Lesson Planning
Upper Key Stage 2 Early Islamic Civilisation - NEW LOOK
Baghdad - NEW LOOK
Find out about the fascinating rise and fall of the city of Baghdad CE 900; explore the ‘Round City’, compare and contrast daily life in Baghdad and Anglo-Saxon England as well as examining and evaluating historical sources.
Session 1 The Construction of Baghdad
Objectives
History
- To know features of the Round City.
- To discuss what we can learn about Al-Mansur from the city he built.
Enquiry question
What does Al-Mansur’s city tell us about him as a ruler?
Outcomes
Children will:
- Read descriptions of Baghdad and create our own artist’s impression.
- Compare and discuss other artist’s impressions.
- Discuss what we can learn about Al-Mansur from the city that he built.
Provided Resources
You Will Also Need
Large sheets of paper
Weblinks
Video clip about the building of Al-Mansur’s Baghdad
Session 2 Everyday life in Baghdad
Objectives
History
- To learn about everyday life in Baghdad in 900 CE.
- To use this knowledge to recreate scenes showing life for the citizens of Baghdad.
Enquiry question
Who were the citizens of Baghdad?
Outcomes
Children will:
- Make notes about everyday life in Baghdad.
- Recreate scenes from everyday life in Baghdad through creating freeze-frames.
Lesson Planning
Provided Resources
You Will Also Need
Weblinks
BBC Videos on aspects of daily life (approx. five minutes each): Teachers need to choose which of these videos to use - watch them all to decide.
Houses in Baghdad from BBC Teach
Jobs in Baghdad from BBC Teach
Food in Baghdad from BBC Teach
Fashion in Baghdad from BBC Teach
You may need to explain the CE (Common Era) is sometimes also referred to as AD (Anno Domini, in the year of the Lord).
Session 3 How do we know about life in Baghdad?
Objectives
History
- To find out about life in Baghdad using a range of sources.
- To discuss and evaluate historical sources.
Enquiry question
How can we find out about life in Baghdad?
Outcomes
Children will:
- Examine a range of sources of historical evidence relating to ancient Baghdad, evaluating their usefulness and reliability.
Lesson Planning
Provided Resources
You Will Also Need
No extra resources are required for this session.
Session 4 Golden Age and Dark Age: Comparison with life in Anglo-Saxon England
Objectives
History
- To place historical periods on a timeline, noting connections with other historical periods studied.
- To make notes about Anglo-Saxon life and compare with what we have learned about life in Baghdad c.900 CE.
Enquiry question
How did life in the Golden Age of Baghdad compare to life in the Dark Age of Anglo-Saxon England?
Outcomes
Children will:
- Research and make a summary about life in Anglo-Saxon England.
- Make a comparison between Anglo-Saxon England and Golden Age Baghdad.
Lesson Planning
Provided Resources
You Will Also Need
No extra resources are required for this session.
Session 5 Why did Early Islamic Civilisation end in Baghdad?
Objectives
History
- To discuss and evaluate a range of sources about the fall of Baghdad.
- To select and organise relevant historical information.
Enquiry question
What caused the end of Early Islamic Civilisation in Baghdad?
Outcomes
Children will:
- Examine a range of sources of historical evidence relating to the fall of Baghdad, evaluating their usefulness and reliability.
- Create a narrative of the fall of Baghdad.
Lesson Planning
Provided Resources
You Will Also Need
Weblinks
Video reading of Silent Music by James Rumford