In Year 5 this half term we are really enjoying our brand new topic on Early Islamic Civilisations. It is really fascinating to find out what was going on in different countries at the time when the Vikings were settling in Britain (570 AD-1258 AD)

We have learned that Baghdad was one of the most important cities in the world at the time, and it was built completely round! We have also learned all about a really important building called the House of Wisdom, where the Islamic people kept hundreds of books. The Islamic civilisations were very different to European civilisations at the time, as they placed great importance on knowledge and learning, rather than being strong and a good warrior. 

Alongside out topic we have been reading some amazing stories from 'One Thousand and One Arabian Nights'. This book tells the story of a clever young woman called Shahrazad,who manages to trick King Shahryar into letting her live by telling him story after story. We have heard the tales of Ali Baba, Aladdin, and Sinbad the Sailor, and soon we will be writing our own 'Arabian Nights' style stories. We can't wait to get started!