About the Author and the Story’s Background
My name is Maryam Awda, and I am an Arabic language and Quran teacher from my beloved Syria. I hold a degree in Islamic Sharia and currently reside in Bochum, Germany.
I have always faced difficulties teaching the Arabic language to my non-native students and have consistently strived to make the learning sessions enjoyable and engaging. After experiencing the journeys of FIRST, I acquired new knowledge and skills that can help me design and facilitate Active Deep Learner eXperiences. Consequently, I started applying what I learnt in my sessions with my students.
I share with you one of these sessions in which I aimed to help learners connect Arabic language material with science and religion, and instill a love for the Arabic language in them while they explore the phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses in an enjoyable and intriguing manner.
The Topic and Learning Outcomes
The session covered the topic of the lunar and solar eclipses, with the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- Show understanding of the phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses;
- Acquire new vocabulary in Arabic;
- List the causes of these two phenomena.
Skill Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- Connect these phenomena with Islamic religion;
- Discuss these phenomena using Arabic Language;
- Write an essay about the lunar and solar eclipses.
Attitude Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- Sense the greatness of the Creator in His creations;
- Grow aware of the scientific miracles in the Quran.
Tools and Supplementary Material:
To achieve these outcomes, I used various tools and material during both the design and facilitation stages:
- Treasure box
- Model of the sun and moon
- A branch with some dates
- Whiteboard or projector screen
- Computer or smartphone
- Surat Yaseen from the Quran
- Websites about lunar and solar eclipses
Sequence of Activities
The Opener (5 mins)
The session did not include a specific opener. Instead, I welcomed the learners, engaged in conversation with them, and broke the ice.
Learning Activity 1 (15 mins)
After welcoming the learners, we started our session with an educational and entertaining activity. The activity was a treasure hunt game where the learners guessed what was inside a treasure box by asking questions related to the items within it, eventually deducing the lesson’s topic. We took out a model shaped like a bright sun and then a moon. We after that covered a part of the sun, then all of it, and did the same with the moon. I followed this with questions for my dear students, pulling a connection between science and religion.
I followed the three stages of the RAR model (Readiness Increase, Activity Facilitation, Reviewing Actively) in this activity. I ensured the readiness of my learners before facilitating the activity, encouraged them to participate, provided instructions, and gave examples of questions they could use. I continued to encourage them during the activity’s facilitation and connected the concepts to real life during the reviewing actively stage, thus applying the third domain of FIRST-ADLX Framework (Reviewing Activities within RAR model).
Energizer (15 mins)
To refresh the learners and give their minds a break from focusing, I designed an energizing activity that involved going out to the school yard and engaging in conversation with everyone.
Learning Activity 2 (20 mins)
During this activity, I also applied the third domain. To increase the learners’ readiness, I informed them that we would consider going to the yard as an educational journey to discover the greatness of Allah in His creation. I invited them to go outside again to observe the sun and collect palm branches. During the facilitation stage, I monitored them to ensure they were engaged in contemplating the sun and gathering the branches. In the reviewing actively stage, I asked them:
- How was the activity? How did you feel?
- What did you contemplate? What is the sun? What color is it? What is its shape? What is a solar eclipse?
- What did you collect? How does it look? What are the benefits of palm trees?
I encouraged the students to share their feelings, observations, and thoughts, highlighting the importance of the sun for life on Earth (The sun helps the plants and trees grow and affects the weather and climate).
Then, I asked questions about the moon, the differences between the moon and the sun, and their benefits, such as:
- What is the moon?
- What is the difference between the sun and the moon? What is a lunar eclipse?
- What are the benefits of the sun and the moon for humans?
- How does the moon affect the tides?
As a final step, I invited the learners to connect these natural phenomena with the power and greatness of Allah, reflecting on His magnificence through the creation of the sun and moon. I encouraged feelings of gratitude and appreciation to Allah for His blessings.
Learning Activity 3 (20 mins)
In this activity, I adhered to the RAR model as well. To increase readiness, I provided the learners with some Quranic verses that talk about the sun and the moon in Surat Yaseen, and I invited them to focus as it was time to explain some verses from the Holy Book. During the facilitation stage, the learners read the verses in groups and discussed their meanings while I monitored, assessed, and explained the indications of the verses.
After completing the group work, I gave a brief presentation to ensure their correct understanding of the meaning. I then held a branch from a palm tree with some dates on it and pulled the similarities between this fruit and the phases of the moon. We discussed the growth stages of a date fruit and related them to the phases of the moon, such as:
- Crescent: resembles the early growth of the date fruit.
- Full moon: resembles the date fruit at its peak ripeness.
- New moon: resembles the date fruit after it falls from the tree.
In the reviewing actively stage, I pulled the importance of knowledge and understanding in recognizing Allah’s greatness in His creation. I also pulled future steps for continuing the search and learning to discover more wonders of the universe, emphasizing the necessity of thanking Allah for His many blessings.
Linking and Summarizing Activity (20 mins)
I divided the class into groups that competed to write the best essay on the lunar and solar eclipses. The learners used the internet for research and summarized and connected everything they had learned during the session into one essay. Their methods of presenting the information varied. The learners were happy to participate, and I was surprised by their creativity and delightful expressions.
Closure (5 mins)
The learners expressed their feelings about the session.
Implementing the Domains of FIRST-ADLX
I took several actions to apply the five domains of the framework, and I have summarized most of them in the table below:
| Focusing on the Learner Behaviors Domain | · I spoke with everyone before the session and called them by their names.
· I ensured that each learner was engaged during group work. · I monitored each learner, checked, assessed, and provided feedback. · I gave them opportunities to express their feelings and opinions. · I trusted their ability to analyze, share lessons learnt, plan for the future, write and present the essay, read and discuss the verses. |
| Interacting within Positive Group Dynamics Domain | · Created a safe learning environment by accepting mistakes and encouraging questions and free expression of ideas
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| Reviewing Activities within RAR | · I respected the RAR model with its three stages in all learning activities as outlined in the “Sequence of Activities” section.
Top of Form Bottom of Form
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| Sequencing within Session Flow | · I organized the activities in a logical and coherent manner.
· I respected the energy level and varied the activities so that the energy levels were different, which helped the learners to fully engage throughout the session. · I repeated many concepts in different ways throughout the lesson. · I invited learners to connect and summarize what they had learned in the linking and summarizing activity. · I varied between experiential activities (opening, closing, linking and summarizing, activity) and learning activities. |
| Transforming Learning into Performance |
· I pulled the lessons learnt, the connection to reality, and the next steps. · I connected the material to what is happening around the learners in real life |
Conclusion
FIRST- ADLX Framework has undeniably had a deep impact on every learner who has experienced its journey, empowering him/her to shape future generations through active and engaging learning experiences. This framework has simplified the process of designing and facilitating learning journeys that are fun, exciting, and easy to implement in real life. We are truly grateful for FIRST and wish this framework continued success and blessings.