Section 1: The Tenets of Islam and its Connections
Step 1: Watch this lecture introducing this week’s material (9 mins.):
Step 2: Watch this Crash Course video introducing Islam (13 mins.):
Step 3: Read the first few pages of Chapter 9 of the textbook (pp. 289-298).
Step 4: Listen to an example of the call to prayer (heard five times a day from many mosques) (1 min.):
Step 5: Watch this video on different types of Islamic veils (3 mins.): and see if you can find any other relevant videos or articles about dress for Islamic women.
Step 6: Respond to these questions:
Question 1: Looking at the five pillars of Islam, what similarities do you see between the central practices of Islam and Christianity (based on what you’ve learned in this class or from your own experience)?
Question 2: What are the principal similarities and differences between the Qur’an and the New Testament of the Bible? Cite at least one passage from the Qur’an in your answer.
Question 3: Explain the hijab requirement and how different Muslim women have chosen to respond to it.
Section 2: Islam in Action
Step 1: Read the next few pages of Chapter 9 of the textbook (pp. 298-308).
Step 2: Watch this video on Islamic geometric design (5 mins.):
Step 3: Watch this video showing off the Alhambra (4 mins.):
Step 4: Respond to the following questions:
Question 1: Why did Islam spread so rapidly?
Question 2: What are some non-spiritual reasons that people in the Middle Ages joined Islam?
Question 3: In what ways does the Alhambra reflect Islamic values?
Section 3: Arts of the Islamic World
Step 1: Read the rest of Chapter 9 of the textbook (pp. 308-313).
Step 2: Respond to the following question:
Question: In your opinion, which type of Islamic art (i.e. architecture, music, bookmaking, design, literature, etc.) has had the biggest impact on the world of today?
Note: Rather than writing a whole essay, just write a thesis statement explaining your argument (1 sentence), and your 3 most convincing pieces of evidence to back that up (1-2 sentences each), which might come from the text or video, or from outside research, or just from your own analysis. Look in the “Final paper” folder in Course Content for tips on thesis and evidence, if you need.
Thesis:
Evidence #1:
Evidence #2:
Evidence #3:
Section 4: Submit Assignment
Step 1: Once you have answered the questions in sections 1-3, submit this assignment by Sunday.