The King’s School Ottery St. Mary

Ed Pawson

 

RE / ICT Project: Revelation and the Qur’an

The aim of this project was to deliver part of a Year 7unit on Islam, through the use of ICT. There needs to be a strong awareness that this is an RE topic; the technology must not drive the project. It makes use of internet sites as a source of information, and develops skills in understanding and evaluating texts. It particularly focuses on the concept of "revelation" in Islam, drawing in the story of Muhammad and the development of the Qur’an. It also looks at revelation as a core phenomena in other religions and encourages students to consider their own religious or personal experiences.

 

Classroom Introduction (2 hours):

  • What is Islam?
  • Who are Muslims?
  • Who was Muhammad?
  • Why is he so important?
  • What did he experience on the "Night of Power"?
  • What is meditation or prayer?
  • What is a religious experience?

 

Homework activity: 

Muhammad went to a cave to pray. Describe an experience of solitude, quiet, or awareness of silence. Where would you go to be by yourself and think? (read from "Sophie’s World" about her den)

 

 

ICT Room (4 hours)

Muhammad and the Holy Quran (click here to see worksheet)

I identified a relevant site and wrote a worksheet to help the students interrogate the text. I created fields for them to type their answers into, and then protected the document. The website address was put onto the top of the sheet and activated as a hyperlink. This worksheet was then posted into the files of each student in Year 7. They were given clear instructions about how to save their own work in their own files.

This site develops the idea of Muhammad’s revelation and then leads onto the concept of the revelation of the 10 Commandments for Jews and Christians.

Skills used include copying text into word file and then editing. Setting up a separate Word Bank file as a glossary for students to access is a useful learning aid (click here to view Word Bank).

 

Introduction to Islam 

To develop their understanding of how the Quran grew out of Muhammad’s revelations I identified a site which featured a chapter on Articles of Faith: Revelations and the Quran. Again I put a worksheet into their files with a hyperlink to this site - (click here to see worksheet) This exercise covers some basic factual information on the Quran and then leads on to an evaluation of its importance (both to Muslims and to the students themselves).

 

Project: What is the Quran? or Who was Muhammad?

When they have completed these tasks they can embark on a mini project (titles above). Aimed at an 8 year old, they can do some additional research using the RE Websites (click here to view), and produce their own document, decorating with varied fonts, styles, symbols, clip art, down loading pictures etc.

 

Quality of Work Produced:

The quality of the work produced was varied, as expected. Most students wrote reasonably thoughtfully, although few developed their answers in great detail. Some of the projects were creative and insightful.

 

Evaluation

The students responded very well to this unit of work. They enjoyed the variety in delivery and they found the opportunity to work openly and in a less directed manner very rewarding.

I have found it a great asset to my teaching. It allows students to interact with sources which are authentically Islamic, and I found there were more leading and informed questions being fired at me than there would have been in a comparable classroom, book based lesson.

 

 

How do Muslims express their beliefs?

 

About this unit:

This unit outlines the key beliefs and practices in Islam, emphasising current practice and providing opportunities to learn about the historical foundation of the religion.

 

Prior learning

Vocabulary

Resources

Pupils will need to be aware that religions develop from particular historical settings.

They will also need to understand that beliefs directly affect behaviour and practices.

In this unit pupils will have the opportunity to use words and phrases related to:

Islam, Allah, Muhammad, revelation, prophet, Quran, angels, Shariah, Jihad, Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Ramadan, Hajj, Mosque, Ummah

Religious Artefacts e.g. Quran and kursi (stand), prayer mat and compass.

A range of texts on Islam.

Videos.

Members of faith community.

Mosque.

ICT, CD Rom.

 

 

How do Muslims express their beliefs?

Key questions

Learning Objectives

Pupils should learn:

Possible Teaching Activities

Learning Outcomes

Pupils:

Points to note

How did Islam begin?

Who was Muhammad?
  • About Muhammad’s early life
  • How he was called to prophethood
  • What he taught which was so distinctive
  • Why he is so important to Muslims
  • Brainstorm symbolism of crescent moon and star
  • Discuss Arabia, trade routes, folk religion
  • Put Muhammad’s life into perspective of other religions and events by viewing or drawing a timeline
  • Consider story of Muhammad’s early life
  • Discuss Muhammad’s title of "Al Amin" and ask pupils to write about an occasion when they were reliable and trustworthy
  • Read about Muhammad’s experience in the cave and ask pupils to write a poem about some aspect of silence or prayer.
  • Discuss concept of Revelation. Research the Night of Power and the Revelation of the Quran using internet (see RE/ICT lesson plans)
  • Make comparisons with revelatory experiences in other traditions eg Moses receiving the Ten Commandments (Read Exodus 19 and 20)
  • Ask pupils how they would have responded to an experience such as Muhammad had in the cave. Retell how Muhammad preached Allah’s message to the people of Mecca and eventually returned the Ka’ba to its rightful state.
  • Consider why Muhammad is known as the Seal of the Prophets. Ask pupils to try to sum up why Muhammad has such significance for Muslims, either as a structured essay or as a newspaper report.
  • Recognise the Importance of Muhammad
  • Understand that being reliable leads to being trusted
  • Explore their own experiences of solitude and meaningful search
  • Understand how a religious movement can grow out of a revelatory experience

Emphasise how the title often given to Muhammad (pbuh) (peace and blessings upon him) shows ultimate level of respect for him as a human.

What do Muslims believe?
  • About the significance of the Quran
  • About Tawid: the Oneness of God
  • About Islamic beliefs in the Prophets, Holy Books, Angels the Last Judgement and Predestination
  • Discuss respect for Holy Books and demonstrate with a copy of a Quran and kursi (Quran stand)
  • Research importance of the Quran, possibly using websites on the Internet (see RE/ICT lesson plans)
  • Produce a booklet (using ICT if prefered) to explain the origin and significance of the Quran to an 8 year old
  • Brainstorm the word God. Discuss problems of religious language and expression. Consider the Islamic belief of one God (as expressed in the Shahadah and through the 99 beautiful names of Allah) and contrsat with ideas of God from other religions.
  • Consider the 5 central beliefs of Muslims (Allah, Prophets, Holy Books, Angels and Judgement) noting where these agree/disagree with other religions already studied

 

  • Identify how and why the Quran is handled respectfully
  • Explain the significance of the Quran for Muslims
  • Understand the Muslim belief in one God

Handle the Quran in class with great respect.

Use Islamic wordlist in conjunction with the ICT resources.

How do Muslims put their beliefs into action?
  • What the Five Pillars are and their significance in Islamic worship
  • What Jihad and Shariah mean ?
  • Introduce the details of each duty: Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Saum, Hajj, noting briefly what each entails.
  • Use a picture of a building with pillars to discuss Islamic idea that all are necessary to uphold religious life.
  • Take one Pillar as an example and examine religious and social significance e.g. Saum. Link to Ramadan and Night of Power. Look at daily routine, discussing the benefits of learning to overcome suffering and hardship. Use story or description of Muslim child coping at school during Ramadan as way of creating empathy.
  • Discuss need for laws and necessity to work for good and fairness in society. Ask pupils to write list of rules for the home: duties and behaviour.
  • Set piece of imaginary writing where an individual has to grapple with their own temptation to "sin" and their subsequent decision to change their behaviour or actions.
  • Discuss concepts of Jihad (struggling against personal and collective sin) and Shariah (description of the true path to follow), using examples of prayer or fasting.
  • Understand the significance to a Muslim of the Five Pillars
  • Explore aspects of their own motivation and behaviour
  • Identify key aspects of Islamic belief and action in terms of lifestyle and expectations
 

How do 21st Century Muslims live in Britain?

That some aspects of Islam are recognisable within a community

  • Mosque
  • Clothing
  • Art
  • Food
  • Women
  • Discuss the idea of Ummah (Muslim Community) and consider how Muslim cultural and religious life has adapted to Western society.
  • Visit a Mosque or invite a speaker from the Muslim community.
  • Use ICT/Video to view issues relating to Muslim lifestyle
  • Understand the importance of Muslim community
  • Recognise the central role of the Mosque in muslim cultural life
  • Consider how belief affects behaviour.
 

 

 

Pupil Worksheets

 

Name:  Muhammad and the Holy Quran

Log onto the following site by clicking on the address below: 

http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/muhamd.htm

Now minimise this file

Answer the questions below.

Type your answers into the spaces available.

Save into your own file, under the title: Muhammad followed by the date (eg. Muhammad 01 June 00)

 

Write in full sentences.

  1. Where does the Quran come from?

 

  1. Who came and spoke to Muhammad?

 

  1. What was Muhammad taught to do?

 

  1. What name is given to the night on which this happened?

 

  1. Explain why you think this event is so important to Muslims.

 

  1. Click on "Shavuot on the Net" and answer the following:

How do Jews and Christians believe the Ten Commandments were given to them by God?

Explain how God spoke to Moses.

 

  1. Explain what you think the word "Revelation" means?

 

 

 

Name: Revelations and the Quran

Click on the internet address below:

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html

Scroll down to Chapter 3: "Revelations and the Quran".

Read this section carefully.

Now minimise this file.

Answer the questions below, typing your answers into the spaces available.

Write in full sentences.

Save using the word: Quran followed by the date. (eg Quran 01 June 00)

  1. Complete:

Muslims believe that the Quran is the "word of ."

  1. What language is it in?

 

  1. How long is it?

 

  1. "The theme of the Quran broadly consists of three fundamental ideas." What are they?

 

  1. Explain why Muslims believe the Quran is so important.
 
  1. "The Quran is the only authentic and complete book of Allah (God)."

Do you agree?

Explain how important you think the Quran is. (Write a paragraph)