Issue 7

The month of Ramadan is almost upon us. This is often a difficult time in the classroom, but it need not be. By being more careful with the content we present and being aware of the effects of fasting on our students, we can continue to create effective learning environments.

One technique that can be successful in the Ramadan classroom is to present material about the month itself. By doing so, we create a highly contextualized environment for our learners. I find that Ramadan resources on the web tend to fall into three broad categories. Firstly, there are general descriptions of the period, broadly aimed at non-Moslems. A second type of sites are those designed for the faithful. Many of these sites go into great detail. The final category contains webpages that describe Ramadan experiences and traditions. Surprisingly, many of the sites in this latter group, are authored in the USA. There are a growing number of such websites emanating from k-12 schools, junior highs, ESL courses and the experiences of American Moslems. From the school system, visit http://www.kirkwood.cc.ia.us/esl/voices/ramadan.htm and http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/McLeanHS/esl/kids/hiba/Ramadan.html. Students can read about Ramadan in Detroit at http://detnews.com/menu/stories/34758.htm.

National Geographic has produced an interesting audio recording. A partial tape script is at http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/pulseplanet/ax/archives
/01_culturetemplate.cfm?programnumber=2042 where the audio file can be downloaded. This gives the instructor the opportunity to create a listening comprehension exercise for students by use of gap-fill or multiple-choice questions. Or the site can be used as a simple read and listen exercise.

Descriptions of Ramadan around the world present a framework
for practice of compare/contrast structures and for descriptive writings. Two sites that illustrate traditions in the Moslem world are at
http://star.arabia.com/980101/Fe1.html and at http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~imahfouz/msa/ramadan/jan21.html, which is quite a candid portrayal. Students can also access descriptions about Ramadan in Yemen, http://www.yemeninfo.gov.ye/ENGLISH/panorama/Celebrations.htm,
Egypt, http://www.sis.gov.eg/ramadan/html/ramadan0.htm
and Jordan, http://star.arabia.com/970123/JO4.html.

A possible Ramadan project is for students to adopt a newspaper, tracking and reporting on relevant stories during the month. A list of newspapers in the Moslem world is at http://islam.org/Media/NPAPER.HTM. Note that much of the media listed is not in English.

Other related sites that may be of interest include
http://islam.org/ramadan/food, which contains recipes and descriptions of lawful and unlawful food during the month. A calendar converter is at http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~tawfig/convert and Ramadan and Eid cards can be sent from http://www.islamicart.com/vcards/stand/ramadhan.html.

Two extensive Ramadan portals can be found at http://www.ummah.net/ramadhanindex.html
and http://library.thinkquest.org/17137/Mainindex.html.

Ramadhan.org is currently updating its site. Try it during the month for new content. Arabia.com may also be worth a visit. In the past, they have had Ramadan quizzes.