Lesson Plan: Spain and the Reconquista Date: 12.02.

18
Length of Session: 50 minutes

Seminar Aims To look at what our sources actually tell us about 10-12C Iberian
society

To reconsider the Reconquista model

To think about the assessment & how we can do well on it.

Supporting Power-point.
Materials /
Handouts
Room Equipment / Projector.
Arrangement

Timing Subject/ Activity/Notes PP

Heading slides
0-3 Introduction & - Ask for any questions on the lecture 1-2
minutes housekeeping - Remind them of assessment deadlines.
- Explain seminar aims
3-18 What do the - Intro the sources 3
minutes sources tell us? - What can the sources tell us about 10-12C Iberian society?
- 10 minutes to read sources & discuss. 5 minutes class
discussion.
18-38 Reconquista - Intro Reconquista idea 4
minutes debate - Do we think it’s an accurate model?
- 15 minutes to consider the arguments around it and the stuff
the sources have said. 5 minutes class discussion.
38-50 Assessment help - Remind them assessment due in 1 week. Aim of this bit is to 5
minutes re-cap about it until the end of the session (roughly 10 mins)
- What are the basics of source analysis first? (Who, what,
when, where, why)
- What other, more advanced elements should we consider?
(Importance of the basic stuff for our understanding of it?
The position of the extract in the greater whole of the
text/author’s works? Scholarly discourse on it/the themes it
addresses? Tone?
- Lastly, ask if they have any questions on the assessment.

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Issues to cover

Slide 3: Iberian sources

- What do they tell us about Iberian society? – co-operation between muslims and Christians
(Bishop working with the muslim army). A christian view on conquest (God granting victory).
Hints at ideas of retaking, but seemingly in the background (in the song of the cid it’s behind
worldly gain, in the chronicle about the formation of Alfonso’s kingdom). Also in the Song of
the Cid: a growing aristocratic audience? Work is designed to entertain, sign of elite culture?

Slide 4: Reconquista Debate

- Is it an accurate model for this period? – born out of the 19C, nationalism, humiliation and
such. Sources show elements of retaking and crusading style language, but before then
things are much more complex. Christian-Muslim cooperation. Christian kings taking tribute
off muslim rulers. Not until mid-late 12C we see a more aggressive, crusadey style rhetoric
about it.

Slide 5: Assessment help.

- What are the basics of Source Analysis? – Who, what, when, where, why etc?
- What are the more advanced/other points to consider? - (Importance of the basic stuff
for our understanding of it? The position of the extract in the greater whole of the
text/author’s works? Scholarly discourse on it/the themes it addresses? Tone?

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Reflections: