Many of the objects in this exhibition were never intended to be displayed in a museum. The majority of them were created for personal use by private citizens. The art from these regions, for the most part isn‟t paintings and sculptures but everyday objects that are made beautiful. But the objects are more than simply beautiful; they speak volumes about the societies and cultures in which they were produced or used. Discuss the importance of objects and their ability to tell stories about the culture from which they originated. A wonderful example and resources is the „A History of the World in 100 Objects‟ series (see Resource section); if possible listen to one or more 15-minute podcasts with students to get an idea of what objects can tell us. Use the following page as a handout. Have students create their own „History of Ottoman Turkey/the Safavid Dynasty/the Mughal Empire++‟ series by creating a few-minute presentation on an object from a certain time period. For objects and further resources the Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF) is a great place to start (see Resource section of this guide). Encourage students to answer certain questions in creating their presentation, including the usual 5 W‟s but also several „hows,‟ such as: How was this object made? How was it used? How is it representative of the Empire it came from? How does it reflect other cultures? (Think about trade and exchange of goods.) How is the same kind of object used today, if at all?
Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies SS7G5 The student will locate selected features in Southwestern Asia (Middle East). b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. SS7G8 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southwest Asia (Middle East). b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds. c. Compare and contrast the prominent religions in Southwest Asia (Middle East): Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. SS9WH5 The student will trace the origins and expansion of the Islamic World between 600 CE and 1300 CE. a. Explain the origins of Islam and the growth of the Islamic Empire. b. Identify the Muslim trade routes to India, China, Europe, and Africa and assess the economic impact of this trade. f. Analyze the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. SS9WH12 The student will examine the origins and contributions of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires. a. Describe the geographical extent of the Ottoman Empire during the rule of Suleyman the Magnificent, the Safavid Empire during the reign of Shah Abbas I, and the Mughal Empire during the reigns of Babur and Akbar. b. Explain the ways in which these Muslim empires influenced religion, law, and the arts in their parts of the world. Georgia Performance Standards for Visual Arts VA7CU.2 Investigates and discovers personal relationship to community, culture, and world through creating and studying art. b. Articulates ideas and universal themes from diverse cultures of the past and/or present. VA7C.1 Applies information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of artworks. a. Makes connections to other subjects that help expand art knowledge and/or skills. b. Integrates themes, ideas, and concepts from a variety of disciplines/subjects. c. Investigates and articulates how personal beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence the interpretation and creation of artworks. VAHSDRCU.1 Articulates ideas and universal themes from diverse cultures of the past and present. a. Identifies how the issues of time, place and culture are reflected in selected art works. b. Compares the ways in which the meaning of a specific work of art has been affected over time because of changes in interpretation and context.