The Golden Age of Islam
We are making good progress learning about the birth of Islam and the spread of Islamic culture and power around the 10 century AD.
Here are some photos of Walnut completing a diamond 9 activity (Maple also completed this activity, so feel free to ask them about it), in which we have to rank different reasons from most to least important. In this case, we looked at different explanations for the speed at which Islamic influence spread, from the nature of their military which included skilled cavalry and sea power to their relationships with the people they took control of. The children were different 10 diamonds with one fake reasons – see if your child can remember the trick one (it had something to do with the Romans, from whom Islamic engineers copied some powerful catapult engineering). We summarised our learning by describing these forces as different kinds of power – military, political, technological and financial.
More Materials
Fun photos to share from another practical science lesson this week exploring reversible and irreversible changes. Cooking an egg makes it solid. Freezing water makes it solid. Is this the same scientifically? The children were very resilient in the face of odorous mixtures involving vinegar, as we explored other reactions mixing vinegar with milk and bicarbonate of soda – all easily replicated in the home kitchen! Are these changes changes of state, or something else?
Final Sports Performances
We enjoyed calm, focussed performances of our gymnastic sequences in front of impressively respectful and attentive audiences. The classmates paid close attention to their peers’ work and were able to give thoughtful, appropriate feedback on what they saw. The children definitely incorporated artistic elements into their routines; I’m looking forward to seeing what they create and choreograph in our next unit – dance.