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
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