The Impact of Islamic Culture on the Arts of the Renaissance

Getting MSDE Credit

The Impact of Islamic Culture on the Arts of the Renaissance is designed to help teachers meet the Maryland State Department of Education Core Learning Goals.

Lectures and workshops will provide cultural context and historical background for teachers of the fine arts, language arts, and social studies. Workshops will address, more specifically, the ways in which the topic under consideration will fulfill curricular imperatives.

For High School:

World History Core Learning Goals for high schools in the State of Maryland now place increased emphasis on students' understanding of the history, diversity, and the commonality of people of the nation and world.

• Goal 2.1, "Peoples of the Nation and the World," suggests "The student will demonstrate an understanding of the history, diversity, and commonality of the peoples of the nation and the world, the reality of human interdependence, and the need for global cooperation, through a perspective that is both historical and multicultural."
• Indicator 2.1.1 cites "The Spread and Influence of Islam," and "The Achievements and Influences of the Renaissance" as content that can be used to achieve this particular learning goal.

English Core Learning Goals for high schools in the State of Maryland also require knowledge and understanding of world literature. The workshop "Oriental Stories in Early Modern Europe: Wondrous Journeys and Talking Beasts," will help teachers as they address the following Core Learning Goals:

• Goal 1.2, The student will construct, examine, and extend meaning of traditional and contemporary works recognized as having significant literary merit.
• Goal 1.3, The student will explain and give evidence to support perceptions about print and non-print works.

For Middle School:

Indicators for the Fine Arts require students to understand how artwork reflects and influences beliefs, customs, and values of a society. The objectives include a comparison of the historical, social, and cultural themes in selected artwork that communicate the beliefs and customs or values of a particular society.

Indicators for World History ask students to demonstrate an understanding of the history, diversity, and commonality of the peoples of the nation and world, the reality of human interdependence, and the need for global cooperation, through a perspective that is both historical and multicultural. This program will provide teachers with information about the Renaissance and Islamic cultures and thus will enable them to share this information with their students.