7th grade Islam Lesson

Unit Topic: The Rise of Islam and the creation of the Muslim Empires

Unit Focus Question: How did Islam develop and expand Muslims’ influence to become a powerful empire in the Middle Ages?

History-Social Science Content Standards:7.2: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages.

4: Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.

5: Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arabic society.

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.

Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills 6-8:Research, Evidence, and Point of View 3: Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental information, and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories.Historical Interpretation 2: Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events, including the long- and short-term causal relations.

Common Core Reading StandardsKey Ideas and Details 2. Determine the central ideas of information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. Craft and Structure 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social or economic aspects of history/social science. Writing StandardsText types and purposes 1.c. Use words, phrases and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

Lesson Focus Question 1: How did Islam develop? Mohammed’s life, tenets of Islam, unification of Medina and Mecca (Arabia)

Lesson Focus Question 2: How and why did the Muslim Empire expand? Umayyad Caliphate, Golden Age

Lesson Focus Question3: How did the achievements of the medieval Muslim empires continue to spread and endure after their decline?

Teaching Thesis: Through military conquest and trade, the Muslim culture spread to the peoples they ruled. The expansion of the Muslim empires connected the world from China to Europe and into Africa. The many achievements of this culture contributed to the spread of Islam and the Arabic language, in addition to the many advances in science, government, and the arts. Many of these advances by the Muslim Empires have endured into modern times.

Trade Helps Islam SpreadIslam gradually spread through areas the Muslims conquered. At the same time trade helped spread Islam into other areas as well. Arabia’s crossroads location gave Muslim merchants easy access to South Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Merchants and the Spread of IslamAlong with their trade goods, Arab merchants took Islamic beliefs to new lands. For example, merchants introduced Islam into India. Although many Indian kingdoms remained Hindu, coastal trading cities soon had large Muslim communities. In Africa, societies often had both African and Muslim customs. For example, Arabic influenced local African languages. Also, many African leaders converted to Islam. Between 1200 and 1600, Muslim traders carried Islam as far east as what are now Malaysia and Indonesia. Even today, Islam is a major influence on life there.

Products and InventionsIn addition to helping spread Islam, trade brought new products to Muslim lands and made many people rich. First, new products and inventions created by other peoples made their way to the Muslim world. For example, Arabs learned from the Chinese how to made paper and use gunpowder. New crops such as cotton, rice, and oranges arrived from India, China, and Southeast Asia. Second, traders made money on trade between regions.

In addition to trade with Asia, African trade was important to Muslim merchants. Many merchants set up businesses next to African market towns. They wanted African products such as ivory, cloves and slaves. In return they offered fine white pottery called porcelain from China, cloth goods from India, and iron from Southwest Asia and Europe. Arab traders even traveled south across the Sahara, the world’s largest desert, to get gold. In exchange, they brought the Africans salt, which was scarce south of the desert.

A Mix of CulturesAs Islam spread through trade, warfare, and treaties, Arabs came in contact with people who had different beliefs and lifestyles than they did. Muslims generally practiced religious tolerance, or acceptance, with regard to people they conquered. In other words, the Muslims did not ban all religions other than Islam in the lands. Jews and Christians in particular kept many of their rights, since they shared some beliefs with Muslims.

Although Jews and Christians were allowed to practice their own religions, they had to pay a special tax. They also had to follow the rules of the treaties governing conquered peoples.

Many people conquered by the Arabs converted to Islam. Along with Islamic beliefs, these people often adopted other parts of Arabic culture. For example, many people started speaking Arabic. The Arabs also adopted some of the customs of the people they conquered. For example, they copied a Persian form of bureaucracy in their government.

As Islam spread, language and religion helped unify the many groups that became part of the Islamic world. Cultural blending changed Islam from a mostly Arab religion into a religion of many different cultures.

-World History: Medieval to Early Modern Times, Holt, 2006, pages 82-83.

How did trade contribute to the expansion of the Muslim empires?

Reading Strategy- Cause and Effect

Cause Effect Questions/Conclusionsbecause the Muslims conquered areas Islam gradually spread

because At the same time trade

because Arabia’s crossroads location

How did Islam spread?

Questions/ConclusionsThesis In addition to helping spread Islam, trade brought new

products to Muslim lands and made many people rich. First, new products and inventions created by other peoples made their way to the Muslim world.

Evidence 1 Asia Supporting details 1-

Supporting details 2

Second, traders made money on trade between regions.

Evidence 2 Africa

In addition to trade with Asia, African trade was important to Muslim merchants.

Supporting details 1-

Supporting details 2Supporting details 3

In return they offered fine white pottery called porcelain from China, cloth goods from India, and iron from Southwest Asia and Europe.

Supporting details 4Supporting details 5

How did the Muslim empires create a global trade network?

Cause Effect Questions/Conclusionsbecause As Islam spread through trade,

warfare, and treaties,

because Muslims generally practiced religious tolerance, or acceptance, with regard to people they conquered. In other words, the Muslims did not ban all religions other than Islam in the lands.

Although they had to pay a special tax. They also had to follow the rules of the treaties governing conquered peoples.

because converted to Islam. Along with Islamic beliefs, these people often adopted other parts of Arabic culture. For example, many people started speaking Arabic.

because The Arabs also adopted some of the customs of the people they conquered.

As Islam spread language and religion helped unify the many groups that became part of the Islamic world.

because Cultural blending

How did the expansion of the Muslim Empires influence the exchange of cultures?

KEY- Reading Strategy- Cause and Effect

Cause Effect Questions/Conclusionsbecause the Muslims conquered areas Islam gradually spread

because At the same time trade helped spread Islam into other areas as well.

because Arabia’s crossroads location gave Muslim merchants easy access to South Asia, Europe, and Africa.

How did Islam spread? Three factors contributed to the spread of Islam: military conquest, trade and Arabia’s crossroads location.

Questions/ConclusionsThesis In addition to helping spread Islam, trade brought new

products to Muslim lands and made many people rich. First, new products and inventions created by other peoples made their way to the Muslim world.

Evidence 1 Asia

For example, Arabs learned from the Chinese how to made paper and use gunpowder.

Supporting details 1-

New crops such as cotton, rice, and oranges arrived from India, China, and Southeast Asia.

Supporting details 2

Second, traders made money on trade between regions.

Evidence 2 Africa

In addition to trade with Asia, African trade was important to Muslim merchants.

Supporting details 1-

Many merchants set up businesses next to African market towns.

Supporting details 2

They wanted African products such as ivory, cloves and slaves.

Supporting details 3

In return they offered fine white pottery called porcelain from China, cloth goods from India, and iron from Southwest Asia and Europe.

Supporting details 4

Arab traders even traveled south across the Sahara, the world’s largest desert, to get gold.

Supporting details 5

In exchange, they brought the Africans salt, which was scarce south of the desert.

How did the Muslim empires create a global trade network?

Cause Effect Questions/Conclusionsbecause As Islam spread through trade,

warfare, and treaties, Arabs came in contact with people who had different beliefs and lifestyles than they did.

because Muslims generally practiced religious tolerance, or acceptance, with regard to people they conquered. In other words, the Muslims did not ban all religions other than Islam in the lands.

Jews and Christians in particular kept many of their rights, since they shared some beliefs with Muslims.

Although Jews and Christians were allowed to practice their own religions,

they had to pay a special tax. They also had to follow the rules of the treaties governing conquered peoples.

because Many people conquered by the Arabs

converted to Islam. Along with Islamic beliefs, these people often adopted other parts of Arabic culture. For example, many people started speaking Arabic.

because The Arabs also adopted some of the customs of the people they conquered.

For example, they copied a Persian form of bureaucracy in their government

As Islam spread language and religion helped unify the many groups that became part of the Islamic world.

because Cultural blending changed Islam from a mostly Arab religion into a religion of many different cultures.

How did the expansion of the Muslim Empires influence the exchange of cultures?

Reading to Writing Strategy

Questions: Lesson Focus Question3: How did the achievements of the medieval Muslim empires continue to spread and endure after their decline?Holt pgs. 94-99

Achievements Description How it spread? How has it endured?Astronomy

Geography

Mathematics

Medicine

Philosophy

Literature

Architecture

Art

Language(throughout entire unit)

Religion(throughout entire unit)

Writing Prompt

Background: Within 100 years of his death, the teachings of Muhammad spread throughout a vast empire by his followers. By the mid 700’s, the Muslim empire spread to Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and part of central Asia and India. Throughout the next 800 years Muslim empires expanded to India, North and West Africa. This conquest influenced the people in those lands in many ways.

Question: How did the achievements of the medieval Muslim empires continue to spread and endure after their decline in the 14th century?

Expectations: Write a paragraph with a thesis statement supported by at least three examples of Muslim achievements. Each example should have concrete details of how they spread and endured. Explain why each of the examples is significant (important). End with a conclusion which restates the thesis in different words.

Thesis: The achievements of the Muslim empires that were most important to the continued spread and endurance of the Muslim culture were the ____________________________________, ___________________________________, and ______________________________________.

Evidence 1: For example ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Analysis: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Evidence 2: Another important cultural achievement was _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Analysis: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence 3: Finally, the most long lasting effect of Muslim culture was ____________________________________________________________.

Analysis: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Conclusion: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Writing Prompt-Key

Background: Within 100 years of his death, the teachings of Muhammad spread throughout a vast empire by his followers. By the mid 700’s, the Muslim empire spread to Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and part of central Asia and India. Throughout the next 800 years Muslim empires expanded to India, North and West Africa. This conquest influenced the people in those lands in many ways.

Question: How did the achievements of the medieval Muslim empires continue to spread and endure after their decline in the 14th century?

Expectations: Write a paragraph with a thesis statement supported by at least three examples of Muslim achievements. Each example should have concrete details of how they spread and endured. Explain why each of the examples is significant (important). End with a conclusion which restates the thesis in different words.

Thesis: The achievements of the Muslim empires that were most important to the continued spread and endurance of the Muslim culture were medicine, mathematics, and the Islamic religion.

Evidence 1: The Muslims were the first to have public hospitals. Their training of doctors and written texts of diseases and drugs were great advancements.

Analysis: The Muslim systems of educating and providing medical services were translated into Latin and contributed to the advancement of medical treatments throughout Europe.

Evidence 2: Another important cultural achievement was the number system they developed. It combined Indian number systems with Greek mathematics. The Muslim mathematician, al-Khwarizmi wrote a book which was the foundation of algebra.

Analysis: This number system is the system we use today.

Evidence 3: Finally, the most long lasting effect of Muslim culture was the religion, Islam because it gave people a code of conduct, laws, and a set of belief.

Analysis: This had a lasting impact because today Islam remains one of the world’s major religions.

Conclusion: These accomplishments show how the spread of Islamic power influenced the cultures and societies they conquered, traded with, and ruled.