Crossing Borders/Breaking Boundaries IV:
The Impact of Islamic Culture on the Arts of the Renaissance

July 19-26, 2004
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Lesson Title: Influences and Truth

Name: Laurie Barnes

School: North Dorchester Middle School

Grade: 7th grade social studies

Appropriate Grades: Middle to High School (6-12)

Discipline: History, Language Arts, Technology, and Science

Length: 4 – 5, 60 min. classes

Big Idea: Breaking the Mold: Stereotyping and Misconceptions of Muslims

Learner Outcomes:

History:
Analyze the major sources of tension, cooperation, and conflict in the world and the efforts that have been made to address them.

Geography:
Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time. Students will use geographic concepts and processes to understand location and its relationship to human activities.

Peoples of the Nations and World:
Students will understand the diversity, commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States and the World through a multicultural and historic perspective. Students will understand how people in Maryland, the United States, and around the world are alike and different.

Lesson Objectives: At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

  • Describe the major elements and beliefs of Muslims
  • Identify and explain how Islam spread across the globe
  • Compare and contrast their lives to the lives of Muslims
  • Explain how Islamic culture influenced European Culture

Abstract: In today’s society, many people have stereotypes about who and what a Muslim is. These misconceptions are a problem in the public school system because vast populations of Muslims are immigrating to this country. In this lesson, I hope to expose the truth about Islam and Muslims and prove that they are a valuable addition to this country and to western civilization. In the first part of this lesson, students will complete a web quest / treasure hunt about the rich and full culture of Muslims. This web quest will introduce the students to the basics of Islamic law and tradition. Throughout the web quest, it will be the students’ responsibility to “uncover the truth”. However, some websites have been provided to aid the students in their research. The end product of the first part of this lesson is a Venn diagram and a BCR on the similarities and differences of their (the students’) and Muslim culture.

The second part of the lesson focuses on the influences and contributions that the Muslim culture has had on the western world. Students will be placed into groups of two or three. Each group will be given a contribution or a great Muslim scholar to research. When students have completed their research, they will present their findings to the class. Students can present their findings in several different ways such as a PowerPoint presentation, a written report, a demonstration of the contribution, or a visual presentation. Their research can come from the Internet, books, or scholarly journals. Throughout this lesson students will not only work on their researching skills, but also their public speaking and presentation abilities and cooperative learning skills.

Lesson Components:

Day 1 - 2

Warm-Up: The following question will be on the board as the students enter the classroom -- In your opinion, what are the major religions of the world? Why do you think these religions have become so popular?

Modeling: Students will be shown how to get to the website and the directions will be explained. Website will be shown via a TV or LCD projector as the directions are explained.

Independent Practice: Web quest – Students will go to the website and begin their research according to the directions on the page. BCR has to be “polished”. Polished means with very few grammatical errors and is on a clean sheet of paper.

Assessment: Assessment and effectiveness will be based on the BCR and Venn Diagram. Informal assessment: At the last few minutes of class a series of questions will be asked to the class via “Tossing the ball”. (Tossing the ball = Teacher will start with the ball, and will toss out a question as she/he asks a question. Whoever catches the ball gets to answer or pass the question. Ball is thrown back to the teacher and a new question is asked.).

Day 2 – 4

Warm-Up: Students will copy and answer the following questions in their warm-up books -- What is the second largest religion in the world? What are some of the major beliefs of this religion?

Modeling / Expectations of Project: Students will be assigned a partner and a topic that they will research and present. The expectations and directions will be explained.

Independent Practice: Each pair of students will be assigned one of the following topics or people.

1. Glass Making
2. Trade
3. Mathematics
4. Leather Tanning
5. Irrigation Systems
6. Weapons and pyrotechnics
7. Vocabulary and Language
8. Chemistry
9. Hospitals and medicines
10. The astrolabe
11. Islamic Art
12. Al-Farabi
13. Razi
14. Ibn Sina
15. Ibn al-Baytar
16. Abu Bakr

Guidelines of project:
1. Each group has to provide at least two Internet Sources, and one book source that they based their research on.
2. Each group has to prepare at least 1 page description on their topic. This description has to be typed, be free from errors and contain factual information.
3. Each group has to create a visual for their project. This visual can be a PowerPoint or a poster depicting their object or person. It can even be a short multimedia clip as long as it is not the majority of their presentation. Each visual has to contain some facts on the topic, but should not contain the one page description.
4. Each group will have five-ten mins. to tell the class what their topic was about. During the presentation, the group has to tell the class the “Who, What, When, Why, How’s and Importance” of the topic.
5. While each group is presenting, everyone is responsible for filling out their note sheets for each topic (excluding their own of course). See Attached for Topic Note Sheets.

Assessment: Students will be assessed by the quality of their project.

Materials:
Computer Lab with Internet Connections
LCD projector or TV connected to an Internet ready computer
Reference books
Art supplies for visuals and projects Webquest
Venn Diagram
Websites such as:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/iraq/
http://islam.about.com/
http://www.islam-guide.com/
http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm

Plans for Lesson Assessment: Unit test about Islam

Keywords: Islamic Webquest, Islamic Treasure Hunt, Contributions of Muslims, Islamic Culture and Religion, Teaching Islam to Middle School, Middle School Treasure Hunt

 

Sponsored by
the Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
and the Maryland State Department of Education