WEEK 3 4th/5th Grades 10/02/2011
Assalamu alaikum Parents,
Thank you for baking with your children last week and allowing for a fruitful discussion!
Class began with a review of the concept of Tawheed and then we went into the first pillar of Islam, Al-Shahada, and discussed what it means to believe in that statement and to truly worship only Allah.
We then went into discourse about the second pillar, salah We began our discussion with our baking experiences. We talked about what happened, and all the details we needed to make it work. We discussed how when baking, we can’t substitute ingredients and we have to use the right measurements and temperature. When baking, we need to be aware of all that we are doing in order to perfect our baked goods. We related that all to salah and how with salah we need to approach it with consciousness in order to perfect our prayers.
After lunch and recess, we explored the story of Isra and Mi’raj and how the message of prayer was brought to us. We talked about how all messages came to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and how this was the only message Allah gave him directly. Students shared how that shows the importance of Salah. Please ask your child to share what they have learned about Isra and Miraj.
Students were asked to keep a prayer log over the next two weeks. If they already offer some or all 5 prayers, they were asked to add something to their prayers each week. If they don’t pray already, they were asked to pray twice a day for the first week and 3 times a day the second week before we meet again on October 16th. Students are not expected to hand in their prayer logs. Please support students in this effort!
Thank you,
Ms. Heba
WEEK 2 4th/5th Grades 09/25/2011
Assalamu Alaikum Webb Parents!
Thank you all for submitting your homework assignments and helping me get to know your children. If you haven’t completed the assignment, please send it with your child next Sunday.
Today we began class with an interactive discussion on what Tawheed is and the importance of it. We discussed how much time the Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) spent on the message of Tawheed and why he did that. We ended the first portion of class with a reenactment of Bilal (Alayhe Alsalam) and discussed how his continued claim of “Ahad” kept him strong and on the right path.
After lunch, students were put into groups and asked to discuss situations in which their consciousness of God helped guide them to make good choices. They also shared how bad choices they made can be better guided by this concept of Tawheed. Students worked together to create skits of their scenarios and shared lessons they learned.
Before leaving, students were asked to fill out an exit slip. This is a slip of paper in which they answer questions about the day. Exit slips give me the opportunity to know what students learned from our class discussions and activities. It also helps me recognize which concepts need to be reinforced. Please take the time out to ask your child what they learned about Tawheed, why the concept is important and how it guides them in their daily lives.
For homework: Students were asked to bake a cake (or any other baked goods) from scratch! Please help your child find a recipe and make sure they bring it with them to class. Of course you can feel free to help them, but please don’t do it for them.
Thank you all for your support!
Ms. Heba