Introduction to Islam

This week we began our examination of the religion of Islam. The students are asking some fascinating questions.

Jacob: Why do mosques always have towers?

Can: What are the 99 names of Allah?

Hadley: If you are born a Sunni, can you become a Shiite later in your life, and vice versa?

Timmy: How was Muhammad sure that he was the last prophet?

Palmer: Do Muslims ever meet with either Jews or Christians and talk about their religions? [This is a wonderful question by Palmer! The answer is yes; members of various religions often meet with each other in order to share ideas and learn from one another. Some of these conversations focus on how people from different religions can get along, even when they disagree about deep and profound questions. There's a special term for these kind of conversations: interfaith dialogue.]

Ellie, Chapin and Caroline: Is it fair/unfair that the women in Islam have to cover their face and/or body? Do the women like wearing the veil/burkha? Do they feel like they are being forced to wear it, or do they feel it's just being loyal to their religion?

Landon: What exactly did God/Allah say to Muhammad?

Davis W.: When Muhammad first invented Islam, did a lot of people follow him right away? [Awesome question, Davis! The answer is yes: of all the religions, Islam was the one that became popular and spread most quickly.]

Axel: Did Muhammad get enlightened, like the Buddha? If so, where and how?

Kate C.: If Allah subconsciously influences someone, would that be considered speaking to him? 

Sam: Why is it so important to take the hajj? What makes it more important than pilgrimages in other religions?

Miller: What happens if someone at age 15 dies in an accident, so it's not their fault that they have not visited Mecca?

Casner: Who gets to go inside of the Ka'bah?

Three Strategies for Reading Nonfiction Texts

Here are the strategies that we discussed and practiced during today's class. Use them!!

1. Preview and predict. You will understand more of what you read if you preview the text before you actually start reading and make predictions about what information is included. The strategy: Before you start reading an assignment, look at the images and the headings. Try to figure out how the text is organized and ask yourself questions like “What will I learn?” when I read this assignment.


2. Identify the key concepts. The Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions is chock-full of information, so your first goal is to figure out which parts of the text matter the most. The strategy: After you read a page or two, write down the concept/idea that you think is the most important. Focus on concepts that I have highlighted during class, because I use classtime to emphasize the parts of the book that are especially important for understanding each religion.


3. Monitor your comprehension. When reading nonfiction, it’s very important to pay attention to whether you are actually understanding the text. The strategy: After reading a section of the text, tell your mom, dad, a sibling, a friend or a pet what you just read about. Try to highlight two interesting or surprising details from the text.

Spelling Tips for Tuesday's Quiz

Outstanding work today by Olivia, Mira, Daniel and Henry

Here are some of the vocabulary words that can be tricky to spell, along with some tips and suggestions:

belief: Some people misspell this word as beleif. Remember this famous spelling rule "i before e, except after c; or when sounding as "A", as in neighbor and weigh."

impermanent: Look for the "man" in the middle of this word (impermanent) -- if you cannot find him, then you've spelled it wrong!

resurrection: There's only one "S" in resurrection.

disciple: The silent "C" can be tricky -- if you can picture the disc, you're halfway to spelling disciple correctly.

parable: Some students spell it with an "I" (parible) -- make sure that you are able to spell parable.

Religion Video: Paul

Students: Don't be alarmed if -- during the first part of Part 2 -- I appear to be talking more about history and less about religion. 

As the video continues, you will indeed learn the details about Paul and his crucial role in the development of Christianity.

Questions About Christianity

The students are writing fascinating questions about Christianity. Here are some examples...


Chaney: Where would a Christian feel most close to God?

The students of Core 3 offered some possible answers to Chaney's question...
- Chapin: Being with family or loved ones.
- Timmy: In a church.
- Porter: In a place of pilgrimage -- places that are difficult to reach are more special.
- Noah: In a cathedral.
- Caroline: With other Christians (perhaps in a church, or perhaps elsewhere).
- Emily: In Bethlehem.
- Jayden: In any place that Jesus visited, or in a place with other Christians, talking about God's greatness.

Ari and Keira: Which denomination of Christianity is the most popular? Why did Christians split into different denominations?

Grace W. and Juliet: How did Joseph feel about being Jesus's father? Was he jealous that his son's other father was God, or did he feel honored?

Artwork by Alex A.

Emily: Why did God make the Earth, if we are going to die? Is it because we need to know suffering and try to be nice people, until going to Heaven?

Carter K.: Was there anyone else who claimed to be the messiah before Jesus? If so, who were they and why did no one believe them?

Artwork by Stuart

Dante: Can scientific technology today explain how Jesus did his miracles, including his resurrection?

Artwork by Phoebe

Kate C. and Oscar: If Jesus knew he was going to die, why didn't he try to stop it? If he could perform miracles, why didn't he use a miracle when he was on the cross?

Keira, Axel, and Daniel: Why did one of Jesus's disciples (Judas) betray Jesus? Did he think it would gain him fame or wealth?

Caroline: How did Jesus know that someone was going to betray him, and how did he feel about it? Was he disappointed, or did he feel like it was his destiny?

Olivia T. and Katie: Is there going to be another messiah? Could there be another person like Jesus now? If yes, when he/she dies, will they become famous for starting a religion? (In response to Olivia and Katie's question, here is an interesting article in National Geographic about five men who claim to be the second coming of Jesus)

Carson: If God created everything, then who created God?