Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 4, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 4, Lesson 1: A Century of Expansion (pp. 78-84)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: ContinuityFrom A.D. 661 to 750, the Umayyad Dynasty ruled the Islamic Empire. The Umayyads conquered vast territories, creating a unified empire with a new, distinctly Muslim culture.

Tell students that by A.D. 750, Islam had spread beyond Arabia, reaching from present-day Pakistan to Spain and Portugal. Ask them how they think it might have been possible for a religion to spread so far, so fast. Discuss with them the ways in which the Umayyad Dynasty helped spread Islam through conquest.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Ask students to create a timeline of the Umayyad Dynasty. Have them compare their timelines with other students', and add any important events they might have overlooked.
Have students compare the map on pages 80 and 81 with maps on pages 522-523 and 525. Ask them to list the present-day names of countries that were part of the Umayyad Empire.

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