Isaac’s blog

A caravan day is when the groups take turns rolling dice. Depending on what number the group gets, they’ll get a trivia(quiz) card, wisdom card, or the chance to challenge another group. If a group is given a trivia card, they will be asked a question, if they get the answer right, they receive five durhams, if they get the answer wrong, nothing happens. If the group is given a wisdom card, the teacher reads out the information out loud for the class to hear and then gives the card to the group to keep. If the group gets the chance to challenge another group, they roll the dice and call odd or even. If the sum of the showing numbers on the upper face of the dice is odd, the team that called odd wins 20 durham from the other group, if the sum of the showing numbers on the upper face of the dice is even, then the group that called even wins 20 durhams from the other group.

My group learned several facts during the first Caravan Day. These are the five that I thought were the most important: There are 1.4 million Christian Arabs! Baghdad was the most famous city during the Golden Age of Islam. Muslim mathematicians contributed to math with Arabic numbers, Algebra, and Geometry. All prayer rugs point to Mecca. Arabs between the 14th and 18th centuries contributed to astronomy, mathematics, and medicine.

Mr. R told the class to post about what we thought of the upcoming Islam Unit, and any questions we might have about the Islam Unit or about the packet we were given during class. These are my thoughts of the Islam Unit, and my questions.

I’m excited to be studying the Islam by doing a simulation of the history and culture of Islam. I am also eager to see the true Islam religion, not the one portrayed by the news. I want to understand why over one billion (one sixth of the world’s population!) is following this religion. I look forward to learning how Islam grew to be so large and learn of its beginning.

In the packet our class was given, there was a section where it was explained that in Arabic, Islam means “submission to God.” What is meant by “submission to God?” The packet also said that the ancient shrine of the Kaaba was “originally built by Adam as the first building to glorify God.” Does this mean Adam from Adam and Eve? Or is there another Adam of religious importance? I also wondered exactly what was it that the angel Gabriel told the Prophet Muhammad?