What
Went
Wrong
Webquest
The Rise and Decline of Islamic
Civilization
Salam! Peace!
Welcome to
What
Went
Wrong
Webquest
“There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world.
It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from
ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts.
Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of
different creeds and ethnic origins.
One of its languages became the universal language of much of the
world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies
were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military
protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never
been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from
Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.
And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention.
Its architects designed buildings that
defied gravity. Its mathematicians
created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of
computers, and the creation of encryption.
Its doctors examined the human body, and
found new cures for disease. Its
astronomers looked into the heavens, named the
stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.
Its writers created
thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic.
Its poets wrote of
love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of
such things.
When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived
on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out
knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the
knowledge alive, and passed it on to others…”
From a speech by Carly Fiorina, chairman and chief executive
officer of Hewlett-Packard Company
Introduction
This
webquest will provide you with an overview of Islamic civilization and
the role that Muslims played in bringing vigor and vitality to societies
and cultures. In addition, it will provide an understanding of the
factors causing the decline of Islamic civilization, seeking answers to
questions such as “What went wrong?”
Alhambra is one of the most famous examples of Islamic architecture. It
was built in the 14th century and served as the royal palace for the
Caliph Abd-el-Walid. Alhambra is considered by some to be one of the
wonders of the world. It received the best quality in interior
decoration and architecture. Nowadays it's Spain’s most visited
monument. More info & pics:
1 ,
2 ,
3 and
4
Task
You have been contacted
by World Historians Weekly to research and publish a newspaper covering
the Rise and Fall of Islam and more importantly What Went Wrong.
You will assume the role as researcher, writer and publisher of your
newspaper.
Your job is
to complete series of activities. First, you will
research some aspects of Islamic civilization including religion,
history, and contribution to science. You will analyze and discuss the
factors that led to the rise and decline of Islamic civilization. Then,
you will use the information you gather and the photos you collect to
design your newspaper. Details about each activity and about the
brochure’s design will be provided in the process page.
Taj Mahal, India In 1631 the emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in
memory of his wife Mumtaz. It is one of the most beautiful masterpieces
of architecture in the world. See
1 and
2
Before you start step 1, spend 10-15 minutes reading through this entire webquest --It
might be best to start by reading Step Six and selecting a newsletter
template first before begin your research. By selecting your
newsletter design first, it will be easier to remember to cite your
sources, add pictures, maps or charts and take notes for your future
articles you must write.
In order to get a clear understanding of Islamic civilization, you need
to gain some basic information about the religion of Islam. Use the
resources about understanding Islam and Muslims and the five pillars of
Islam to answer the following questions.
What is Islam?
Who are the Muslims?
What do Muslims believe?
What does 'Islam' mean?
Who is Muhammad?
How did the spread of Islam affect the world?
What is the Quran?
What is the Quran about?
What are the 'Five Pillars' of Islam?
Resources
for step one: Overview of the Islamic faith
Now that you
learned some information about the religion of Islam, it is time to
learn about Islamic history. The resources provided for this step will
give you an overview of the whole Islamic history. While searching,
do not forget to check the timeline from
muslimheritage.com. The following questions will help you focus on
the main points:
When and under what
circumstances was the prophet Muhammad born?
Why did the prophet
Muhammad migrate to Madina?
Describe the land
of Islam when the prophet Muhammad dies.
How and why did
Islam spread so rapidly?
List five
historical events and turning points in the Islamic history.
When did Muslims
enter Spain? How many centuries did they stay there?
When did the Golden
Age of Islam begin? Describe it.
Give details about
the Crusaders and Mongols invasions.
List 4 important
cities in the Islamic world and explain why they are important?
What factors
contributed to the rise of Islamic civilization?
The following questions have been provided to help
you focus on the main points:
List
at least one important contribution of Islamic civilization in
each one of the following fields: chemistry, mathematics,
medicine, architecture, literature, art and astronomy.
Name
4 Muslims scientists and talk about their contributions.
List
5 Arabic words that entered the Western vocabulary.
Visit the resources provided or search the
Internet on your own and save 5 photos that relate to Islamic
civilization (photos of mosques, great buildings, architecture, art,
maps, calligraphy…etc. ) Remember that you need to cite your source and
write a brief description for each photo. You will choose 3 or 4 of
these photos to include in your newspaper.
Now that you learned the basics of the religion of
Islam, recognized the history of Islamic culture, aware of Islamic
contribution to science and medicine, it is time now to investigate the
major factors that led to decline of Islamic civilization. Visit the
following web sites individually, and take notes in order to fully
understand to report on "what went wrong".
Focus on the following main points:
When
the decline of the Islamic civilization start?
After this
trip into Islamic religion, history and civilization, it is time now to
design your own newspaper. Use the
information you have gathered and the photos you saved to
design your newspaper. You may use any available software (such as
Microsoft publisher) to design your newspaper. If you choose to use
Microsoft Publisher, you may choose any NEWSLETTER template. If
you use Microsoft Word, your newspaper MUST look like a newspaper with
articles in columns. If you have not used Microsoft Publisher,
please ask for help.
Some guidelines for designing your newspaper:
Your
newspaper should have a title that is creative and reflects the
focus of your findings and discussions of required articles
Your newspaper should
include 3 to 4 Islamic photos of art, architecture, maps,
calligraphy, etc
Include paragraphs
summarizing your finding of step one. This should be written
in paragraph format answering the who, what, why, when, where, and
how of a good newspaper article
Include paragraphs
summarizing your finding of step two. This should be written
in paragraph format answering the who, what, why, when, where, and
how of a good newspaper article
Include an article covering Muslim scientists and their
contributions as researched in step 3
Include
paragraphs summarizing your discussion and analysis of step 5.
This is the most important article of your newspaper. Make
sure you fully address all areas of step 5.
REMEMBER,
NEWSPAPER REPORTERS DO NOT USE "I" IN THEIR ARTICLES. DO NOT
USE "I", "I THINK" OR "I FEEL" WHILE WRITING FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Be creative! Make the
newspaper visually appealing. Use
interesting but
READABLE fonts and photos.
Do not include any inappropriate pictures or articles. Be sure to
cite sources you used for all information, quotes and pictures. Sources
should be placed on the back page of your newspaper.
When writing your paper, do not copy and paste and do not retype
someone else's words. That would be plagiarism - it is illegal and
you will recieve a zero on for this project. You can
use other people's words, but you must cite your sources.
Evaluation
Rubric for Newspaper Evaluation
Category
Excellent (100-90 points)
Good (89-80 points)
Satisfactory (79-70 points)
Needs Improvement (60-0 point)
Score
Writing - Organization
Each section (for each step) in the
brochure is clear, concise and well written. All
areas thoroughly addressed
Almost all sections of the brochure
are clear, concise and well written. Most areas
addressed.
Most sections of the brochure are
clear, and concise. Few areas addressed.
Less than half of the sections of the
brochure are clear, and concise.
Grammar, Format and Spelling
The brochure is free of grammar,
spelling, and formatting errors.
The brochure has few errors related
to grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.
The brochure has several grammar,
spelling, and formatting errors.
The brochure has major grammar,
spelling, and formatting errors.
Category
Excellent (10-9 points)
Good (8-7 points)
Satisfactory (6-5 points)
Needs Improvement (4-0 point)
Score
Graphics
All graphics are relevant and
balanced with text use.
All graphics are relevant, but there
appear to be too few or too many.
Some graphics are relevant and their
use is balanced with text use.
The graphics are not relevant.
Attractiveness & Organization
The brochure has exceptionally
attractive formatting and well-organized
information.
The brochure has attractive
formatting and well-organized information.
The brochure has well-organized
information.
The brochure's formatting and
organization of material are confusing.
Sources
Source information collected and
cited for all graphics, facts and quotes.
Source information collected for all
graphics, facts and quotes. Most cited.
Source information collected for
graphics, facts and quotes, but not cited.
Very little or no source information
was collected.
Process:
Completion
All steps of the process are
addressed and handled with a high degree of
sophistication.
At least one step is not addressed.
At least two steps are not addressed.
The brochure is incomplete and/or it
is apparent that little effort is being done.
.....
Process: Originality
The ideas expressed in the brochure
demonstrate a high degree of originality.
The ideas expressed in the brochure
are mostly original.
The ideas expressed in the brochure
demonstrate a low degree of originality.
There were no original ideas
expressed in this brochure.
.....
Total
Al-Idrisi's world map (the 12th century)
(oriented with South at the top)
Conclusion
By completing the webquest,
you should have a basic understanding of Islamic
civilization, its contribution to the world, and the factors
that led to its rise and decline.
How
did this webquest add to your understanding of Islamic
civilization? How did it
contribute to your understanding of the world today?
What additional information
would you like to know about Islam and Islamic civilization?
Use the resources provided in this webquest as well as other
resources available to you to continue your investigation.
