Lesson Title:

Celebrating Muslim Heritage Through Colors and Symbols

Author:

Farida Mallah

Grade Level:

K-2nd

Length:

60 minutes

Subject:

Art & ELA

Topic:

Muslim Heritage, Muslim Terms

Objective:

Students will identify colors and explore the significance of colors in Muslim heritage through the book "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns," fostering cultural understanding and appreciation.

Learning Context: 

Is there any information that teachers or learners should know before the lesson?

Students should know their colors and have some understanding that it’s Muslim Heritage Month. They should also be aware that Muslims are those who follow the religion of Islam.

Activities/Lesson Procedure:

Introduce or Review Muslim Heritage Month:

• Tell students that this Month of January is Muslim Heritage Month.  During Muslim Heritage month we are going to learn about Muslims, who they are, and their impact on the world. We hope to celebrate and acknowledge Muslims in our country and around the world.
• Engage:
• Ask students to name some of their favorite things and what color those items are. You can model and give examples as a teacher.
• Book Introduction: Introduce the book "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns" by Hena Khan  (Author), Mehrdokht Amini  (Illustrator)showing the cover. Explain that the book
• explores colors that are important in Muslim heritage. Review Book Cover Elements, Title, Author and their Roles.
• 
• Read Aloud: Read the book "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns" aloud, emphasizing the colors mentioned on each page.
• During the Reading:
• Discussion: Pause at each color page to discuss the color and the associated cultural item from Muslim heritage. Encourage students to share what they know about these items or colors in the context of Muslim traditions.
• After reading each page, pause and  flip to the appropriate accompanying slide to explain more to students about the significance of the item in the book to Muslims.
• Golden Dome complimentary slides

• Red- Prayer Rug
• Blue- Hijab
• Gold- Mosque Dome
• White- Kufi
• Blank- Ink (to spell Allah)
• Brown- Date
• Orange- Hennah
• Purple- Eid gift ( a dress)
• Yellow- Gift box (for Zakat)
• Green- Quran
• Silver- Lantern (Fanoos)
• Colorful- faith/deen

• Color Exploration:
•  Distribute colorful construction paper squares amongst your students,  with each paper representing a color from the book (See list of colors above). Have students draw something they associate with that color in Muslim heritage.
• Create a collage with your students of their squares and hang in your classroom.
• Share and Discuss:
• Ask students to share their drawings and explain why they chose that particular item related to Muslim heritage for their assigned color.
• Reflection: Ask students what they learned about the colors and how they are important in Muslim heritage.
• Extension- Writing &  Drawing Activity:
• Review sentence structure with students using this song:
• The Sentence Song | English Songs | Scratch Garden
• K/1 Golden Dome Writing.pdf
• For Kindergarten & 1st Grade:
• Have students write & draw about their favorite color from  the book and why it is special to them. Have students use sentence starters or fill in the missing word of color/Item.  

• My favorite color is _____ for _______.
• Scaffold this depending on grade and writing ability.

• For advanced 1st grade & 2nd grade:
• Students reflect on what new things they learned about Muslims and their heritage through the book and complimentary slides.  What did they find the most interesting about Muslim Traditions?  
• 2nd Muslim Heritage Writing.pdf
• Students should draw a picture and write 2-5 sentences about the new facts they learned, and which items or colors were their favorite.  Emphasize and review using adjectives in the writing.  
• Use this video for a review of adjectives:
• Adjectives for Grade 2/Second Grade| Adjectives for Kids| What are Adjectives?
• Extension- Activity Booklet: TWM: Muslim Heritage Coloring and Activity Book.pdf

Materials:

Resources & Background Information

• "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns" by Hena Khan
• Golden Dome complimentary slides
• Large, colorful construction paper squares (representing colors from the book)
• Crayons or markers
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Drawing materials 
• K/1 Golden Dome Writing.pdf
• 2nd Muslim Heritage Writing.pdf

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns Book Reading

Adjectives for Grade 2/Second Grade| Adjectives for Kids| What are Adjectives?

Standards:

NJSLSA.R1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences and relevant connections from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

NJSLSA.R7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words

RL.K.1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).

RL.K.6. With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story

W.K.1. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).