Tuesday,April5th

IntheTEDTalkwewatchedlastNineWeeks,Ms.ChimamandaNgozieAdichietalkedaboutthe
problemsthatcomewhenweonlygivepeopleasinglestory(likeAfrica,ormuslims).

Now,readthisquotefromthatTEDTalkandanswerthequestionbelow:

Sothatishowtocreateasinglestory,
showapeopleasonething,
asonlyone
thing,overandoveragain,andthatiswhattheybecome.
Whatdoestheabovequotemean?

Wednesday,April6th

Source#1:TheMuslimsofEarlyAmerica
Level1:GoofBaby
Directions:
ReadthefollowingarticleontheoriginsofIslaminAmerica.ADDACTIVEREADING
COMMENTSASYOUREAD.Then,addonecommenttotheendofthearticlesummarizingthe
authorsclaims.

TheMuslimsofEarly
America
ByPeterManseau(from
TheNewYorkTimes)

Itwasnottheimam1 sfirsttimeattherodeo.
ScheduledtodeliveraninvocationinTexasatthe
FortWorthStockShowandRodeolastweek,Moujahed
BakhachofthelocalIslamicAssociationofTarrant
County
canceledhisappearance
becauseofthe
backlashbroughtonbyaprayerhehadofferedafew
daysbefore.Theimamhadbeenaskedtoconfera
blessingonhorses,ridersandmembersofthemilitary.
Hewasmetwithgaspsfromtheaudienceandsocial
mediacomplaints:OutragedataMuslimprayeratanall
Americanevent!Cowboysdontwantit!
VocalantiIslamicsentimentisundergoingarevival.
Fourdaysbeforetheimamscanceledbenediction,
protestersattheStateCapitolinAustinshouteddownMuslimspeakers,claimingTexasinthenameof
Jesusalone.InNorthCarolinatwoweeksearlier,DukeUniversitysplantobroadcastaMuslimcalltoprayer
wasabandonedamidthreatsofviolence.MeanwhileGov.BobbyJindal,RepublicanofLouisianaclaimed

Amuslimprayerleader

thatifAmericanMuslimswanttosetuptheirowncultureandvalues,thatsnotimmigration,thatsreally
invasion.
NomatterhowanxiouspeoplemaybeaboutIslam,thenotionofaMusliminvasionofthismajority
Christiancountryhasnobasisinfact.Moreover,thereisaninconvenientfootnotetotheassertionthatIslam
isantiAmerican:MuslimsarrivedherebeforethefoundingoftheUnitedStatesnotjustafew,but
thousands.
Theyhavebeenlargelyoverlookedbecausetheywerenotfreetopracticetheirfaith.Theywerenotfree
themselvesandsotheywereforthemostpartunabletoleaverecordsoftheirbeliefs.Theyleftjustenough
toconfirmthatIslaminAmericaisnotanimmigrantreligionlatelymakingitselfknown,butatraditionwith
deeprootshere,despitebeingamongthemostsuppressedinthenationshistory.
In1528,aMoroccanslavecalledEstevanicowasshipwreckedalongwithabandofSpanishexplorers
nearthefuturecityofGalveston,Tex.ThecityofAzemmour,inwhichhewasraised,hadbeenaMuslim
strongholdagainstEuropeaninvasionuntilitfellduringhisyouth.WhilegivenaChristiannameafterhis
enslavement,heeventuallyescapedhisChristiancaptorsandsetoffonhisownthroughmuchofthe
Southwest.
Twohundredyearslater,plantationownersinLouisianamadeitapointtoaddenslavedMuslimstotheir
laborforce,relyingontheirexperiencewiththecultivationofindigoandrice.ScholarshavenotedMuslim
namesandIslamicreligioustitlesinthecolonysslaveinventoriesanddeathrecords.
ThebestknownMuslimtopassthroughtheportatNewOrleanswas
AbdulRahman
IbrahimibnSori,a
princeinhishomelandwhoseplightdrewwideattention.Asonenewspaperaccountnoted,hehadreadthe
Bibleandadmireditsprecepts,butadded,HisprincipalobjectionsarethatChristiansdonotfollowthem.
AmongtheenslavedMuslimsinNorthCarolinawasareligiousteachernamedOmaribnSaid.
Recapturedin1810afterrunningawayfromacruelmasterhecalledakafir(aninfidel),hebecameknown
forinscribingthewallsofhisjailcellwithArabicscript.Hewroteanaccountofhislifein1831,describing
howinfreedomhehadlovedtoreadtheQuran,butinslaveryhisownershadconvertedhimtoChristianity.
ThestoryofIslaminearlyAmericaisnotmerelyoneofisolatedindividuals.Anestimated20percentof
enslavedAfricanswereMuslims,andmanysoughttorecreatethecommunitiestheyhadknown.InGeorgia,
whichhasjoinedmorethanadozenstatesinthepoliticaltheaterofdebatingarestrictiononjudges
consulting
Shariah
,Muslimsonasecludedplantationareknowntohavelivedundertheguidanceofa
religiousleaderwhowroteamanuscriptonIslamiclawsothattraditionalknowledgemightsurvive.
AcluetowhathappenedtotheseforgottenAmericanMuslimscanbefoundinthewordsofamissionary
travelingthroughtheSouthtopreachthegospelonslaveplantations.ManyMohammedanAfricans,he
noted,hadfoundwaystoaccommodateIslamtothenewbeliefsimposeduponthem.
Inasense,IslamisasAmericanastherodeo.It,too,wasimported,butisnowundeniablypartofthe
culture.WhetherornotprotestersinTexasandelsewherearereadyforit,itisinevitablethatsomeMuslims
willlettheirbabiesgrowuptobecowboys.AfewcowboysmaygrowuptobeMuslimsaswell.

Level2:Goofball
Answerthisquestioninyourproject:

HowdoesPeterManseauusedetailstosupporthisoverallclaimthatAmericansshouldreconsiderthe
placeofMuslimsinAmericanhistory?

ProjectRequirements:
IdentifythetypesofdetailsManseauuses(Assert)
IdentifyhowManseauusesthesedetails(Justify)
Provide
TWO
quotestoproveit(Illustrations)
ExplainhowManseauusesthesedetailstosupporthisclaims
(Illustrations)

Level3:Goof
Source#2:ArabArtRedefined
Directions:

Readthepage,thenlistentoandwatchthefollowingvideofromNPRaboutArabArtandhowit
ischanging.Thewordstothevideoarebelowyoumayneedthemlater.

http://apps.npr.org/lookatthis/posts/alqassemi/

TranscriptoftheVideo:

Thenarrativeissoonesided.
Thenarrativereallyisofaregionwherethecultureisbeingdestroyed,whereterroristsaretaking
overregionsandmuseums.Thiscultureisunderthreatandweneedtohighlightit.
Thereisalsoalotofculturebeingproducedpaintings,videos,photographs,sculptures,andIthink
thatpeoplewillidentifywithartworks,eveniftheydontunderstandthehistoryofthemiddleeast.
IsharealotofartworksonmyTwitterandFacebookfeed,andthisissomethingthatmakesmevery
veryhappybecauseIfeelthatthereisgenuineinterest.
Theyarenotlikeartistsinthewestwhohavemoreorlesscompletefreedom.Thereareparticular
restrictionsontheseartists,includingdepictionsofleaders.Someofthemhavetodowithwomensrights,
forexample.Butitalsomakestheartmoreinteresting,becausetheydontskirttheissuebutfindclever
waysofdepictingpoliticalevents,includingreligion,inaveryintelligentmanner.

IdontbuyartworkthatIthinkisprettyandaestheticallyappealing,butIbuyartthatispolitically
meaningful.
Artcollectorsareabletocontrolthenarrative.Iftheycontinuouslybuyartworksbymaleartists,then
youwouldhavetheimpressionthattherearenofemaleartists.Soitsimportanttobalance.
Ifeelthatartfromthearabworldrepresentsme,representsmyhistory,representsmyculture,butit
alsoisanavenueofcommunicationwiththeWest.
Artfromthearabworldisimportantnowbecausewehavethepowertoalterthenarrative,ifnot
changeitcompletely.

Level4:MasterGoof
Answerthisquestioninyourproject:

HowdoesAlQassemiusedetailstosupporthisclaimthatArabicArtishelpingreinventthewaypeople
considertheMiddleEast?

ProjectRequirements:
IdentifythetypesofdetailsAlQassemiuses(Assert)
IdentifyhowAlQassemiusesthesedetails(Justify)
Provide
TWO
quotestoproveit(Illustrations)
Explainhow
AlQassemi
usesthesedetailstosupporthisclaims
(Illustrations)

Level5:SupremeGoof

Answerthisquestioninyourproject:

CompareandcontrasttheeffectivenessofPeterManseauandSooudAlQassemisuseofdetailsintheir
articles.Whichauthorusesdetailstomakeastrongerclaim?

ProjectRequirements:
Identifywhyoneauthorsuseofdetailsismoreeffectivethantheothers(Assert)
Identifywhattypeofdetailseachuses(Justify)
Provide
TWO
quotesfromeachauthortoproveit(Illustrations)
Explainhowthesequotesshowoneauthortobemoreeffectivethananother
(Illustrations)