UKS2 Topic Overview: Early Islamic Civilisation

Track the development and history of an early Islamic civilisation – the great city of Baghdad. Compare and contrast these developments with Western Europe at the same time, learn about the spread of Islam through the Middle East and beyond, and examine trade and everyday life in Baghdad. Finally discover the legacy of early Islam and the continuing influences we see today.

Note – Hamilton Trust uses the form ‘Muhammad (pbuh)’ where he is mentioned. This follows a general convention and is seen by some as a mark of respect. It is up to individual teachers as to whether they follow this convention in written and spoken materials.

Block / Key N.C. Objectives / Main creative outcomes
Block A
Introduction to an Early Islamic Civilisation
[3 sessions] / History,Geography andComputing
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
  • They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  • Undertake an in-depth study of a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history- early Islamic civilisation.
  • Locate the world’s countries using maps, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
  • Present human and physical features using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.
  • Create a comparative timeline of events and developments in Western Europe and the Islamic world.
  • Created/illustrated maps to show the connections and developments of the Islamic world.
  • Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.
/ This block looks at the early history of Islamic civilisation including Baghdad from CE 900 on a broad brush scale and compares it to what was going on in western Europe at around the same time. This block touches on the effects of religion on culture and architecture, the development and maintenance of global trade networks and the history of intellectual and philosophical thought in both areas.
Block B
The Rise of Islamic Civilisation
[5 sessions] / History,GeographyandComputing
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across periods studied.
  • Address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  • Select and organise relevant historical information. Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Locate the world’s countries, using maps and concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, and major cities.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Be discerning in evaluating digital content.
  • Select, use and combine a variety of software, on a range of digital devices to create a range of content that accomplish given goals, including presenting data and information.
/ Become an expert in the rise of the Islamic Civilisation; compare ancient and modern maps of the world and the region significant to early Islamic Civilisation; use a range of sources to discover more about the life of Muhammad (pbuh); put together a chronological account of the life of Muhammad (pbuh) using ICT ‘soundbite’ news clips; find out about the difficult time following the death of Muhammad (pbuh); summarise the key events of early Islamic conquests and place them on a timeline.
Block C
Trade and Travel: The Spread of Islamic Ideas
[7 sessions] / History,Geographyand Art & Design
  • 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.
/ 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 D
The Rise and Fall of Baghdad
[5 sessions] / History,Art & Design andD&T
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Select and organise relevant historical information.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Understand the historical and cultural development of art forms.
  • Improve mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing.
  • Generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through… pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
/ Find out about the fascinating rise and fall of the city of Baghdad CE 900; explore Islamic art, patterns and motifs, turning the classroom into a House of Wisdom.
Block E
Everyday Life in Baghdad
[6 sessions] / History andComputing
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Select and organise relevant historical information.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  • Be discerning in evaluating digital content.
  • Select, use and combine a variety of software on a range of digital devices to create a range of content that accomplishes given goals, including presenting data and information.
/ Ask questions about everyday life in Baghdad through hot seating; recreate scenes from everyday life in Baghdad through creating ‘tableaux’; find out about parallel aspects of life in London and Baghdad. Evaluate quality of life in those two cities; examine a range of sources of historical evidence relating to ancient Baghdad, evaluating their usefulness and reliability; collaborate as a group to plan and create an informative film to present to a wider audience.
Block F
Scheherazade
[6 sessions] / English, History and Art
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods studied.
  • Select and organise relevant historical information.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
  • Listen to and discuss a wide range of fiction.
  • Increase familiarity with a wide range of books including myths and legends and retell some of these orally.
  • Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
  • In writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what they have read, listened to or seen performed.
  • Select appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning.
  • In narratives, describe settings, characters and atmosphere.
  • Create sketches to record observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.
/ Legendary queen Scheherazade, who told the tales of 1001 Arabian Nights, needs your help! Can you write and illustrate a magical story to enthral King Sharyar for the 1002nd night? You will need to investigate the themes and structures of the original ‘1001 Arabian Nights’ stories, as well as including authentic details of early Islamic civilisation in order to write an authentic story ready to re-tell to Scheherazade and an invited audience.
Block G
Religion
[4 sessions] / History, Art, English andD&T
  • 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.
  • Pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and mastery of language should be extended through public speaking, performance and debate.
  • Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.
/ This block looks at the history of important aspects of Islam, such as the Quran and hadiths, hajj, the observance of Ramadan and the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Block H
Important Places
[3 sessions] / History andGeography
  • 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.
  • They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  • Locate the world’s countries using maps, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
  • Present human and physical features using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.
/ Certain places are very important in the Islamic world as their history is intertwined with the religion. Explore the histories of the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Damascus, Karbala and Istanbul.
Block I
Legacy of Early Islam
[8 sessions] / History, English andArt
  • Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology andetymology) … to understand the meaning of new words that they meet.
  • Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
  • Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task.
  • Use further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader.
  • Identify the audience for and purpose of writing, selecting the appropriate form.
  • Extend mastery of language through public speaking and debate.
  • 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.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Thoughtfully select and organise relevant historical information.
  • Construct informed responses.
/ Explore the remnants of early Islamic civilisation that we enjoy today. Discover that many words in common use today have their origins in the time of the early Islamic civilisation; experiment with calligraphy; watch videos and read about a range of Islamic scholars;; decorate manuscriptsin an Islamic style; and much more!

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