UKS2 Topic: Early Islamic Civilisation Block F: Scheherazade

Session 1 Scheherazade
National Curriculum / English: Listen to and discuss a wide range of fiction; Increase familiarity with a wide range of books including myths and legends and retell some of these orally.
Teaching Objectives / To explore the story of Scheherazade through drama; practise letter writing, using characterisation to write ‘in-role’.
National Curriculum / History: Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods studied; Select and organise relevant historical information; Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
Teaching Objectives / To recognise elements of everyday life in Baghdad and the wider early Islamic civilisation through fiction.
Resources
PowerPoint presentation covering the Scheherazade film. Information sheets covering: Scheherazade script & Formal letter writing checklist. Book: One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean, [OUP Oxford; ISBN13: 978-0192750136]. / Weblinks
http://www.imaginative-inquiry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Baghdad-film.mp4 - Film of Scheherazade; http://www.imaginative-inquiry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Baghdad-unit1.docx - Scheherazade script; http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/english/writing/letters/read/1/ _ BBC Bitesize letter writing; http://www.readingrockets.org/article/introduction-letter-writing - Revise letter writing; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Arabian-Nights-Oxford-Collections/dp/0192750135/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453826706&sr=1-1&keywords=1001+arabian+nights - One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean.
https://www.pobble.com/for-schools Pobble, an on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans, where you could upload examples of your children’s writing.
Whole class: Begin by telling the class that they are going to meet a legendary Muslim queen in today’s session (you will need to find an adult willing to play the role of Scheherazade, or to do it yourself); finding out who she is by watching a short film (see weblink). The film may be shown from the beginning, (it provides background information on Baghdad that the chn should already know), but the story of Scheherazade begins at 6:08, accompanied by the symphonic suite Scheherazade by the composer Rimsky-Korsakov (who wrote it at a much later date). Refer to the PowerPoint presentation covering The story of Scheherazade script (session resource) which provides slides to accompany the film. A written version of this story by Geraldine McCaughrean is suggested (see above). Scheherazade should now enter the room. Refer to the Information sheet with the Scheherazade script (session resource), and use this to go through the process of getting to know Scheherazade and asking her questions. The chn will eventually reach the point where they find out that she needs help to find even more stories, and that King Shahryar’s permission must be sought to enter the castle. Bid Scheherazade farewell. Tell chn that they are now Scheherazade’s story researchers and must write to the king to persuade him to give his permission for them to visit Scheherazade once they have found more stories for her. You might like to upload your children’s work onto Pobble, an on-line platform for sharing writing. Ask the chn what style of letter this should be (a formal letter with an element of persuasion). Revisit the prior learning the chn have done on this genre. Refer to Hamilton’s plans if required: Y3/4 Autumn, plan 2A1: ‘Letters’/ Y5 Homework: ‘Letter to a Newspaper’. Old curriculum plans are still available too, e.g. Y5/6 Non-fiction Plan 8: ‘Letters’, which includes several examples of formal letters written for different purposes’. Letter-writing revision can also be found on BBC Bitesize (weblink).
Medium/Hard
Refer to the Information sheet with the Formal letter writing checklist (session resource). Using the success criteria grid as an informal checklist, chn to draft, edit and write letter to King Shahryar. For the highest level of challenge, aim to meet all success criteria, with a distinctive in-character ‘voice’. / Easy (Guided)
Conduct letter writing as a guided activity. Refer to the Information sheet with the Formal letter writing checklist (session resource) and provide connectives on flashcards for chn to refer to. Scribe chn’s ideas, then model ‘thinking aloud’ to review and improve them by including some topic-specific vocabulary.
Plenary / Chn formally self-assess their completed letter against the success criteria checklist, honestly awarding themselves a J, K or L and writing a short comment. Chn swap books to read a partner’s letter, then discuss whether each agrees with the other’s assessments.
Outcomes / Children will:
·  Be reminded of elements of Baghdad life through a role play, meeting queen Scheherazade
·  Write a letter to the king, in-role as a researcher or scribe
·  https://www.pobble.com/for-schools Pobble, an on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans

© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.

We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.