Extra-Credit Opportunity - "The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross" on the History Channel this weekend!

Just received via email today!

Special Presentation: "The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross" (2 Parts)

Sunday, November 6th at 9PM/8c and Monday, November 7th

"For thousands of years, the holy lands of the Middle East have been the focus of intense conflict between three of the great religions of the world –Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. One of the deepest scars in the history of these territories was created in the medieval wars between Christians and Muslimsknown as the Crusades. At stake was Jerusalem, sacred to all three religions, and the control over the broader region surrounding it. Through viewing the Crescent and the Cross, students will build their knowledge of this era in global history and will discover the complex interweaving of politics, ethnicity, and religion that both enriches and plagues world events today. The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross details the history of the first three crusades, militaryinvasions by western Christians attempting to conquer Jerusalem and the Holy Lands that were ruled by Muslims. First initiated by Pope Urban II in 1095, the crusades were carried out by zealous kings, warriors, knights, men, women and children. Their motives ranged from the saintly to the greedy, and often fell somewhere in between. Their personal stories of leadership, triumph, heroics and demise are chronologically detailed, revealing an accurate and captivating portrayal through the use of contemporary primary sources written by Christian “Franks” (as western Europeans were called) and by Islamic scholars as well. The documentary includes interviews of an international array of acclaimed experts, maps of cities, trips to ancient battlefields and castles, and breath-taking re-enactments."

For more info, check out the home page for "The Crusades"! For EC, post an analytical comment to this announcement...

Lastly, there's also a $5000 debate contest associated with this program! Interested??