7th grade · Social Studies · Unit 9 of 11
The Islamic World
Scholars, cities and empires
What your child practices
The early Islamic world and its cities, scholars and discoveries (such as algebra and optics), the exchange of knowledge through trade and translation, and the Ottoman Empire.
Alaska content standards learning standard: SS.7.3.16.3; SS.7.4.23.2 · the Islamic world, its cities and trade, and the exchange of ideas
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Islam began in Arabia in the 600s. Mecca is its holiest city, and many Muslims fast during Ramadan.
- Scholars in cities like Baghdad made discoveries in algebra and optics and translated Greek writings.
- Trade linked the Islamic world; caravanserais were roadside inns. The Ottoman Empire ruled peoples on three continents.
Example: What was a caravanserai? Traders crossed long distances with camels. They needed safe places to stop and rest. Answer: a roadside inn where traders and their animals could rest
The Islamic World in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 9 of 11 in 7th grade Social Studies, after Medieval Europe and before African Kingdoms & Empires.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 7th grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 7th grade Social Studies sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Baghdad became the capital of the Abbasid caliphate in 762. It was a major center of…
- castle building
- learning and trade
- ocean exploration
- farming only
learning and trade
Hint: Baghdad grew into one of the largest and most important cities in the world.
Question 2
Cordoba in Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) was known for…
- having no trade
- libraries, scholars and a mix of cultures
- being an empty desert
- being a remote fishing village
libraries, scholars and a mix of cultures
Hint: Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and shared knowledge in al-Andalus for long periods.
Question 3
Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez in 859. Why is it notable?
- It was built in Spain.
- It taught only farming.
- It is often described as one of the oldest universities still operating.
- It was a castle.
It is often described as one of the oldest universities still operating.
Hint: Education in the Islamic world included women as founders, learners and teachers.
Question 4
Muslim scholars translated and preserved many writings from ancient Greece. Why did this matter later?
- It banned science.
- It destroyed the ideas.
- It stopped scholars from learning.
- Europeans later learned many of these ideas through Arabic translations.
Europeans later learned many of these ideas through Arabic translations.
Hint: Translation kept knowledge alive and passed it on.
Question 5
How did paper-making reach Europe from Asia?
- It was invented in Europe first.
- It spread along trade routes through the Islamic world, and paper mills later appeared in Muslim Spain.
- Sailors carried it from the Americas.
- It was never used in Europe.
It spread along trade routes through the Islamic world, and paper mills later appeared in Muslim Spain.
Hint: Paper was cheaper than parchment and helped make more books.
Question 6
Why is a number system with zero and place value useful?
- It makes writing large numbers and calculating easier than Roman numerals.
- It only works for money.
- It makes numbers bigger.
- It removes the need to count.
It makes writing large numbers and calculating easier than Roman numerals.
Hint: Hindu-Arabic numerals reached Europe through Arabic-speaking scholars.