Arabian Nights Lesson Plans

Third graders complete a short unit of lessons on the relationship between the Arabian Nights and the musical work, Scheherazade. They listen to music, trace the route of icons on a music map, play a simple rhythm, and listen to the story of Sinbad.

Fifth graders investigate a famous structure.  In this Wonders of the World lesson, 5th graders examine the architecture of a famous structure of the world.  Students answer questions about their structure. Students gather research, write a paragraph and find a picture of their structure. Students share in an exhibit.

Fourth graders complete a series of lessons in which they research the history of the Islamic religion. They construct maps and timelines that show the reach of Islam during medieval times, identify famous Islamic thinkers and complete worksheets.

Fourth graders study the geography, people, history, governments, and economies of the Middle East. They develop a basic vocabulary of Arabic terms and work with various materials in creating an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-understand board game for their own use (and for use by their peers).

Students evaluate myths of flight. In this mythology lesson, students work with a partner to read a number of myths from an online source. They rate the myths on interest and share notes about the myths with other students.

Third graders explore the mysteries of the East in the five lessons of this unit. The castle of the sultan, the riches, and the mystery of the area draws the early European to dicsover a shorter route to the area.

Students hold a Thousand and One Nights storytelling festival with each one memorizing a story to relate to classmates. While examining provided resource links, they select and practice a story they would like to retell. As a dress rehearsal, students present their stories to lower grade students prior to holding their main event.

Students listen to a verbal explanation of the function of deductive reasoning and problem solving. They read one of Donald Sobol's 'Two-Minute Mysteries' and complete a worksheet requiring them to write out the information which is prior knowledge and the informational clues provided by the culprit.

Young scholars explore the concept of stereotyping. They observe images and media that portray the Middle East and its inhabitants. Students make determinations about the impact of the images on their perceptions. They consider ways to overcome these stereotypes.

Students examine the artwork of Paul Klee. They create their own work of art that is similiar to Klee's and state what they can remember about him.