Marco Polo - The Silk Road

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter

Discussion:
Mongol improvements to safety, infrastructure
Life in a caravan
Deserts, mountains, cities

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Picture study

Marco Polo - Journey to the East

Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World by Nick McCarty

Discussion:
Leg 1: Venice to Hormuz
Length of journey - time it will take
Traveling on boat and in desert caravans

Activity:
History journal
Picture study
Map study

Medieval Europe - Marco Polo - Childhood and Early Travels

Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World by Nick McCarty

Discussion:
Marco Polo grows up in Venice
Marco's father and uncle travel throughout Asia and the Middle East
Why travel took so long back then

Activity:
History journal
Blank map of Europe and Asia (need to print it full size or this is pointless) - mark important stops on Niccolo and Maffeo's trip, and their route from Venice to Mongolia and back; learn/review important regions, rivers, and mountains in northern Asia and the Middle East

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The Crusades - Effects of the Crusades on Muslim and Christian States

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Financial difficulties of European states and citizens
Attitudes of Muslims towards Christians and vice versa
Exchange of information and culture, East and West
Trade routes, rise of trading cities, mercantilism

Activity:
History journal
Map study - trade routes, trading cities

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The Second Crusade

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Zengi and Baldwin III - Muslim re-conquests
Call to the Second Crusade - Bernard of Clairvaux
Failure of the Second Crusade

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Medieval Europe, Middle East, World - First Crusade - Battles

Documents relating to battles from The First Crusade by Edward Peters
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf
The Crusades by Timothy Biel

Discussion:
Nicea
Antioch
Jerusalem

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Recreate Siege of Jerusalem with Playmobil people

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The First Crusade - Journey to the Middle East

Documents relating to Pope Urban II from The First Crusade by Edward Peters
The Crusades by Timothy Biel

Discussion:
Justifications for the Crusade
Waves of the First Crusade - Peter the Hermit, Frankish (French nobles), official contingents
Journey and arrival

Activity:
History journal
Map study - origins of Crusaders, their routes, destinations

Medieval Europe - Charles Martel

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe by George Holmes, ed.

Discussion:
Review of Ummayad expansion to Spain
Battle of Poitiers
Beginning of the Carolingian era

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Ummayad expansion, Poitiers, Southern France (beginning of unification under Charles Martel)

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Harun al-Rashid

Wikipedia - Harun al-Rashid (yes, this is the best I could do)

Discussion:
Patron of the arts and sciences - Bayt al-Hikma
Relations with Charlemagne
Governing mistakes
Development as legendary figure

Activity:
History journal
Listening to some poetry and stories from centuries later about Harun al-Rashid (Thousand Nights and One Night, Tennyson, Longfellow, O. Henry, Haroun and the Sea of Stories)

Medieval World - Attila the Hun

Priscus at the court of Attila 

Discussion:
Expanding the Hunnic Empire
Major battles and campaigns
Manner and style of Hun warriors

Activity:
History journal
2'x3' Map of Europe/Asia - re-enact Attila's campaigns with Playmobil people

Medieval World - Hun Invasion

Discussion:
Origin(s) - where did the Huns come from?
Base near the Caspian Sea
Attacks on the borders of established empires (Roman, Byzantine, Sassanid)

Activity:
History journal
Map activity: possible routes of the Huns, locations over time - blank map

Medieval Middle East - Sassanid Empire - Geography and History

Ancient Iran by Massoume Price
Ancient Persia by Don Nardo
A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Persia - Location of Sassanids - proximity to Byzantine Empire
General overview of history from wars with Rome (Parthians) to tetrarchy
Government structure - bureaucracy and kingship

Activity:
History journal
Map study - location of the Sassanid Empire
Picture study - Sassanid artifacts