UKS2 Topic: Early Islamic Civilisation Block G: History of the Islamic Religion

Session 2 The Kabaah and the Hajj
National Curriculum / History: Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study; Undertake an in-depth study of a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history - early Islamic civilisation.
Teaching Objectives / To learn about the history of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
National Curriculum / Art: Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.
Teaching Objectives / To make models of the kabaah
Resources
PowerPoint presentation on the History of the Kabaah and the Hajj. Information sheet on How to make a model Kabaah. Cardboard, scissors, glue, black and gold paint, clay. / Weblinks
http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/hajj/hajj_stories.aspx - British Museum video of Hajj stories;
https://www.al-islam.org/story-of-the-holy-kaaba-and-its-people-shabbar/kaaba-house-allah - Article about the history of the kabaah;
http://www.soundvision.com/article/the-kaba-in-makkah-its-size-and-history - Article about the construction history of the kabaah
Whole class: Play chn the video from the British Museum Hajj stories page to prepare them. Ask chn: What is hajj? (a pilgrimage) Where do people go? (Kabaah in Mecca) What does it mean to them? (see weblink one and weblink two). Why is it so important? Show chn the PowerPoint presentation on the History of the Kabaah and the Hajj (session resource). Ask chn: How do you think we know about the stages of development of the Kabaah? How do you find out what something looked like in the past? (e.g. look at drawings of it from a long time ago, read descriptions of it a long time ago, archaeologists could dig it up to find out what it looked like a long time ago.) Which of these types of evidence did we look at in the presentation? (Pictures and descriptions – no archaeology.) Why can't the Kabaah be dug up by archaeologists? (Because it's in use.) Do we believe the pictures and the descriptions? (Descriptions may be biased by who has written them and the pictures may have been based on the biased descriptions) So how do we know how the Kabaah really developed? (We don't!) Despite this, tell chn they are going to work in small groups to make a model based on the pictures and descriptions we do have of the Kabaah. Each group will make a model of the Kabaah at a specific time in history, and all together the models will show how the Kabaah is supposed to have developed, according to the pictures and descriptions. Refer to the Information sheet on How to make a model Kabaah (session resource). Organise five groups and get each to sit down and appoint a group leader, a group sketcher and the modellers with a piece of paper and get them to discuss and sketch out their model. Put out modelling materials and as each group comes to agreement on how they will build their model, ask them to go and get materials to make it. The leader and sketcher should supervise the modellers who will then get on with the work.
Medium/Hard
You may want to pick the group leaders and sketchers yourself to avoid arguments and to stretch those chn who need it. / Easy
If chn are having difficulty designing their model, refer to the Information sheet on How to make a model Kabaah (session resource). There are suggestions on how to model a couple of stages of the Kabaah in which could be shared.
Plenary / Ask chn to talk to a partner to think about what they could write on a sign to go with their models, to say that this is only how we think the Kabaah developed and not necessarily how it really developed. Then ask for some ideas and start writing the text of the sign on a f/c. Edit and rewrite the text until the class is happy with what it says, then create this sign to go with the models for the final display.
Outcomes / Children will:
·  Evaluate the evidence associated with the history of the Kabaah in Mecca
·  Plan a model building
·  Build a model building

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