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Grade Level: 7-12
Subject: Social Studies
Lesson for December 28, 2009

The Muslim World

Police motorcycles burn as Iranian opposition protesters throw stones.Fueled by the death of a leading Muslim cleric, violent clashes between the Iranian government's security forces and anti-government protestors have resulted in hundreds of arrests and several deaths during the last weeks of 2009. The Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazer, who died on December 19, was a highly respected figure in Shia Islam and an outspoken critic of the country's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. For many, this is merely a renewed wave of protest against the current government. The initial outpouring happened in June, when election results gave a second-term victory to Ahmadinejad. Demonstrators took to the streets against the results, citing corruption.

Unlike the government of the United States, Iran's government is deliberately integrated with the majority's religion, Islam. In fact, it is the Supreme Leader, appointed by a council of Muslim clerics, who is in charge of the armed forces, for example. The Guardian Council is the most powerful government body, with half of its members also religious leaders. The council is in charge of approving bills passed by the elected Parliament, and it can veto any bill that does not follow Islamic principles.

Such political turmoil intwined with Islam is often the only glimpse of the Muslim world that non-Muslims get. This can make it difficult to understand why Islam is the fastest growing and second most popular religion in the world, with about 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide. Christianity is the most popular, with more than 2 billion followers. An estimated two to four million Muslims live in the United States. While many Muslims have immigrated to the U.S. from all over the world since 1840, about a quarter are native-born and have been converted to the faith, making Muslim communities some of the most ethnically diverse in the nation.

In this lesson you will learn about Islam's basic principles and how it compares to other popular religions. You will also discover that Muslims have not only been known for their religious beliefs, but also in how they have helped boost the spread of knowledge and innovation over the centuries.

Islam Overview

The Koran is an essential text of Islam.Begin your journey by exploring the basic principles of Islam: Empire of Faith at PBS. Start with learning about the Faith of Islam. In this section, find out what Allah means. and learn about the Five Pillars: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage. For each pillar, write a one-sentence summary.

As you may already know, these principles are part of Islam's foundation—the Koran & Tradition. Write a summary of how the Koran was created and how its teachings spread. Why did the spread of Islam also contribute to the spread of other knowledge?

In People of the Book, you will uncover more obvious ties between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Why do you think Abraham is a common key figure in all three religions? Make sure to also review the snapshot of Islam Today. Write a sentence describing the differences between Sunni and Shiite. Note where majority populations live.

Now, take a look at Islamic Culture, spanning the realms of Art, Architecture, and Literature. For what reasons do these cultural expressions in the Islamic world differ from those in a Christian setting?

In reviewing the previous sections, you likely noticed that Islam boosted the spread of knowledge. This is because self-improvement of the individual and the betterment of society are inherent in a Muslim's religious duty. Such searching for and sharing of knowledge led to profound Innovation—in Algebra and Trigonometry, Engineering, Astronomy, Medicine, and in Paper & Publishing.

Next, review the Profiles to get familiar with a few of Islam's key players: Muhammad, Saladin, Mamun, Rumi, Mehmed, and Suleyman. Summarize each profile. In what ways did they influence the spread of Islam? In what ways did they influence the arts and sciences?

Architecture created under the Seljuks,  the first Turkish dynasty to rule the Muslim World.

Muslim Heritage

As you have discovered, the Islamic religion not only served as spiritual guidance to many over the centuries, it also served as a tool for spreading change and innovation. Now, dig deeper into Islam's influence at the Muslim Heritage site.

Begin by reviewing the Timeline. Starting at "0," when Islam first began, use the red slider to move forward in time. As you mouseover the dates to learn more about each event, make note of the other milestones marked on the timeline for reference. Click a milestone to visit a page that describes it more in-depth. Use your web browser's Back button to return to the timeline. As you proceed, write notes about which concepts, research, or innovations we continue to rely on today.

Next, explore the Virtual Civilization Map. Click one of the categories—Personalities, Major Cities, Institutions, Discoveries, or Monuments of the Muslim World to reveal key hotspots for that category. Hover your mouse cursor over each hotspot icon for a brief description of that that person, place, or topic. Click it to visit a page that describes it more in-depth. Use your web browser's Back button to return to the map and click to the next hotspot.

If you have time, browse through other Topics highlighted at this site, like The Beginning of the Paper Industry, some of the Earliest maps of America, Muslim Contribution to Chemistry, and The Muslim Agricultural Revolution.

With your classmates, either as a whole class or in smaller groups, use your notes to discuss what you have learned about Islam during this lesson. Also, talk about how have the essential principles and teachings of Islam contributed to the development and stability of civilization as a whole. Following your discussion, write a one-page essay about one aspect of Islam that you found especially interesting. Cite specific examples from this lesson's web resources.

Newspaper Activities

Browse current issues of the e-edition and collect five or more articles that refer to Muslims, including personal stories or specific Islamic sects or populations. Using a highlighter, mark words in each article that relate to Islam or being a Muslim. For example, phrases that use either term of Sunni or Shiite or references to a mosque, prayer, belief, etc. Pool your article selections with those of classmates, discarding any duplicates. Then, sort articles based on the location (by country). As a class, review the articles for each location. Discuss what events, activities, or personal stories are being reported in each country and why. Summarize the news in a list and post alongside a world map. Discuss the "bigger picture" of any pattern you or other students notice.

Alternatively, cut out photos of items or processes that are based on innovations inspired or spread by early Muslims. Create a collage, labeling each item and noting how it can be traced back to Islamic influence (use the Muslim Heritage Topics library for help, if needed).
