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Molloy College
Division of Education

Student: Luciano Sorbara Professor: Maria Esposito

Course EDU: 5230-03 Date: 11/25/20
Grade: 9th Topic: GROWTH AND CONFLICT
Content Area: Social Studies

STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

New York State Social Studies Standards

Key Idea:

9.6 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GROWTH AND CONFLICT: During the postclassical era, the growth
of trans-regional empires and the use of trade networks influenced religions and spread disease. The
cross-cultural interactions also led to conflict and affected demographic development.

Key Concepts:

9.6a Internal tensions and challenges grew as disputes over authority and power arose between and
among religious and political leaders.

 Students will investigate the divisions within Islam (Sunni-Shia) and the Great Schism between
Roman Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity and their impacts.

Indicator: This will be evident after students understand the dividing factor that led to the split between
the Sunni and Shia people through completing their pear decks.

National Social Studies Standards:

3. Time, Continuity, and Change

4. Geography, Humans, and the Environment

5. Power, Authority, and Governance

6. Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems

7. Global Connections and Exchange

Social Studies Practices: Habits of Mind

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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A. Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence

1. Define and frame questions about events and the world we live, form hypotheses and
potential answers to these questions, use evidence to answer these questions, and consider
and analyze counter-hypotheses.

B. Chronological Reasoning and Causation

1. Distinguish between long-term and immediate causes and multiple effects.

C. Geographic Reasoning

1. Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places and regions.

Common Core ELA Standards for Reading

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standard

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

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

Indicator: This will be evident when students visualize and evaluate selected quotes and texts in their
pear decks and integrate their knowledge to produce a claim.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S)

After a class discussion of the divisions within Islam, students will create and defend a claim based on
the similarities or differences of the teachings of Muhammad and the strife between the Shia and Sunni
people, obtaining a minimum score of 17 out of 20 on a teacher created Rubric.

PRIOR ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE, CONCEPTIONS/MISCONCEPTIONS

Prior Academic Knowledge

Students must understand the belief systems of the Islamic and Muslim faith.

Misconceptions
Students may believe that Muhammad was born into the Islamic faith rather than actually inventing and
developing it.

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES

(Based on a lesson of the division of Islam, specifically the strife between the

Shia and Sunni people, total time 50 min)

1. MOTIVATION

Students will split into two groups and will stand on opposite sides of the classroom. These

groups will act as opposing view points, based on the question, “Who should elect leaders,

people or government”. Students will defend their group’s stance, and further their discussion to

include what they would do if the government (Teacher) imposed one group’s notions on them.

Students will need to come to a compromise in order to end the debate. This will illustrate how

disagreements can cause a major schism within a given population, this being our classroom.

(How do disagreements divide a population and what are its effects?) [5 minutes]

2. Students will then complete an explanation game worksheet, which will highlight the previous

activity. Once completed students will voluntarily share what they had observed and their

rational for it. (What did you notice about the disagreement and why do you think it happened

that way?) [5 minutes]

3. The teacher will then transition the students, by having them open their chrome books, where

they will open up the pear deck link titled, Shia vs. Sunni. Here the teacher will introduce the

students to the dispute over authority and power in the Islamic world. (What were the internal

tensions over power and authority that were arising among the religious and political leaders?)

{Slide 1} [5 minutes]

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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4. The teacher will then begin the pear deck presentation on the historical background of the

prophet Muhammad. (Who was the prophet Muhammad and what were his beliefs?) {Slide 2} [5

minutes]

5. The teacher will then instruct the students to complete the activity found on slide three. Students

will evaluate the quote and answer the provided question. (Evaluate the text and discuss the

devotion, which Muhammad demanded of his followers?) {Slide 3} [5 minutes]

6. The teacher will then transition into the beginning of the division between the Sunni and Shia

people. Specifically, the teacher will discuss what led to the division and how people shifted to

the two factions. (How did the death of the prophet Muhammad lead to the division of the

Islamic people?) {Slide 4} [5 minutes]

7. The teacher will then instruct the students to complete the activity found on slide five. Students

will create a dialogue between members of the Sunni and Shia factions, where they will debate

who should be the prophet Muhammad’s successor. (What are they key arguments of the Sunni

and Shia people?) {Slide 5} [5 minutes]

8. The teacher will then transition into the effects of the division between the Sunni and Shia

people. Specifically, the discussion will highlight the internal effects the schism had on the

Islamic world. (What were the internal effects of the division on the Islamic world?) {Slide 6} [5

minutes]

9. Closure: The teacher will close the lesson by having students complete an exit ticket found on

slide seven. The exit ticket will require students to create a claim, which argues the difference or

similarities between the quote presented in slide three and the division between the Shia and the

Sunni people. Students must include a one-paragraph explanation defending their claim using

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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evidence from today's lesson. (What were the similarities and differences between the teachings

of Muhammad and the strife of the Sunni and Shia people) {Slide 7} [10 minutes]

ASSESSMENT (formal & informal)

Informal assessment

 Students will complete an explanation game worksheet where they will develop their observation
and explanation skills.

 Students will participate in an evaluation and step inside activity, in order to show understanding
of the topic.

Formal assessment

 Students will create and defend a claim based on the similarities of the teaching of Muhammad
and the strife between the Shia and Sunni people, obtaining a minimum score of 17 out of 20 on
a teacher created rubric.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

 Cooperative Learning

 Indicator: This will be evident when students work in groups to debate

their sides argument and work to come to a compromise.

 Role Playing

 Indicator: This will be evident when students create a dialogue between

the Shia and the Sunni people by stepping inside their characters.

 Scaffolding

 Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher helps students

understand the vocabulary that is present during the lecture.

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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 Independent Work

 Indicator: This will be evident when students complete their explanation

game worksheets and exit tickets.

 Discussion

 Indicator: This will be evident when students are discussing their

explanation game worksheets.

ADAPTATIONS

 The student who struggles to focus and attend will be re-focused and re-directed
through the use of specific non-verbal cues.

 The student who struggles to work in small groups will be encouraged to select
his/her own peer groups.

 The student who is an English language learner will be provided with content
specific vocabulary words that are needed to comprehend the lesson.

 The student who is an English language learner will be provided a peer buddy.

 Students who are hearing impaired will be provided with a listening device.

 Students with physical disabilities will be positioned close to the door so they
may enter and leave the room without obstacles.

 Students with emotional disabilities will be positioned close to the window to

create a more open environment for them to learn.

 Students with learning disabilities will be given extra time and recourses in class
in order to fully understand the activities and lessons.

 If the SMART Board does not work the teacher will do the discussions without
the visual on screen, while having their students follow along on their chrome
books.

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

Revised 8/28/19
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DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

Auditory Learners:
Auditory students will be engaged during shared discussions as students volunteer to share their
Explanation Game worksheets.

Visual Learners:
Visual learners will be engaged through participating in the pear deck where can visually look at
texts, sources, and pictures.

Kinesthetic Learners:
Kinesthetic Learners will be engaged as they actively walk and participate in the motivational
exercise.

Verbal Learners:
Verbal learners will benefit from discussion questions after they participate the Explanation
Game activity.

Struggling Students:
Struggling students will be provided with claims in order to move them into the direction of
providing evidence.

Average Students:
Average students will be provided with starter questions that will assist in completing the pear
deck and exit ticket

Advanced Students:
Advanced students will create two claims, one supporting and opposing the division of the
Islamic people.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

 Following the lesson of the divisions within Islam, students will research and map out the
geographical separation that the Sunni and Shia division created.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES:
DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

Direct Teacher Intervention

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

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 The student, under direct intervention with the teacher, will work on an interactive EdPuzzle to
further enforce the causes of the division between the Sunni and Shia people.

Academic Enrichment

 The student will use the following website https://www.cfr.org/timeline/modern-sunni-shia-

tensions to explore and identify how the Sunni and Shia conflict has continued today.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS

 SMART Board
 Chrome Book
 Pear deck link
 Writing Utensils
 Explanation Game Worksheet
 Exit Ticket
 EdPuzzle
 Rubric

REFERENCES

Councel of Foreign Relations. (2016). The Sunni-Shia Divide. Ro, J. Retrieved from

https://www.cfr.org/interactives/sunni-shia-divide#!/sunni-shia-divide

Faith/Qur’an. (2020). The inimitable Qur’an: The Revelation to Prophet Muhammad. Elishinawy,

M. Retrieved from https://yaqeeninstitute.org/mohammad-elshinawy/the-inimitable-quran-

the-revelation-to-prophet-muhammad

History. (2019). Islam’s Sunni-Shia Divide, Explained. Pruitt, S. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/news/sunni-shia-divide-islam-muslim

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

Revised 8/28/19
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National Public Radio. (2007). Chronology: A History of the Shite-Sunni Split. Shuster, M.

Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2007/02/12/7280905/chronology-a-history-of-the-shia-

sunni-split

© Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571

Revised 8/28/19
*edTPA academic language