Muslim Scholars and Contributions throughout the medieval world
This lesson will focus on various Muslim scholars during the medieval period and contributions made in philosophy, medicine,
science/math, geography/history, art/architecture/calligraphy, and literature.
Goals and Objectives
Students will know about the various Muslim scholars and the imperative contributions Muslims people made in philosophy, medicine, science/math, geography/history, art/architecture, and calligraphy/literature (stories, folk tales, and poetry). Students will describe and reflect on several scholars and analyze the contributions made by Muslim people by writing on a foldable, presenting their material to the class, and listening to other students present, while taking notes on their material on their foldable. Students will refer back to prior knowledge on Muslim trade and analyze how philosophies, ideas, and inventions traveled as well through a discussion. Students will also apply this knowledge about Muslim scholars and their contributions through a discussion about how these contributions have impacted the modern world today.
California State Content and Common Core State Standards
7.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages.
6. Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 2d: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. READ. 6-8. 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. READ. 6-8. 5: Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
6. Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 2d: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. WHST. 6-8. 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. READ. 6-8. 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy in History. READ. 6-8. 5: Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
Driving Historical Question
How did Muslim scholars and their various contributions affect the medieval world and the modern world today?
Lesson Introduction
The teacher will need to assess prior knowledge on the new trade routes that were developed with Muslim expansion throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. The teacher needs to ask where these trade routes were, who Muslim civilizations traded with and what was traded. After asking these questions and redirecting students to correct answers (and re-teaching if necessary) the teacher will ask: “what else do you think traveled through these trade routes besides goods?” Allow students about 10 seconds to think about these questions and then call on students to share ideas using name cards. If a student says ideas, inventions, philosophies, etc. than expand on that. If students do not get to one of these answers in 3-5 minutes, the teacher may need to call on volunteers or will need to ask more guided questions in order for the students to reach this conclusion. It is imperative that students realize that ideas, inventions, and philosophies traveled through these routes before moving on with the lesson.
Vocabulary
During the introduction reading, the teacher will highlight these vocabulary terms and their definitions. Students will then be asked to use all of these terms in their foldable. When they use these terms they will need to highlight them. If there are not 6 on the foldable, the students will not receive full credit for the assignment.
Ibn Rushd
Ibn SIna
Astrolabe
Ibn Khaldun
Arabesque
Calligraphy
Ibn Rushd
Ibn SIna
Astrolabe
Ibn Khaldun
Arabesque
Calligraphy
Content Delivery
The teacher will
ask students to turn to page 108 where Chapter 4 Section 4 titled Islamic Achievements begins. The teacher
will do a think aloud pre-read with the students. The teacher will examine and
reflect on all of the headings, pictures, and vocabulary terms in the sections
and activate any prior knowledge needed for the lesson. The teacher should ask questions at the end
of the pre-read about what they think they will learn about in this section and
how they think this section is structured. They should answer that it is
structured as a list.
Next, the teacher will split the class into 6 groups. Each group will be assigned one of the six categories: philosophy, medicine, science/math, geography/history, art/architecture, and calligraphy/literature (stories, folk tales, and poetry). The teacher will then hand out colored pieces of paper for students to create a foldable. The teacher will need to show students how to make a trifold – this will create 6 sections when used front and back. Students will then be asked to read their assigned section of the textbook independently before coming together with their individual groups to work on their section in the foldable.
Next, the teacher will split the class into 6 groups. Each group will be assigned one of the six categories: philosophy, medicine, science/math, geography/history, art/architecture, and calligraphy/literature (stories, folk tales, and poetry). The teacher will then hand out colored pieces of paper for students to create a foldable. The teacher will need to show students how to make a trifold – this will create 6 sections when used front and back. Students will then be asked to read their assigned section of the textbook independently before coming together with their individual groups to work on their section in the foldable.
Student Engagement
Students
will complete a trifold foldable on this section. In their groups students will
come together after reading their section and come up with three facts about
their section. If there is a vocabulary word in their section it must be clearly
defined and used in the context of the content they are writing about. Students
should also draw an image for the vocabulary term.
Once students have finished their sections each group will present what they wrote to the class. As each group presents their three facts and their vocabulary words, the rest of the class will record them on their own foldables. Once all the groups have finished, students will be given 5 minutes to create any symbols or images for the vocabulary words that were not in their section – remind students that this should be a rough sketch to help them remember, it should not be an elaborate picture.
Once students have finished their sections each group will present what they wrote to the class. As each group presents their three facts and their vocabulary words, the rest of the class will record them on their own foldables. Once all the groups have finished, students will be given 5 minutes to create any symbols or images for the vocabulary words that were not in their section – remind students that this should be a rough sketch to help them remember, it should not be an elaborate picture.
Lesson Closure
Students will participate in a whole class discussion on these two questions: “How did Muslim scholars contribute to the medieval world?” and “How have these contributions affected the modern world today?” The teachers should tell the students that we want to get three answers from each category before the bell rings.
Assessments
Entry Level Assessment (Formative):
This assessment will occur during the Lesson introduction when the teacher asks questions about trade routes developed after and during Muslim expansion. If the students are quick and correct with their answers, the teacher can feel confident about moving on with the lesson. If students struggle with the questions and have a hard time grasping the concept that ideas and inventions can travel through these trade routes than re-teaching will be needed.
Progress Monitoring (Formative):
This will be happening throughout the entire class time, for the most part. When the teacher asks questions during the pre-read, it will be to make sure that students understand the organization of the text and predict about the content based on the headings, pictures, and vocabulary discussed by the teacher.
This assessment will also occur when the students are in groups. When the students are working, the teacher will need to walk around to make sure everyone is participating and understanding the content. This observation will also need to occur when student groups are presenting and the rest of the class is taking notes. The teacher will need to walk around to make sure that students are taking notes and filling out their foldables correctly as their classmates present their information.
Lastly, the teacher will use this form of assessment when listening to the groups. If the groups are stating good facts, than the teacher knows the students understood the content. If the teacher has to interject a lot to extend on a fact presented, than the teacher knows that the content was not understood by most students in the group.
Summative Assessment:
There will be two summative assessments. The foldable itself will be collected and graded. It will be worth 30 points (5 points for each section). It will be graded mainly on completion since the teacher will have already heard all the facts and seen all the vocabulary terms and pictures. Students will need to turn this in before leaving the classroom.
The second summative assessment will occur during the lesson closure when the class answers the two questions: “How did Muslim scholars contribute to the medieval world?” and “How have these contributions affected the modern world today?” If the class can answer these questions effectively as a group, than that means that the class is able to apply their knowledge from the lesson to not only a broad question looking at the entire medieval world, but also to the modern world they live in now. Application is one of the best ways to prove mastery of content.
This assessment will occur during the Lesson introduction when the teacher asks questions about trade routes developed after and during Muslim expansion. If the students are quick and correct with their answers, the teacher can feel confident about moving on with the lesson. If students struggle with the questions and have a hard time grasping the concept that ideas and inventions can travel through these trade routes than re-teaching will be needed.
Progress Monitoring (Formative):
This will be happening throughout the entire class time, for the most part. When the teacher asks questions during the pre-read, it will be to make sure that students understand the organization of the text and predict about the content based on the headings, pictures, and vocabulary discussed by the teacher.
This assessment will also occur when the students are in groups. When the students are working, the teacher will need to walk around to make sure everyone is participating and understanding the content. This observation will also need to occur when student groups are presenting and the rest of the class is taking notes. The teacher will need to walk around to make sure that students are taking notes and filling out their foldables correctly as their classmates present their information.
Lastly, the teacher will use this form of assessment when listening to the groups. If the groups are stating good facts, than the teacher knows the students understood the content. If the teacher has to interject a lot to extend on a fact presented, than the teacher knows that the content was not understood by most students in the group.
Summative Assessment:
There will be two summative assessments. The foldable itself will be collected and graded. It will be worth 30 points (5 points for each section). It will be graded mainly on completion since the teacher will have already heard all the facts and seen all the vocabulary terms and pictures. Students will need to turn this in before leaving the classroom.
The second summative assessment will occur during the lesson closure when the class answers the two questions: “How did Muslim scholars contribute to the medieval world?” and “How have these contributions affected the modern world today?” If the class can answer these questions effectively as a group, than that means that the class is able to apply their knowledge from the lesson to not only a broad question looking at the entire medieval world, but also to the modern world they live in now. Application is one of the best ways to prove mastery of content.
Accommodations
The foldable in of itself is an accommodation for English learners, striving readers, and students with special needs. It allows for students to organize the information from the textbook in a simpler, more visually appealing way. Additionally, working and presenting with groups will allow these students to learn the content in a less stressful environment, while also participating in a community using conversational and academic English vocabulary. This will also allow advanced students the opportunity to teach and lead – skills that are very useful and will keep these students active in the lesson. Also, going through the section slowly before students have to read, will allow students to gain background knowledge on the content before exploring it on their own. The pictures students will have to create will also provide a visual aid for E.L. students, struggling readers, and students with special needs. It may be necessary, however, to copy a version of the other sections of the foldable for the students to use so that they can concentrate on the presentation. This will be necessary for students who have a hard time taking notes that are not more guided. Lastly, integrating the content into the world today will make the content more interesting and appealing to these students.
Resources
- Colored paper
- Colored pencils
- Pencils
- Hart, Diane (2006). Medieval and Early Modern Times: Teacher’s Edition. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education Inc.
- Colored pencils
- Pencils
- Hart, Diane (2006). Medieval and Early Modern Times: Teacher’s Edition. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education Inc.