Moon Over Mecca

Create a portrait representing Ramadan with the phases of the moon.

• 1.

  More than 1 billion people in the world, from various countries and walks of life, are Muslim. They use a lunar calendar to determine the length of the months and the year. During the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Muslims mark an important time in their religion with the observance of the fast of Ramadan. Starting with the sighting of the new moon, Muslims follow strict practices to clean and purify their bodies and minds for a month.

• 2.

  Not allowing anything to pass through one's mouth from sunrise to sunset for the month may be the most strenuous of Ramadan disciplines. Families gather together in the morning before the sun's first light to eat a meal and then feast together at night to celebrate their successful fast. What kinds of things do you think you would learn from not eating or drinking for a whole day? Might you better understand what it is like to be hungry or to not always get your way? To purify their minds, during Ramadan Muslims try especially hard to practice the important themes of their religion: prayer, charity, sharing, social interaction, and celebration.

• 3.

  Research the dates on which Ramadan is observed for the current year. Cover your work area with newspaper. Paint a picture that illustrates your understanding of this solemn Muslim observance using Crayola® Watercolor Paints. You might choose to illustrate moon phases, a mosque, traditional Muslim clothing, important cities such as Mecca, or other symbols of the fast of Ramadan. Dry.

• 4.

  Add details with Crayola Colored Pencils.

Benefits

• Students research the origins, festivals, and observances of Islam.
• Children learn about the month-long fast of Ramadan, an important observance for Muslims, that is based on the lunar calendar.
• Students visually represent Ramadan by drawing moon phases or other symbols for this solemn occasion.

Adaptations

• Construct a lunar calendar. How is it different from and similar to the one you usually use?
• In more than 50 countries, Islam is the religion of the majority of people. Identify these countries and locate them on a world map. What else do these countries have in common?
• Share the themes of your religious observances with your classmates. Are any similar to the Muslim focus on prayer, charity, sharing, social interaction, and celebration?