Lesson 1: Describe Ibn Jubayr
Goal
: To introduce Ibn Jubayr to the students, and help them to get to know him.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
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1. Review and explain Islam as a religion
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2. Describe Ibn Jubayr as a writer of history and his background
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3. Identify and Evaluate Ibn Jubayr's potential biases
Materials
:
Board, Marker, pen, notebook, Introduction to Broadhurst's translation of Ibn Jubayr, dictionaries
Anticipatory Set:
List 5 things you remember from our study of Islam.
Procedure
:
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1. Class will begin with a brief review of the qualities of Islam through brainstorming.
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2. When this is complete, then the teacher will lead the class in discussing the anticipatory set. (This should include a list of the 5 pillars of Islam, as well as other qualities of Islam)
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3. The teacher will then put the word Bias on the board, asking the students to define bias in their own words. They may use dictionaries if necessary
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a. The teacher must trend the discussion toward a clear definition of bias, as well as a brief discussion of its challenges for a historian.
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4. The teacher will then break the students into heterogeneous reading groups
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b. The groups will then read through the introduction and make notes that would help them describe Ibn Jubayr
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c. It will be necessary for the teacher to circulate, checking in with every group and helping them to progress
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5. When this is complete the students will return to their seats, and create their own description of Ibn Jubayr. This only needs to be between a paragraph and a page long.
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6. When this is complete the students will be allowed to share their work briefly, which will lead to a discussion of Ibn Jubayr's biases.
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7. When this is complete the teacher will lead the students in discussing ways in which Ibn Jubayr might be biased
Closure
:
The teacher will review what was done today, and assign the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their contributions, their descriptions, and their homework
Homework
:
Write a one-page response to today's work, describing ways in which Ibn Jubayr might be a biased historical source.
Lesson 2: Discuss Discrimination
Goal
: To help the students identify with Ibn Jubayr through personal experience.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
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1. Define discrimination in academic and personal terms
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2. Identify and describe discriminatory behavior on the part of the Sicilians in Ibn Jubayr
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3. Compare the experiences of Ibn Jubayr to that of themselves or others they know of
Materials
:
Board, Marker, pen, notebook, Excerpts of Ibn Jubayr's time in Sardinia from Broadhurst's translation of Ibn Jubayr, dictionaries
Anticipatory Set:
Define discrimination in your own words, and give one example of it from your experience.
Procedure
:
1. Class will begin by defining discrimination as a group. If some of the students wish to share their experiences, it will be allowed, but not required.
2. When this is complete, then the students will return to their reading groups from the last class as the teacher passes out the excerpts.
3. The students will read through the excerpts together, creating a group description of what happened in Sardinia in their own words.
4. When this is complete, each student will need to create a one paragraph explanation of the behaviors of each group (the Muslims and the Sicilians), including a brief discussion of the causes or triggers of discrimination.
5. When the students are finished, the teacher will lead them in a discussion of Ibn Jubayr's experience. Specifically it will be necessary to draw out student discussion of their understanding of discrimination.
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a. This should build upon the definition given at the beginning of class.
Closure
:
The teacher will review what was done today, and assign the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their contributions, their descriptions, and their homework
Homework
:
Write a one-page response to today's work, comparing Ibn Jubayr's experiences in Sardinia with your understanding of discrimination. How is it similar? How is it different?
Lesson 3: Identify and Explain Differences
Goal
: To compare Ibn Jubayr's description of Egypt with their own understanding.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
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1. Review the pyramids
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2. Identify the purpose of the pyramids according to Ibn Jubayr through a reading
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3. Compare the two, identifying similarities and differences as well as explaining what those differences teach us
Materials
:
Board, Marker, pen, notebook, Excerpts from Ibn Jubayr's time in Egypt from Broadhurst's translation of Ibn Jubayr, dictionaries
Anticipatory Set:
In 5 lines describe the difference between primary and secondary sources. You should include the relative benefits of each.
Procedure
:
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1. Class will begin with a brief review of the difference between primary and secondary sources.
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2. When this is complete the teacher will lead the students in brainstorming about Egypt.
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a. The students will undoubtedly have a lot to say about Egypt, but when the pyramids are mentioned, the teacher should focus attention on their purpose. It will be necessary to get out as much info as possible on the pyramids
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3. With this complete the students should return to their reading groups as the teacher passes out the reading for the day.
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4. This time the students should list ways in which Ibn Jubayr's account differs from their own
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5. The teacher will then lead the class in creation of a class wide Venn diagram comparing their own account with that of Ibn Jubayr.
Closure
:
The teacher will review what was done today, and assign the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their contributions, their descriptions, and their homework
Homework
:
Write a one-page response to today's work, answering the following questions?
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- Where did Ibn Jubayr's information come from?
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- Where does your information come from?
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- Why are the accounts (yours and Ibn Jubayr's) so different?
Lesson 4: Compare Accounts of the Hajj
Goal
: To compare Ibn Jubayr's account of the Hajj with modern accounts.
Objectives
:
As a result of this lesson the students will be able to
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1. Review the strengths and weaknesses of primary sources
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2. Identify the purpose behind, and the rituals of, the Hajj
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3. Synthesize multiple accounts of the Hajj into their own short historical narrative.
Materials
:
Board, Marker, pen, notebook, Excerpts from Ibn Jubayr's Hajj from Broadhurst's translation of Ibn Jubayr, dictionaries, Excerpt from
The Oxford History of Islam
describing the Hajj, "Inside Mecca" video
Anticipatory Set:
In 5 lines describe the purpose of the Hajj as they understand it.
Procedure
:
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1. The class will begin with a brief brainstorming session based on their anticipatory set.
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2. When this is complete the teacher will introduce the video, directing the students to take notes on the modern Hajj that fill in their understanding.
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3. When this is complete the teacher will lead the students in a brief discussion of the parts of the Hajj
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4. When this is complete the teacher will distribute the Ibn Jubayr reading and compare that to the video
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5. The teacher will then lead them in a discussion of the similarities and differences between the accounts
Closure
:
The teacher will review what was done today, and assign the homework.
Assessment
:
The students will be assessed based on their contributions, their descriptions, and their homework
Homework
:
Write a brief account of the Hajj from a modern perspective, including all of the rituals, and brief explanations of each. You should draw from both of the sources we used today in class.
