Religion in SW Asia

An example of Islamic word and mosaic art.

Today's Objectives
In class, we will focus on understanding the ways in which Islam affects people and culture in the countries where it is practiced. You will:

• Extract information from relevant websites
• Organize the information into a final product
• Present the result

Respond to the following in an e-mail to me. You will need to answer the question COMPLETELY, offering specific support for your response.

After each answer, paste the link where you found the information. You may only use approved sources for your research.


You will have approximately 20 minutes to answer the questions. Work quickly and efficiently.

1. What impact does Islam have on money, trade and the economy in countries that are predominantly Muslim?
2. What are marriage customs like in predominantly Muslim countries?
3. What impact does Islam have on laws, government and politics in predominantly Muslim countries?
4. What impact does Islam have on culture in predominantly Muslim countries?

5 points each question, 20 points total.

Before you search, think about SEARCH TERMS. If you are searching for Islamic marriage rules, would you right away search for "Muslim marriage"? What happens if that doesn't work? What new search term(s) might you use? THINK SIMPLE, one- or two-word phrases.


Approved Sources:

• IslamiCity, a website which hopes to educate people about what it means to be Muslim (use the links on the left). Use this site ONLY to get basic information for further research.
• Encyclopedia Brittanica (PSM LRC Page)
• CultureGrams (PSM LRC Page)
• Three Religions, One God (An article from PBS)
• Gale Student Resources in Context (PSM LRC Page)

Discussion Questions
When we finish with our research, we will take time to discuss what you have learned. I will pose a series of questions and we will work to answer them as a class.


Tonight's Homework: A Current Event
Use the New York Times website to search for a current event article related to one of the countries below:

• Syria
• Iran
• Egypt
• Israel

HINT: Use the search bar on the upper left hand side of the website.

Use the article to complete the following on loose leaf paper:

1. Cite the source, following MLA format. Follow this exact format:
   Author/Editor/Creator/Organization. Name of the Website. Name of Institution/Sponsor/Publisher of Website. Date Created. Type of Source (Web or Print). Date Accessed.
2. Briefly summarize the article.
3. Write down any words you were not able to define in the article, or define any words you had to look up.
4. Why is the article's topic significant? Explain.
5. What impact might the article have on people living in the United States? Explain.

4 points each part, 20 points total