Name _____________________ Date/Block _________________ Islamic Empires Essay SSWH5 Examine the political, economic, and cultural interactions within the Medieval Mediterranean World between 600 CE/AD and 1300 CE/AD. a. Analyze the origins of Islam and the growth of the Islamic Empire. b. Understand the reasons for the split between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. c. Assess the economic impact of Muslim trade routes to India, China, Europe and Africa. d. Identify the contributions of Islamic scholars in science, math, and geography e. Analyze the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. SSWH6 Describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1500 CE/AD. a. Describe the development and decline of the Sudanic kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai); include the roles of Sundiata, and the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca. b. Describe the trading networks and distribution of resources by examining trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and slaves; include the Swahili trading cities. c. Understand the blending of traditional African beliefs with new ideas from Islam and Christianity and their impact on early African societies. You will write an essay using information you have learned in SSWH5 and SSWH6. This is to be a FIVE paragraph essay. In this class the minimum requirement for a paragraph is FIVE SENTENCES. You have been given multiple documents that will prove useful to you in writing this essay. You may also need to find information on the internet. You should cite supporting information from at least TWO sources on the Works Cited page. REMEMBER: Plagiarism will result in a score of zero! Make sure that you create a Works Cited page to document where you find your information. Topics Your essay needs to answer one of the following questions: ● ● ● ● ● How did the early Islamic Empire rapidly expand, and what methods did they use to do so? What is the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and how can these three religions coexist in the Middle East? How does the split between the Sunni and Shi’a Muslims compare and contrast with the Great Schism of the Christian church? How did trade play a vital role in the spread of the beliefs and culture of Islam? How did the blending of traditional African beliefs with new ideas from Islam and Christianity impact early African society? Works Cited ● Works Cited page should be a separate page at the end of your essay. It should follow MLA format. If you have any questions, you can access the following link for assistance. I will be glad to offer any additional help as well. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html Grading the Essay: Remember the RACE strategies: R – Restate the Question A -Answer the Question C- Cite the source E. Explain your answers Grading will be as follows: Clear thesis statement outlines how prompt will be addressed _____/10 pts Works cited page (minimum 2 sources) _____/10 pts In-text citations for sources _____/10 pts Points clearly articulated with supporting evidence and smooth transitions _____/60 pts Grammar and Mechanics used correctly _____/10 pts Things to AVOID in your essay: ● ● ● ● First & second person – Formal essays should be written in third person. Avoid the use of I, me, and you. Abbreviations and contractions – SPELL IT OUT! Can’t, don’t won’t they’re …. These are NOT acceptable in formal writing. (Just a few examples. There are many others.) Et cetera – Do NOT use this! This says you did not bother to take the time to complete your sentence or thought. (etc. – An abbreviation of this is also unacceptable.) Watch your grammar! Formal writing should NOT look like a conversation with your buddies. Things to INCLUDE in your essay: ● ● ● ● ● A clear and concise thesis statement – The thesis statement is a single sentence, at the end of your introduction, that sets the foundation for the rest of your essay. Always capitalize proper nouns! Names of a person, place of thing require capitalization. Citations for any information that did not originate with you – If you had to find it somewhere else, give the author credit. Not giving credit for someone else’s work is PLAGIARISM and will result in a ZERO! Punctuation – Make sure you include proper punctuation to avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments. Does your sentence have both a verb and a noun? Is it a complete clause? Double check before you submit your work! Spelling – There is a spell check on Google Docs! There is no reason for any essay to be submitted with spelling errors!
