UKS2 Topic: Early Islamic Civilisationblock C: Trade and Travel: the Spread of Islamic Ideas

UKS2 Topic: Early Islamic CivilisationBlock C: Trade and Travel: The Spread of Islamic Ideas

Discover the importance of the ‘silk road’ and ‘spice routes’ and the goods which were carried along them, map the origins of these goods. Design and make a board game based on the ‘silk road’ to illustrate the flow of goods and knowledge, the hazards of trade and life on the road in a caravan. Create replica artefacts for a class bazaar and share this with invited ‘traders’!

Block C: The spread of Islamic ideas [7 sessions] / Main outcome:History
Other outcomes: Geography, Art and Design
By the end of this block you will have achieved the following outcomes: / ●Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
●Locate the world’s countries, using maps … concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, and major cities.
●Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: … economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources.
●Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: economic activity.
●Understand the historical and cultural development of art forms.
●Improve mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.
Session 1History and Geography
Silk, spice and all things nice
Discover that the ‘silk road’ and ‘spice routes’ were important ancient highways for trade; enjoy first-hand experience of some of these goods. / Children will
●Watch videos and read to discover that the ‘silk road’ and ‘spice routes’ were important ancient highways for trade.
●Enjoy first-hand experience of some of these goods, smelling/ tasting/ feeling as appropriate: pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, silk, ivory, sandalwood, porcelain, rice, cotton, tea, paper, salt, precious stones.
●‘Pin’ pre-prepared cards on a map of the region to show possible country of origin of many trade-goods.
Session 2History, Geography and ArtDesign
There and back again
Formulate the basis of a game simulating the journey along the ‘silk road’. / Children will
●Investigate the people who travelled the silk road, caravans, physical geography, natural hazards, robbers.
●Design a board game based on the ‘silk road’, incorporating rules, features and experiences that reflect life on the road.
Session 3: History, Geography and ArtDesign
Game time
Finalise and make their board games; play each other’s games and evaluate their success. / Children will
●Create a board game to represent and apply knowledge; Creation of a game to illustrate the flow of goods and knowledge along the silk road and spice routes, the hazards (natural and otherwise) of trade, the art of barter and life in the road in a caravan.
●Play games to share knowledge.
Session 4: ArtDesign
Design and make 1
Make a close study of an Islamic artefact and translate this to a plan for a 3D replica. / Children will
●Choose an early Islamic artefact to recreate in a choice of medium;
●Sketch, then formalise a final design, incorporating a detailed list of materials and a bullet point list to show the process.
Session 5 & 6: ArtDesign
Design and make 2
Create chosen artefact and decorate. Evaluate against design criteria. N.B. This will need to be spread across a week to allow for drying time. / Children will
●Create and finish a replica artefact from somewhere across the Islamic world.
●Evaluate their own design and finished work, reflecting on its success and possible areas for improvement.
Session 7: History and Maths
Set out your stall
Organise and set up a ‘bazaar’, including acting as merchants and selling goods. / Children will
●Prepare for and hold a mock bazaar where some goods are traded, bought and sold. Chn carry out trades, while visitors to the bazaar (parents) buy products and the bazaar inspector (head teacher) watches out for dishonest merchants.

Resources

Session 1

Provided: Recording sheet for note-taking during films; Map showing extent of the Islamic civilisation; Trade goods cards; Pisano biography & ‘paper’.

You will need: ‘Trade goods’, e.g. pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, silk, ivory, sandalwood, porcelain, cotton, tea, paper, salt, precious stones, incense, gold; books, e.g. Trade and Commerce in the Early Islamic World by Allison Lassieur [ISBN: 978-0778721796].

Session 2

Provided:Slides for shared reading: ‘Who travelled the ‘silk road’ trade routes?’; Slides for discussion: ‘What was life on the road like?’; Board game features checklist; Board game templates (editable).

You will need: Atlases and internet-based mapping tools, e.g. Google Maps; books, e.g. Trade and Commerce in the Early Islamic World by Allison Lassieur [ISBN: 978-0778721796]/ The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction by James Millward [ISBN: 978-0199782864]/ Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 by James Rumford [ISBN: 978-0618432332].

Session 3

Provided:

You will need: Materials for game creation, e.g. large pieces of card, coloured paper, scissors, glue, colouring pens and pencils, sticky-back film etc;Internet access for further information referencing;Books (as per Session 2).

Session 4

Provided:Slides of a range of early Islamic artefacts; Slides of example sketches; Pro-forma for artefact design (enlarge to A3).

You will need, Conté crayons, various grades of pencil, charcoal; iPads or laptops.

This activity could also be an opportunity to bring a local expert in to school to share a skill, such as painting, pottery, embroidery or wood-carving…

Session 5 & 6

Provided: See Session 4 for reminders and prompts if necessary.

You will need: Chn’s artefact designs; Materials for modelling, e.g. clay, tools for shaping clay, papier maché (newspaper, PVA glue, water), Modroc, shallow trays, PVA glue, scissors, glass paints; Camera/ iPad.

Session 7

Provided: Images of bazaars.

You will need: Resources for the setting up of the bazaar!

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