Twitter Crusades

Title

Twitter Crusades

Creator

Kisha G. Tracy, Fitchburg State University

Instructions

  • Go to Twitter.com
  • Sign in as one (at a time) of the user names given to you in class.
  • Using your readings about the Crusades, create Tweets to correspond to the correct user name.
  • You are encouraged to do this outside of class as you are preparing for our discussion of the Crusades text. We will also be playing with the activity in class on November 7th.
  • For those unfamiliar with Twitter, when you sign in to each account, you will see a "Compose new Tweet..." box on the left. Type in your message (140 characters or less) and click "Tweet." That's it!
  • To claim credit for your Tweets, end them with your initials (ex. Reached Jerusalem #tired KT). [Note: Alyssa and Amanda, please use AlC and AmC, respectively; Krista, and Kenshin, KrM, and KenM, respectively]
  • As always, be respectful (this does not prevent you from being witty!) and remember this is a class activity on a public forum.
  • Look through the feeds and try not to be repetitive if possible.
  • Post as many Tweets as you like - no maximum!

Tips:
  • What can you post? Posts could be: factual, informative, witty, showing interaction with other characters, taken directly from a text, thought inspired by a text, etc. Use your imagination and/or stick closely to the readings.
  • Suggestion: have this up while you are reading and Tweet as you go, choosing the appropriate user name.
  • Creating hashtags (#) is allowed and encouraged.
  • You may ALSO want to leave messages for the other user names. You do this by putting an @symbol before the name and then typing your message. (ex. while Tweeting as WoLiSaladin, you might write: @WoLiRichardI May the best Saracen win)
  • To post Tweets for a different user name, you will have to sign out and then sign back in as another one.
  • As each of the user names, feel free to Retweet, Favorite, or anything else of which Twitter is capable. You can also Tweet links that are related by pasting in the URL.
  • You are welcome to do further research in order to add to your Tweets. (Two sources: Internet Medieval Sourcebook Selected Sources: The Crusades and Catholic Encyclopedia: Crusades)

Goals:
  • Read the texts closely as these different characters.
  • Based upon what you have learned, think about what is important to each one of them, their personalities, how they might talk about themselves and their enemies. Keep in mind these texts are part of the Unit on War.
  • Think about the relationships between these peoples during the Crusades by having some fun with the information!

Resources

Discussion of background to assignment and more details can be found at "Teaching the Crusades in a World Literature Survey Course Using Interactive Media: An Overview"

Outcomes

Activity Outcome
  • Students will be able to identify motivations, interactions, and historical characteristics of the Crusades texts.
Relevant Course Outcome
  • Students will be able to identify and analyze the textual, historical, and cultural contexts of works of literature.
  • Students will be able to read works of literature closely and thoroughly.

Files

Screenshot 2017-08-05 13.46.55.png

Collection

Citation

Kisha G. Tracy, Fitchburg State University, “Twitter Crusades,” Teaching the Middle Ages in Higher Ed, accessed March 29, 2024, https://medievalhighered.omeka.net/items/show/11.