Year Eight History Module: Islamic Civilisations. Duration September-December

Created by D Moorhouse

Islamic Civilisations.

This module is intended to act as a guide to the teaching of Islamic civilisations. The lessons do not have to be exactly as indicated here so long as the following learning objectives are all covered and the assessments are completed.

NOTE: Recent changes to the National Curriculum for History have not been written into this module yet. It would be helpful if teachers could incorporate a study of a significant personality (Muhammad or Saladin would be the best) and build in work on the Crusades. The module should run until Christmas but can be finished earlier that this if each key question has been covered.

Intended Learning Outcomes of this module:

Pupils will learn when and where Islam began.

They will understand the reasons for its spread.

They will learn what life was like in Arabia.

They will know that Arabia changed over time.

Pupils will understand the reasons and events of the crusades.

Where and when was the Arabian empire?

Ask class to explain what Islam is and when it started. Can any of the class say how the religion started?

Move to a map of the middle east on OHT . Read through the story of Muhammad PBUH with the class. Highlight the major places on the map and show pupils pictures of some of the places today. How do the pupils think these places would have differed between now and then? Make a note of these suggestions on the board in columns.

Pupils are to then make a column of their own suggesting differences between Arabia now and then. High attainers are to provide detailed reasons for their suggestions whilst lower attainers are to be targeted for structured responses to a few of the differences. (If support is available work in groups and talk through potential differences, using pictoral sources where appropriate).

What was life like in a desert?

Ask pupils what a desert is. Show them pictures of a desert and ask them to verbally explain what living conditions would be like in the desert. Make a list of the major problems that people living in deserts would face (i.e. lack of water, searing heat etc.).

For extension pupils ask for definitions of several terms, such as Oasis, water hole, tribe. Explain that all of these words are crucial to their further understanding of nomadic life.

For lower core and foundation groups explain the meanings of these terms and back this up with visual aids.

ALL CLASSES: play the desert survival game. (Need enough photocopies of the game board for the number of groups you intend to have, a score sheet per pupil and enough dice for each group).

Page 156/7 SHP.

This game will require pupils to use basic number facts through addition, subtraction and division. Where applicable work through some of these processes with pupils (i.e. with the low attainers). Higher attainers should be questioned verbally on these as they go through the game.

The purpose of the game is simple. To make it clear to pupils that surviving in the desert was not very easy. The task sheet to go with the game (This is the homework task) asks the pupils to think carefully about what the conditions were like, building an understanding.

Allow the game to go on until plenary. In the plenary look at the relative scores of people and ask why they scored in the way that they did. Do the pupils notice that the weather is the major factor in deciding the score? What ideas do they have about how to survive in the desert? (and ask to extend why people didn’t stay in the Cities if the desert was so bad).

Homework as above.

What problems did people face when living in a desert?

Recap the learning outcomes of the previous lesson. Ask pupils to think about the practicalities of life at the time. Make a note of these suggestions. Use pictures to re-enforce the notion of the nomad.

Develop understanding by asking how food and products would have reached nomads and indeed Mecca.

Check the evidence in the text books. Pupils to make a note of anything that hasn’t already been noted.

Extension/ core writing task: Write the day in the life of a nomad. Pupils should use the text books to research this. Page 22 Islamic Civilisations.

Foundation groups: Complete worksheet which leads to writing frame.

What were the main cultural features in Arabia before Islam?

Read pages 22 and 23 with the class. Concentrate on how ideas spread. Pupils answer the questions on page 23. (Islamic Civilisations)

1. The people are Nomadic because the land was very dry they had to move around to search for food and water.

2. The people of this time worshipped lots of different gods. Some worshipped the sun the moon and planets. They believed in evil spirits and charms.

To extend: ask pupils to establish reasons why people may have been discontented with the situation at the time. What reasons were there for people being willing to accept a new set of beliefs.

Who was Muhammad?

Read through and complete task sheet Muhammad and the early prophets. Differentiation is by outcome.

Page 24 Islamic Civilisations

Why did the Empire spread so quickly?

Using Islamic World colour the map, more able pupils should be able to show the expansion over time on the map. Compare this empire with the Roman Empire eg area of land covered, number of years the land was under the control of the different cultures.

Read chapter 6, pages 26 and 27 in the Islamic World with pupils and identify the following reasons why the Arabs were so successful:-

The Nomads were used to moving about so it was easier for them to move long distances to fight battles.

The Nomads were used to fighting.

Muslims who died fighting a Jihad, believed they would go to heaven.

The Muslim army was very strongly united every day they prayed together.

Their enemies the Byzantines and the Persians had already been fighting a war against each other they were weak and tired of fighting.

Less able pupils identify correct reasons from a list.

More able pupils use Understanding History pages 56 and 57 and the worksheet Arab Conquests. Their first task is to identify the reasons why the Arab armies were successful. They then divide these reasons into Military reasons and Religious reasons there will also be some reasons which do not fit into either category. This work is to be completed in pupils jotters. They will then plan their diagram on plain paper and produce a neat version on A4 paper.

Extension

Pupils decide which they think is the most important reason, they must have a valid and sensible written argument as to why they have chosen this particular reason to achieve level 6. Use the triangle worksheet to help pupils with this exercise.

Why did the Islamic leaders choose to Build Baghdad?

Discuss with the class the notion of having a Capital City. What is its purpose and what would happen there?

Read through ‘Choosing a Capital city.’ With all groups evaluate the pro’s and con’s of each site.

This task could be adapted for use of ICT.

Extension/ Core groups are to then look at the 3 possible sites and the points raised with regards each. They are then to explain why each of these points is a reason to/ not to build the Capital their. (These explanations should be brief, simply some form of substantiation is required).

Homework:

Pupils then make a decision as to their choice of Capital and write an extended piece of writing to say why they would build their capital their.

Foundation: complete ‘Choosing a Capital City’ sheet in class. Discuss as plenary and pupils complete the final task in as much detail as possible as homework.

Additional tasks Page 11/12 Islamic Civilisations

What was life like for the Caliph?

Read through page 172 SHP. Discuss the role of a Caliph. Pupils in extension groups should then be asked to define the role and establish what the Caliph did. This could be compared with the role of a European leader.

Core/ Foundation groups. Use pages 34/35 of Islamic Civilisations. Read through, discuss and complete tasks from book.

Homework sheet: The rightly guided Caliph

What was life like for ordinary people in Baghdad?

Use the text books to research what life was like for ordinary people in Arabia. The pupils should produce an independently researched piece of work that outlines the way of life and lifestyles for people in Arabia at the time.

Use both text books and resource packs as appropriate for each group.

What did Arabian mosques look like?

Look at pictures of mosques from early days of Islam. Compare these with modern mosques. Are there any differences?

Use the ‘making a model mosque’ pack to make a mosque in pairs

What did Arabian mosques look like?

Recap the features of a mosque. Use the pupils designs to illustrate them and ask the pupils to explain the significance of the mosque within early Islamic cultures.

Read through the text book and answer questions on the early days of Islam.

How advanced was Islamic medicine?

Use Chapter 14 of … to establish what improvements were made by the Arabians during the period. Create a timeline of the developments. This can then be compared with the development of the same things in other parts of the world in order to see if the Arabians were more advanced.

What improvements were made by the Arabs in Math’s and Science?

Add to the timelines created on Medicine. Pupils should then be asked to describe the nature of the main improvements in both Medicine and Science.

Homework: How advanced was the Arabian empire?

Provide lower groups with a writing framework.

How much did Muslims know about the outside world?

Use Understanding History to provide an outline of what the Crusades were. All pupils to complete the tasks from the book.

Also 194-207 SHP.

Then look at the personalities involved in the Crusades. Saladin in particular. Use the text books and worksheets to develop an understanding of the reasons for the Crusades and the way in which they were fought.

This work should be completed on A4 for pupil portfolios.

A more detailed guide as to what should be included in this project will be made available one month in advance of its start.

Assessmen

End of Unit test. Focus: Recall and organisation of work.