specific, and honestly, quite impressive.

Developing Persuasive Language

The others were quick to catch her enthusiasm, and soon the conversation turned to wording. They were keen to echo the tone and messaging used in the speech we had studied.

I suggested printing out key phrases for them to cut and stick onto the design, which they loved. We printed these onto red paper, symbolising blood, and added them to the cross, which was then decorated with jewels for extra impact.

Crafting the Message

When it came to the main slogan, they had several ideas.

One leaned heavily into fear and salvation:
“Earn your place in Heaven… fight to save the Holy Lands!”

Another tapped into that very human desire to feel needed:
“God needs YOU”

(This one was inspired by a First World War recruitment poster we had looked at earlier.)

Adding Historical Authenticity

In the end, however, they opted for something that felt both authentic and powerful. They chose to incorporate Latin from the speech itself.

The final wording read:
“The Holy Land needs YOU… Deus Vult!”

They were particularly taken with Deus Vult—“God wills it”—not only because it sounded striking, but because it was reportedly among the final rallying cries of the original speech.

Finishing Touches

To finish it off, we painted white card with silver acrylic, cut out the lettering, and carefully arranged it onto the poster. The standout detail, without a doubt, was the “Y” in “YOU”—crafted from three small swords to really draw the eye.

Crusades Activity – Persuasive Poster: Final Thoughts

This Crusades Activity – Persuasive Poster ended up being so much more than an art project. It became a hands-on exploration of rhetoric, belief, and influence.

And perhaps most importantly, it reminded us all just how powerful words and images can be.