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Curriculum for Excellence:
Religious & Moral Education/ Sciences/ Social Studies/ Technologies Themes:
Global Citizenship/ ESOL / Creative Arts / Performance Arts / People and Society/ Studying Scotland
Suited for 7 years and above, ideally for P4-P7
INTRODUCTION
Ankur present a new piece of theatre for families performed in promenade through the museum spaces of The Burrell Collection, Glasgow; McManus Galleries, Dundee; Aberdeenshire Museum Stores, Mintlaw and; Dunbar Town House, Dunbar.
THE TEACHERS’ PACK
This pack contains 5 classroom activities which can be used individually or as a series in order to explore Scottish and Arab inventions and their connections. There is also some historical context as well as a list of several inventions which arose from the Arab Renaissance.
Alongside this teachers’ pack, there will be a GLOW meet taking place. This pack can be used in conjunction with the GLOW meet, as well as prior or after seeing the production. For more information please contact Rhea Lewis below.
This pack provides schools with an exciting opportunity to:
Explore how art and creativity can support the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence. Share resources and ideas both within the school itself and with other schools across Scotland through using the GLOW portal and EdBuzz. https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/AnkurProductions/ http://edubuzz.org/katch/
ABOUT THE ARTS ORGANISATION Ankur Productions is the only organisation in Scotland dedicated to enabling Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) artists and audiences to produce and/or participate in world class contemporary performance. It achieves this through the production and presentation of new work; professional development and training opportunities for artists; extensive and innovative participation opportunities for marginalized audiences and through providing leadership and advocacy for BAME arts practice in Scotland.
Keep in Contact via:
Tel: 00 44 (0)141 559 4935
A: Unit 232|The Briggait|141 Bridgegate|Glasgow G1 5HZ
Join the conversations online via: https://www.facebook.com/ankur.arts https://twitter.com/AnkurArts
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ABOUT THE SHOW
Rusty and Gil are security guards in a Scottish museum who are drawn into a mysterious exhibit on display; an Astrolabe. This ancient navigational device catapults them through time to the 12th Century where they find themselves in the Holy Land during the 3rd Crusade.
The Astrolabe sets them a task of uniting two people from each side of the war, a Muslim inventor and a Scottish Knight Crusader, who has an important letter to deliver to Richard the Lionheart in order to end the fighting. Will Rusty and Gil overcome their own prejudices and rise to the challenge?
The show will be touring around Scotland in March 2013. Partnering museums and FREE show times are:
Burrell Collection The Burrell Collection|Pollok Country Park|2060 Pollokshaws Road |Glasgow |G43 1AT http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/burrell-collection/Pages/home.aspx
Thurs 7th (2pm & 7pm), Fri 8th (1.30pm), Sat 9th (11am & 2pm)
The McManus, Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum Albert Square| Meadowside |Dundee |DD1 1DA http://www.mcmanus.co.uk/
Thurs14th, Fri 15th (7pm), Sat 16th (3pm & 7pm)
Aberdeenshire Museums Headquarters Station Road| Mintlaw| Aberdeenshire|AB42 5EE http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/museums/visit/locations/headquartersbuilding.asp
Thurs 21ST- Sat 23rd (2pm and 7pm)
Dunbar Town House Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery |High Street| Dunbar |EH42 1ER http://www.dunbarmuseum.org/site/
Thurs 28th – Sat 30th (2pm and 7pm)
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HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Third Crusade (1189 – 1192) was an attempt by the Europeans to recapture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Sultan Saladin. Pope Gregory VIII had proclaimed that Saladin’s capture of Jerusalem in 1187 was punishment for the sins of Christians. Following the death of King Henry I, King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) took command of the British Crusaders. Whilst the Crusaders took control of many coastal areas there were huge death tolls on both sides. King Richard I did not gain control of Jerusalem and a treaty was signed in 1192 leaving Jerusalem in Muslim control but allowing unarmed Christians and pilgrims to enter the city.
The Arab Renaissance
Arab and European connections are historically linked. The Arab world had its renaissance hundreds of years before the European one. Many objects we use today have links to inventions created during the Arab Renaissance.
Muslim Inventions in the 8th – 12th Centuries –
As well as inventing new things the Arabic contribution was built upon keeping alive, confirming and refining many of the observations of the ancients, and an openness to other cultural influences and innovations. So for example: soap is possibly as ancient as time but the Arabs pulled together how it had been used previously and refined it.
One object in particular is prominent in the show as well as being an innovative invention of that era. The Astrolabe relates to a navigational instrument that allowed sailors to measure the angle of the sun or a star above the horizon.
Other discoveries and developments
Astronomy -500 years before Galileo, Muslim scholars realized Earth was a sphere. Carpets – advanced weaving techniques and Islamic chemistry to develop pattern and carpet design. Chess –the development of this modern game Cheque –developed from ‘saqq’ this was a written vow to pay for goods due to avoid taking money on dangerous journeys. Distillation Inoculation Numerals – Muslim mathematicians’ al-Khwarizmi and al-Kindi developed the style. Paper The Pinhole Camera – the first pinhole camera made was by a Muslim Mathematican. Stamps Soap –The development of what we know and use it as today. Sugar – The Arabs were the first to develop sugar production from sugar cane.
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Surgical Instruments The pointed arch The three course meal Water filtration Windmills
BACKGROUND READING FOR TEACHERS
An Illustrated history of the Crusades Phillips An Illustrated History of the Later Crusades Philips 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World ed. Al-Hassani Scotland and the Crusades MacQuarrie The Crusades through Arab Eyes Maalouf Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam tr. Fitzgerald Islam: A very short Introduction Ruthven (OUP)
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Curriculum for Excellence:
T 2-02a/ SCN 2-20a/ SOC 2-04a/ TCH 2-01b
Activity 1
Introduction to the Arab World: Pre-show Lesson
Key Terms:
Muslim Christian Astrolabe Crusades Arabic Heritage
Prepare a lesson on the Arab world. Talk about its location in the world. What it is like today and what is was like during the Crusades when they had their Arab Renaissance and were at the forefront of developing innovative inventions which we still use today. The following questions can be used as stimulus:
1. What are the similarities and differences between Muslims and Christians?
2. Where are objects from in your classroom? Discuss the following objects in the classroom and that they were invented in during the Arab Renaissance in the Middle East. The class can label these objects and discuss how different cultures influence their lives daily.
Objects could include:
Water tap Paper Carpet Soap Pointed arch –does your classroom/ school have pointed archways?
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Resources: Curriculum for Excellence:
Compass, Camera, Jam (objects or LIT 2-05a/ LIT 2-15a/ LIT 2-23a/ LIT 2- images of), Newspaper headline cuttings 24a/ LIT 2-26a/ SCN 2-20a/ TCH 2-01b as examples
Activity 2
Discussion and comparison: Exploring modern objects and how they relate to the Arab Renaissance.
Part A. In groups discuss:
What topics or subject the object relates to? Have the group used it before? What does it remind you of? –perhaps own experiences, memories, or traditions How has this object changed over time? What does this tell you about scientific discoveries and technologies over time?
Compass relates to the Astrolabe.
500 years before Galileo, many Muslim scholars realised Earth was a sphere. In 1139, al-Idrisi took a globe of the world to the court of King Roger of Sicily. The Muslim astronomer’s calculations were so accurate that in the 9th century they had calculated the Earth’s circumference and were less than 200km out.
Camera relates to the first pin hole camera invented by Abu Ali al Hasan Ibn al-Haitham (Muslim mathematician, astronomer and physicist)
The first person to realise that light enters the eye, rather than leave the eye, was Ibn al - Haitham who noticed the way light came through a hole in window shutters he created the first Camera Obscura. This scientist conducted revolutionary and influential work on optics through conducting experiments, and collecting evidence. He was the first person to prove that light travels in straight lines; and that it is the light reflected from an object enters the eye. The word ‘camera’ comes from the Arab word ‘qamara’ (means a dark or private room) He is also seen as the first man to shift physics from a philosophical activity to an experimental one.
Jam relates to syrups (made through boiling down liquids with sugar) which were very popular in the Middle East and allowed out of season fruit to be transported and persevered.
The Arabs were the first to develop sugar production from sugar cane. By the 10th century this was a large scale industry (including the administration and necessary technology required for its production) in the Middle East due the expansion of the Islamic empire over this region. Syrup (which is made through boiling down sugar into a thick liquid) was very popular in the Middle East. This also allowed out of season fruits to be transported and preserved.
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Syrup or Sherbets can be diluted with water, ice and snow. It has been reported that Saladin (the emperor of the Islamic Empire during late 10th Century) gave King Richard the Lion Heart a sherbet mixed with snow, upon hearing that he was suffering from heat exhaustion.
Part B.
Individually or in pairs, create a newspaper headline announcing the original object (Astrolabe, pin-hole camera, syrup) as if it was a new invention.
Considerations:
Where was the object invented?
Who invented the object?
What can the object do, and who can use it?
These newspaper headlines can be shared on GLOW portal.
Resources: Curriculum for Excellence:
A piece of tracing paper about 12cm X SCN 2-20a/ SOC 2-04a 12cm, Cardboard box, Pencil, Scissors, Sellotape Activity 3
Creative Activity: Creating a camera obscura and comparing it to modern digital cameras.
The first person to realise that light enters the eye, rather than leave the eye, was Ibn al - Haitham a 10th Century Muslim mathematician, astronomer and physicist. After noticing the way light came through a hole in window shutters he created the first Camera Obscura (from the Arab word qamara for a dark or private room). He is also seen as the first man to shift physics from a philosophical activity to an experimental one.
Part A.
Create Camera Obscura in the classroom or pupils make individual camera obscuras.
Classroom –Black out all light from the windows with flattened cardboard or dark material leaving just a small hole (around 15mm) in diameter in the middle of a window. The opposite
8 | P a g e wall (works best if the wall is painted white or a light colour) will have a projected upside down version of the world outside. This activity works better on a bright day.
Camera Obscura Boxes- using small cardboard boxes cut one side of the box and then cover it with tracing paper (or cooking grease proof paper). This paper must be flat across the sides so that the projected image is clear. On the opposite side of the box make a small hole using a sharp pencil. Stand facing bright light the pupils will be able to see projected image. This image can be enhanced by standing under dark cloth or coat to prevent light coming in through the tracing paper.
The pupils could also then lightly trace over the images they see.
Part B.
Compare the Camera Obscura to that of a mobile phone or digital camera.
Learning Outcomes:
Optics -Light travels in straight lines. Light comes from the object not the eye. History – Cameras have been around since the 10th Century. This emphasises the scientific and cultural contribution of Ibn al-Haitham in understanding and knowing optics.
Curriculum for Excellence:
SCN 2-20a/ RME 2-02b/ RME 2-04c/ RME 2-05b/
RME 2-06a/ RME 2-08a/ RME 2-09 (a,b,c,d)
Activity 4
Creative Activity, Discussion and Comparison: Exploring what sacred sites are and building your own.
The Crusades were Holy Wars waged in order to gain possession of the sacred site of Jerusalem which is central to both Christianity and Islam beliefs. This city contained sites both sacred to religions. In the play the Knight has a conversation with King Richard about sacred sites.
Part A.
Examining the text (taking from one of the scenes) below, have a class discussion about sacred sites.
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RICHARD
I took an oath that I would not end this crusade until there was a New Jerusalem. Except it will never be new. Underneath our sacred sites lay your sacred sites. And underneath yours lay ours. And underneath both lie former religions, beliefs, before our gods were revealed to us. Knight, it is same in your Northern Kingdoms, no?
KNIGHT
Our chapel is built upon on a druid's temple. A grove of Holly trees protects the entrance. They are sacred to the Old Ways.
RICHARD
Layers upon layers. Arab, it is like the knowledge you possess. It conquers our knowledge, and one day someone else's will conquer yours. A wise man does not ignore the foundations but makes them part of the world he is trying to build.
Questions to consider:
How do people make sense of the world through markings on the landscape or through creating buildings? What religious sites are near you? –temples, churches, stone circles, standing stones etc What other sites are near you? What do you think makes this site sacred?
Part B.
In the classroom or somewhere within your school grounds create a sacred site. This can be filled with objects or symbols of objects which are important to the class.
Consider:
Why are these objects sacred? What does it feel like to have some-one else’s sacred objects on top/ next to yours? How can the sacred site be arranged to incorporate everyone’s sacred sites?
Document these sacred sites through taking a photo, or having the class write about them. These can be shared on GLOW portal.
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Curriculum for Excellence
RME 2-08a/ SOC 2-04a/ SOC 2-16 (B & C)/ SOC 2-19a
Activity 5
Post-Show Discussion and Arts Activity
Key Terms:
Muslim Christian Astrolabe Crusades Arabic Heritage
Part A. Discuss show
What was it about? What were the themes? Do you have a better understanding of the key words?
Sir Ranald (the Knight) and Arnab (the Inventor) are from very different worlds. Despite their differences in languages and beliefs they become friends at the end.
Why do you think they became friends towards the end? What are their similarities? What are their differences? What values were important to Sir Ranald and Arnab? Are they different from the values that you have?
Part B.
Create a poster (individually, in groups or as a class) which has an image and a short message which promotes acceptance of different beliefs and values.
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