Download The Golden Age of Islam - White Plains Public Schools

The Golden Age of Islam
E. Napp
Objective: To identify and describe significant achievements of the golden age of Islam
Do Now: Multiple-choice questions from previous lessons
1. One similarity between the Five Pillars of 4. "1. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious,
Islam and the Ten Commandments is that
Most Merciful.
both
2. Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and
(1) support a belief in reincarnation
Sustainer of the Worlds;
(2) promote learning as a means to salvation 3. One way in which the Vedas, the Bible,
(3) encourage the use of statues to symbolize and the Koran are similar is that these
God
religious books
(4) provide a guide to proper ethical and
(1) provide guidelines to govern the
moral behavior
behavior of believers
(2) deny the existence of a supreme being
2. The Koran, jihad, and the hegira are most who rules the universe
closely associated with the practice of
(3) encourage strife between segments of
(1) Islam
believers
(2) Judaism
(4) support political rebellions to overthrow
(3) Shinto
existing governments
(4) Buddhism
5. During the centuries of dynastic rule, the
3. In most societies, works of art and
Chinese rejected other cultures as inferior to
architecture generally serve to
their own. This situation illustrates the
(1) satisfy the needs of the leaders
concept of
(2) limit the influence of religion
(1) ethnocentrism
(3) reflect the values of that society
(2) imperialism
(4) express opposition to the government in
(3) social mobility
power
(4) cultural diffusion
Islamic civilization experienced a golden age
under the Abbassid Dynasty, which ruled from
the mid 8th century until the mid 13th century.
A golden age is a time of prosperity and great
achievements. During the Islamic golden age,
there were great advances in mathematics and
science as well as art and literature. According
to the teachings of the Qur'an though, Islamic
artists were forbidden from using human figures
in religious art. Therefore, they developed a
style of geometric shapes and patterns that were
used to decorate religious buildings called
Mosques. These geometric patterns usually
contained verses from the Qur'an written in a
stylized form of decorative handwriting called
calligraphy. ~ Regentsprep.org
Questions:
What occurred during the Abbasid
Dynasty?
________________________________
Define a golden age.
________________________________
In what areas did Muslims make
great contributions?
________________________________
What were Islamic artists forbidden
from using?
________________________________
Describe Islamic art.
________________________________
Define mosque.
________________________________
Cornell Notes Outline: The Golden Age of Islam (Add Key Words and Summaries)
The Key
Words:
The Notes:
I.
Golden Age
A. A time of peace, prosperity, and great achievements
1. Peace and wealth afforded scholars, scientists, and
artists opportunities
2. Wealth from trade increased opportunities for
scholars and artists
3. Trade within the Islamic empire was brisk and
profitable
B.
II.
The
Summaries:
Islamic civilization experienced a golden age
1. During the Abbasid Dynasty
2. Islam’s “golden age” emerged under the Abbasids
between 850 and 950
Islamic Achievements
A. Math and Science
1. Arabs borrowed the concept of zero from India
2. Developed Arabic numerals
3. Made advances in algebra and geometry
4. Learned to diagnose measles and smallpox
5. Developed chemistry
6. Learned that blood moves to and from the heart
7. Experimented with vaccinations
8. In art and architecture, Islamic tradition blended
Greco-Roman and Christian Byzantine arts with that
of Persia and influences from Central Asia and India
B.
Art and Literature
1. Forbidden to make images of people and God
2. Made beautiful geometric designs
3. Poems and stories
C.
Architecture
1. built beautiful mosques or Islamic houses of
worship
Please read the passage below and answer the questions:
The Arabs were influenced by the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, as well as
by the achievements of Greece and Rome. Arab rulers were known as caliphs. The capital
of the caliphate moved first to Damascus in Syria and then to Baghdad in Iraq. During
these centuries, while learning was in decline in Western Europe, a golden age flourished in
the Islamic world. A golden age is a time of peace, prosperity, and great achievements.
Arabs tolerated Christians and Jews, who contributed to Arab scholarship and culture.
1- Who influenced the Arabs?
________________________________________________________________________
2- Define caliph.
________________________________________________________________________
3- What were the locations of the capitals of the caliphates?
________________________________________________________________________
4- What did the Islamic world experience?
________________________________________________________________________
5- Why did the Arabs’ tolerant policy towards Jews and Christians benefit the Arab
world?
________________________________________________________________________
The Muslims built hospitals to care for the sick. In these hospitals, doctors studied
why people got sick. Muslims became the first people to make a science of medicine.
They studied it carefully and they trained their doctors carefully. From their study,
they discovered that some sicknesses are contagious or can pass from one person to
another.
One Arab doctor named Al-Razi wrote books about two diseases - smallpox and
measles. Al-Razi may have been the first doctor to sew up cuts and to put casts on
broken arms and legs.
Arab astronomers figured out that the earth is round. They correctly guessed that it
was about 25,000 miles around. An Arab geographer was the first to put a map on a
ball to show the right shape of the earth. Other Arab scientists studied light and were
the first to learn that it travels in a straight line. They also learned that the curving of a
lens makes things appear larger. The greatest Muslim scholar was an Arab named
Jabir. His discoveries led to chemistry. Other Arab scientists invented much of the
equipment we use today in chemistry.
6- How did Muslims develop the science of medicine?
________________________________________________________________________
7- What were some of the Arab achievements in medicine?
________________________________________________________________________
8- What was an Arab achievement in astronomy?
________________________________________________________________________
9- Who was Jabir and why was he important?
________________________________________________________________________
In mathematics, Muslim scholars expanded on what they learned from other people.
From India, they borrowed the nine numbers that we still used today. We call these
“Arabic numbers” even though they came from India. From the Hindus, the Arabs
borrowed the decimal system and the idea of zero.
10- List Islamic achievements in the field of mathematics: _________________________
Word Bank:
Mosque
Pilgrimage
Muslims
Caliph
Humans
Math
Toleration
Monotheism
Damascus
Baghdad
Allah
Chemistry
Golden Age
Muhammad
India
Multiple-Choice Questions:
A major feature of the Golden Age of Moslem culture was the
(1) political and economic isolation of the Arab world
(2) development of the foundations of modern science and mathematics
(3) adoption of democratic government
(4) persecution of Jews and Christians
Which factor helps explain the scientific and literary achievements of the Muslims during
their Golden Age (A.D. 800-1300)?
(1) expansion of trans-Atlantic trade
(2) innovations introduced by the Europeans during the Renaissance
(3) cultural diversity accepted by many Islamic governments
(4) legal equality of all people in the Islamic empire
“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life” ~Omar Khayyam