Day 8

The Hijri Calendar

• Print two copies of the calendar at http://sukukbay.com/index_files/islamic_calendar_2010.htm.
• This is a Gregorian calendar with the Islamic dates in red and the civil dates in blue.
• With one piece cut them up according to the months.
• Mix the pieces up and arrange them, referring to the main copy on and off.
• Check that you have arranged the months in order.
• Mix the pieces up again and invite child to do it.
• Child carries out the work and is only corrected at the end of it.
• Point out that the months that they have worked with based on the information in blue is based on the Gregorian calendar (refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar for an explanation of what is the Gregorian calendar).
• Muslims use the Islamic calendar, in red. Point out that the Gregorian and Islamic calendar are not the same using some examples off the calendar.
• Read off the Islamic months from the calendar.

Activity
Make a Hijri calendar as seen in http://ummabdulbasir.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/ramadan-lapbook/

High
Make a comparison between the Hijri and Gregorian calendar.
Child may refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calendar

Medium/Low
After making the Hijri calendar, watch ‘Bulan-bulan Islam’ by Alarme on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z5LwjXF7U0 . Use this together with the Hijri calendar work to learn the months in Islam.
This is in Malay, if you want something in English you can use ‘Months in Islam’ by Zain and Rashid Bikha on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBQHEC6-hfY.
The nasyid in Malay also highlights important historical/religious events for every month. This can be used as an extension to the Hijri Calendar work.

I know I break down the work to High/Medium/ Low ability but this is just to provide a variety of work that can be done to different ablity levels as most of us would be homeschooling different age levels and we would usually be covering the same theme for everyone. In no way is this to confine the children to certain expectations. My eldest usually enjoys joining his siblings and the younger ones sometimes get interested in what their brother does too. One enjoys being a little kid the other two sees what they can do in future