Lesson Title: Islamic Conviviencia and Christian Inquisition
Name: Anne Dorwart
School: Century High School
Grades taught: 9 to 12
Grade level appropriate: 11th World History
Discipline: Social Studies
Duration: 2 – 3 class periods of 90 minutes
Big idea: Morality and Treatment of Others
Essential Learner Outcomes: See lesson,
Stage 1 Maryland Core Learning Goals for World History
Lesson Objectives: See lesson,
Stage 1 Essential Unit Outcomes
Abstract: Students will compare and contrast the Islamic
tolerance of Jews and Christians to the Christian/Catholic intolerance
in Spain and analyze the long-term impacts of these policies. Students
will then use this historical lesson to determine how much religious freedom
should be granted to a country’s citizens in today’s world.
Lesson Components : see lesson,
Stage 3
Materials/Resources: Student textbook; The Koran;www.islamicity.com;
www.encarta.msn.com; Goodard, Hugh.
A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. (Chicago: New Amsterdam
Books, 2000).; Hamid, Abdul Ali, trans. Moral Teachings of Islam:
Prophetic Traditions from al-Adad al-mufrad by Imam al-Bukhari. (Walnut
Creek: Altamira Press, 2003).
Assessment: see lesson, Stage
2
Keywords: Islam, Christianity, Religious Tolerance,
Conviviencia, Ottoman Empire, Catholic Monarchs, Spain, Ferdinand and
Isabella, Suleiman, millet
Anne Dorwart, Century High School
LESSON PLAN 2-3 90-minute mods
Keywords: Islam, Christianity,
Religious Toleration, Conviviencia
COURSE: World History (High School Juniors)
UNIT 2 – the Non-Western World: Islamic Conviviencia and Christian
Inquisition
STAGE 1 - DESIRED RESULTS |
MARYLAND CORE LEARNING GOALS FOR WORLD HISTORY:
CLG 2.1.A: THE STUDENT WILL ANALYZE THE EMERGENCE AND DIFFUSION
OF CIVILIZATIONS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MODERN WORLD.
CLG 2.3.A.2: THE STUDENT WILL DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HOW REGIONAL
DIFFERENCES OR SIMILIARITIES IN RELIGION, RESOURCE ALLOCATION,
LANGUAGE, POLITIICAL BELIEFS, OR OTHER FACTORS MAY LEAD TO COOPERATION,
CONFLICT, AND/OR MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE.
CLG 3.2.A.3: THE STUDENT WILL EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON
A REGION.
CLG 4.1.A.2: THE STUDENT WILL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS WITH
WHICH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE UTILIZED SPECIALIZATION AND
TRADE TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC SCARCITY AND UNEQUAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
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Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that . . .
1. The religion of the people in charge of a country or empire
tends to become the dominant or state supported religion.
2. Depending on time, period, and place, those in power either
tolerated or suppressed other religions or religious beliefs and
practices.
3. In a multi-religious society it is difficult to determine to
what extent people should have religious freedom.
4. The treatment of people of various religions has impacted the
growth or decline of countries’ and empires’ economies.
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Essential Questions:
1. Why did the Muslim rulers of Spain and the Ottoman Empire
permit religious toleration of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians?
2. What impacts did this tolerance have on the cultural, political
and economic life of Muslim Spain and the Ottoman Empire?
3. Why did the Catholic Monarchs end the conviviencia of the Muslim
rulers?
4. How did Spain’s political, cultural and, most importantly,
economic life change when the conviviencia of the Muslim rulers
was replaced by the rule of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella
I of Castile?
5. Given the historical comparison of these two different societies,
to what extent should a country in today’s world permit
religious freedom? Why?
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Essential Unit Outcomes:
Students will . . .
1. Examine the religious basis for the Muslim toleration of Jews
and Christians in Islamic society.
2. Research the laws governing religious minorities in al-Andalus,
the Ottoman Empire, and Catholic Spain, and compare and contrast
the way Muslims and Christians treated those of different religions
under their rule.
3. Analyze and evaluate how this treatment impacted the political,
cultural and economic growth or decline of the societies under
study, especially noting the long-term impacts of the expulsion
of Jews and Moors from Spain, and the relative prosperity of the
Ottoman Empire as a result of accepting those people expelled
from Spain.
4. Extrapolate from historical precedents and form their own opinions
regarding the treatment of religious groups in modern day societies.
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STAGE 2 - ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE |
Performance Tasks:
1. Opinion essay on religious toleration in the modern day world,
using the historical examples as evidence and support for their
position.
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Other Evidence:
1. Questions on a traditional test or quiz as appropriate.
2. Comparison chart of the Muslim and Christian societies’
treatment of religious groups other than the state supported religion
and the long-term impacts of this treatment.
3. Informal assessment through classroom discussion.
4. Textbook or other readings as assigned with appropriate questions
for thought and analysis.
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STAGE 3 - LEARNING PLAN |
List of Learning Activities:
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NOTE: The previous day(s) students should have
been introduced to the religious beliefs and early history and spread
of Islam. In Unit 1 – The Western World to 1815, students
studied the unification of Spain, the expulsion of the Jews and
Moors, the Spanish Inquisition and its spread, and the immediate
impacts of these policies on Spain. In accordance with Century High
policy, students had a nightly homework assignment that extended
the knowledge of what they learned in the previous class mod(s).
In this case, students were assigned a reading on the Moorish invasion
of the Iberian peninsula in 711 and the establishment and society
of al-Andalus. (Reading will be ready for November’s meeting.)
1. Preview activity: Students will be given the attached scenario
and asked to respond in writing. A class discussion of several responses
should elicit conversation on the following questions – to
what extent does forcing people to convert help or hinder a society’s
development? How “true” can those conversions be considered?
What impacts does religious toleration or freedom have on a society?
Explain that students will be analyzing and evaluating the policies
and impacts of those policies of two different dominant religions
– Christianity and Islam. {Time 15 to 20 minutes} (Scenario
regarding forcing students to do something exclusively to come in
November.)
2. Review prior knowledge with students from the previous day and
from their homework reading. (As per usual, the homework questions
were turned in as students entered the classroom into the appropriate
in-box for their mod.) {5 – 10 minutes}
3. Explain that the society of al-Andalus practiced religious toleration
as did a later Muslim empire, the Ottoman Empire. Inform students
that this religious toleration was and still is a requirement of
the Islamic religion. Read students Sura 2: 256 from the Koran:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out
clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath
grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah
heareth and knoweth all things.” Ask students what they think
this passage means. Discuss with them that the Koran, the holy book
of Islam, explicitly states that Muslims may not forcibly convert
other people. Hand out to students a teacher written activity that
requires the students to examine other passages in the Koran and
in Hadith that explain how Muslims should treat other people. Give
students about 20 minutes to read and respond to thought questions
regarding those passages. Passages should include Sura 2:255, Sura
2:62, Sura 4:69, and Sura 49:13 from the Koran, and from the Hadith:
“Negligence in observing the rights of fellow beings, and
failure to carry out one’s obligations to them, is a very
serious offense which Allah Almighty will not forgive.” Other
selections include Asma ‘bint Abu Bakr’s question to
the Prophet Mohammed about whether or not she should still be kind
to her non-Muslim mother and his response that she should, etc.
Discuss with students that the religion of Islam clearly states
that good conduct is essential to faith and that part of this conduct
is to accept that not all people are Muslims and not try to force
them to convert. Religious toleration is therefore a requirement
of their faith. Be prepared to deal with questions regarding current
issues – knowing Sura 5:32, 2:114, 4:29, and 49:13 will help.
[Sura 5:32: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel
that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading
mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people:
and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life
of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles
with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to
commit excesses in the land.](Teacher written handout to come in
November) Discuss the students’ answers to the questions.
{30 – 35 minutes}
4. Ask students to predict how Jews and Christians were treated
in the Moorish kingdom of al-Andalus and in the later Islamic empire
of the Ottoman Turks. Write predictions down on the board. {5 –
10 minutes}
5. Remind students that they learned about how Jews and Muslims
were treated in Catholic Spain. In pairs, have students begin to
fill out a chart that compares and contrasts the treatment of religious
minorities in The Islamic World and Christian Spain using their
prior notes, textbook, and other teacher provided resources. Students
should focus on Spain primarily today since that is what they are
already familiar with. {10 – 15 minutes} (Chart to come in
November)
6. Assign an appropriate reading on the Ottoman Empire that covers
its creation and history to Suleiman the Magnificent. Close class
with students predicting how religious tolerance during the Renaissance
time period may have impacted the economies of the Ottomans and
of Catholic Spain. (Appropriate reading to be decided by November)
DAY TWO
7. Preview question: Why would a ruler demand that all his or her
subjects be of the same religion? What benefits would this have?
What drawbacks? {10 minutes}
8. Review the previous night’s reading in brief. {5 –
10 minutes}
9. Explain to students that they will be researching the conditions
of the religious groups under Muslim rule. Have students return
to their pair groups from the prior day. Students will stay in class
and use teacher provided materials and their texts to complete the
chart from the day before or they will go to the media center to
complete the chart. The chart also covers the impacts of these policies.
Students should readily find that the expulsion of Jews and Muslims
from Spain harmed the country economically as it lost the majority
of its artisans and merchants. The Inquisition that began also impacted
Spain’s culture by prohibiting free thought and discussion
in universities. Conversos were viewed with suspicion and often
times were accused of heresy even if their conversion was in fact
genuine. The Inquisition spread to other Catholic countries and
to the New World, causing a ripple effect as groups of Jews and
Muslims moved from country to country in Europe seeking a safe place
to live. If this is an honors course, students may be instructed
to compare the fate of Jews and Muslims in Spain to that of Jews
and Muslims in the Netherlands/Dutch Republic during this time.
Students should also readily find that the inclusion of Jewish and
Christian artisans, translators, etc. in the Ottoman Empire allowed
it to experience greater scientific and cultural achievements. Rather
than being focused on the suppression of other religions, Ottoman
culture was able to focus on art, poetry, calligraphy, etc. The
Ottoman Empire also was better off economically in the long-term
as it built up an internal economy as opposed to the Spaniards,
who having lost the majority of their merchants, etc. had to depend
on the importation of gold from the New World. {Remainder of mod,
perhaps going into another day}
10. Once the chart is completed, have students respond in writing
to the assessment question. The question and chart are to be turned
in upon completion of this activity. The research may or may not
take more than one mod depending on the ability level of your students.
Due date will be up to the teacher. I would probably give them two
to three days to complete it.
11. Upon completion of this activity, be sure to discuss with
students the long-term impacts religious toleration or lack thereof
had on both Spain and on the Ottoman Empire. Make sure to highlight
the economic impacts, especially if you are in your school’s
Business and Information Management Academy. {As a follow up to
the activity done on the next day prior to moving on to next topic.}
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Name: ________________________________
The Impacts of Religious Toleration on the Development of Societies
For the past few days you have been researching the religious policies
of Islamic empires and Catholic (Christian) Spain. Using what you’ve
learned, respond to the following question in no less than 3 paragraphs.
REMEMBER – no opinion is ever necessarily wrong unless it is based
on absolutely nothing. In other words, SUPPORT your opinions with EVIDENCE
from history. You may draw on other examples or sources of which you are
aware beyond what we’ve learned in class. Just be sure to document
any additional sources used.
Due to its policies of permitting Jews and Christians to practice their
faith, the Ottoman Turks were able to focus their resources on other areas
and developed a culturally richer and economically stronger society to
that of Spain under the Catholic Monarchs.
? State whether you agree or disagree with the above statement. Include
details and examples to support your opinion.
? In today’s world, how much religious freedom should a country
permit its residents? What impact does religious freedom have on the economic
and cultural life of a country? Include details and examples to support
your opinion.
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