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Young Enlightened
Submitters |
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Fasting
Ramadan
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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar
,
like the solar calendar, has twelve months.
The islamic calendar is based on the moon (Lunar) , while the solar
calendar
is based on the sun (Solar).
The solar calendar months are made of 30 or 31 days except for February.
The Lunar calendar months are made of 29 or 30 days.
Ramadan is therefore either 29 days or 30 days. |
Check the rest of the
information for children on our YES site.
A
RAMADAN
POEM
THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN
FOR THE MUSLIMS (SUBMITTERS) HAS BEGUN
PRAISING GOD THROUGH THE DAY,
FROM DAWN TO DUSK WE FAST AND PRAY.
WE PAY ZAKAT (CHARITY) FOR THOSE IN NEED,
TRYING OUR BEST TO DO GOOD DEEDS.
WHEN THE SUN HAS SET, AND DAY IS DONE-
I'LL BREAK THIS CHAIN, BUT ONLY ONE.
BY THE END OF RAMADAN, THIS WHOLE CHAIN WILL
BE ALL GONE!
IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE AND SHARE IN THE
FUN!!!
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Project One
Mosque Craft Mobile
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· Make a copy of an Islamic Design, for
example a drawing of a simple
Mosque with a Minaret, like the one above. You can simplify it to the best
you can,
depending on the ability and age of the children.
· Copy the above (Ramadan) poem in an attractive font to the size you
need to place
it inside the Mosque picture. The poem can be split into two halves, with
each half
glued to the right or left side of the door of the mosque in the diagram,
i.e. on top
of the area of the windows in the diagram.
· Make additional copies after you have glued the poem inside for the
amount of children participating.
· Glue pictures to thin cardboard, and then cut out around the outline
of
the Mosque.
· Have children color and/or decorate with colored glitter.
· Punch a hole in the top of the Mosque and tie a long string or ribbon
through it to hang from the ceiling. |
Project Two
Ramadan Calendar Chain
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-Cut colored strips of construction paper into
approx. 8" lengths.
(30 strips for each child) · Glue or staple strips of construction paper
into a chain.
-You will need 30 links (rings) in your chain. One
for each day until the end of
Ramadan.
-Make a pretty pattern, alternate the colors of the
rings.
-You may attach the completed chain to the bottom of your designed mosque
in project one or to other designs, e.g. a large crescent,
or a star..
-Hang it on a wall or in a doorway.
-Everyday neatly tear off one of the rings all the
way to the end of Ramadan.
Remind the children that Ramadan can be either 29 or
30 days |
Project Three
Charity Decorated Jar
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Ramadan is that time of the year to rememer
most the poor and the needy.
Charity is a big part of the celebration of the month of Ramadan. Ask
the
children to bring a jar. Explain to them that in the jar they will collect
coins
for the whole month of Ramadan. Help the children decorate the jar,
using
colorful stickers of their choice. Let them collect coins in it , either
from
their allowance or make an arrangement with their parents to give them
some of the change they have in their pockets, every day.for the remainder
of the month. At the end of the month, let the children count the change
and give it to the mosque or any other charity organization that helps those
in need.
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Project Four
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Ramadan Lantern (Fanoos)
(read about Fanoos Ramadan, click here.)
Use white construction paper or use different color construction
papers.
Use a stencil or trace for them the shape of the lantern.
They can then color it with red, yellow, blue, green, purple,gold, or
silver
crayons, pencils, or markers. Every section of the fanoos should have a
different bright color. Otherwise, make all the sections of the fanoos from
different color construction paper and glue them together on a cardboard
backing so they could hang them on a string.
If you prefer you can trace for them
the three D model and let them color it. Fold one half on the other to
complete the circle and transform it into a stand alone fanoos. You may glue
the fanoos on a base of cardboard to make it easy to stand.
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Project Five
Simple Night sky and moon Project
For younger children,
Use black or blue construction paper for a night
sky background. Use a
stencil or trace for them the shape of the crescent moon. They can color
it with white, yellow, gold, or silver crayons, pencils, or markers. If they
can draw stars by themselves, let them add stars, or let them stick on stars
(the self-sticking kind). You may also cut circles out of black paper, glue
them
on a cardboard backing so the children could hang them on a string,
and have
the children draw in with glitter pens near one edge to make the crescent
shape.
That way they get the idea that the crescent is only a small part of the
whole circle of the moon.
The teacher could also let some children color in quarter, half, and
three-quarter moons to show the waxing and waning during the lunar
month.
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Project Six
Moon Project
For younger children,
As we know Ramadan begins and ends with the birth
of the new moon. This project will be a
good one for preschoolers.
1- Let each group of children (4-6 children in a
group), work together to create a night sky on
a black or dark blue construction paper. If they can draw stars by
themselves, let them add stars,
or let them stick on stars (the self-sticking kind) or a combination of both.
They can use white,
yellow, gold, or silver crayons, pencils, or markers.
2- Create a moon for every group or let them do
it, if they can cut a circle in a white construction
paper. You may also use a black construction paper then color it white or
silver to represent a
full moon.
3- Slice each moon into 6 pieces, they will be crescent
shapes. You may cut the moon into two
halves first, then each half into three pieces. Number these pieces on the
back
to remember which piece comes next. Remember that each half moon takes seven
days to
develop. It takes two weeks to develop into a full moon. Each piece will
represent a stage of
the moon.
4- As you go through the month, ask the children
to observe the moon every night from the
first day. When they come to the class ask them to use glue or better to
use velcro
to stick the first piece (crescent) on the night sky background. Every 2-3
days as they see
the moon getting bigger, you can let them add the next piece. Keep doing
this to the end of
the month. Remember the second half of the month you will have to remove
pieces, one by
one every 2-3 days, until there is no moon at the end of the
month. |
Project Seven
Sunset View of the sky and Horizon
For older children,
A two day project. Before the project, ask them
to look and observe
the colors of the sunset and an outline of buildings/houses in
their neighborhood.
Let each child wet a piece of white paper, then
paint stripes of colors
(red, orange, pink, purple, like the sunset) horizontally across the paper
with water color paints. The colors should blur together because of the
wetting. This is the background.
The next day, on a piece of black construction
paper, trace the outline
of some buildings, houses, mosque, or local landmark in the middle of
the paper (try to keep it simple). The lower half of the paper will be the
lower floor(s) of the houses/buildings. Then cut along the outline so that
the top half of the paper (where the sky would be) falls away.
You should be left with the shape of the buildings in profile.
Glue the black paper to the sunset background. The colors will appear
above and between the buildings. You can add an appropriate phrase
about breaking fast or sunset prayer above or below. |
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Project Eight
Night sky, the moon, the stars and the
children
For older children,
Since Ramadan gets the attention of the children
to the night sky, the moon and the starsit can be used for a good educational experience.
Encourage the children to make a "night sky" using
three-dimensional material such as
pipe cleaners, cotton balls, ping pong balls, clay, and pasted paper.
See if these three-dimensional materials cause the children to talk about
the location and
distance of objects in the sky and space.
You might have to help them with some of the technical problems so that they
can hang clouds,
stars, and moon. You might give them a big paste board box painted black
on the inside.
Make it easy for them to hang items at different places from the "ceiling"
of the "night sky."
And remember, the objective is not to make a good looking night sky out of
art material.
The objective is to get the children talking about their theories of what
things are in the
earth's sky and what things are in outer space, and where does the change
happen from sky
to space and so on. The product does not have to look like a sky, it only
needs to stimulate
a high quality conversation among the children. Take the chance and teach
them about the
sky, the space, the stars and the moon. |
Submission Song , The Five Pillars
(1) We pray
five times a day
We pray it everyday
God told everyone
to pray five times a day. |
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(2) We give to Charity
We give as best we can.
God told everyone
to give to charity |
(3) We 'll go to Hajj one day
God willing, we'll all go.
God told everyone
to go to Hajj one day. |
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(4) We fast one month a year.
We fast it every year.
God told everyone
to fast one month a year. |
(5) We worship God alone.
We worship only God.
God told everyone
to worship God
alone.
(Sing this verse twice) |
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Ramadan
Songs
| RAMADAN
by Dania A.
(happy, cheerful tune, medium fast)
Ramadan has come upon us
Ramadan God's holy month!
Praise be to Him for chosing us
to submit, to pray, to fast!...
(chorus)
Ramadan, Ramadan
Again is here,
Month of fast,
Ramadan, Ramadan
Truth is clear,
Faith will last
I can feel the pangs of hunger
which poor ones feel every day,
oh, my heart feels so much softer...
I must help them in some way!..
(chorus)
Gratefulness I feel so strongly
knowing tonight I will eat
while the poor ones will stay hungry
even after the Sun has set...
(chorus)
Discipline now I am learning
how to tell and to mean: "NO!"
so if I meet evil-monger
I will tell him where to go!...
(chorus)
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Listen
to another Ramadan Song
by Nancy Stewart
You can also get the Sheet Music for her song.
Click here
More Islamic
Songs
For
More
Songs
of Submission to God (Islam),
click here
Quranic Study
Classes
Click on the class you want to read
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Fanoos (Lantern) is just pure fun
for the kids , nothing more. Of all the Islamic countries, Fanoos is most
common in Egypt, as part of the culture, a tradition that goes back all the
way to the reign of the Fatimid Caliphate. The night before Ramadan, the
Caliph would go outside to look for the moon signaling the beginning of the
month of Ramadan. The children of the town would go out with the Caliph and
light the way for him. Each child would carry a fanoos and sing songs to
welcome in the new month of Ramadan.
Fanoos is traditionally made of tin and colored
glass, with a candle inside. Some modern ones are battery operated, but do
not have the same charm.
Kids who grew up in the past century, before
electricity were available, loved Fanoos as it was a way to have their own
light and not just any light a colorful light . It was perfect light
in the dark of the night. It is lighted with candles. Going out of their
homes after they break their fast (if they fast) at sunset, the streets would
be dark (no electricity) and the only light is coming from their fanoos.
They get together and sing songs (singing "wahawy ya wahawy") and play
kid games, or may visit an elder who tell them a story. Fanoos comes in different
sizes and colors and even different shapes. Some manufacturers even made
it in modern shapes, e.g. car, rocket, aeroplane ...etc. in addition
to some old fashioned shapes of minarate, tree, crescent...etc. The painting
by the Egyptian artist Ali Dessouqi's , bright and deceptively simple pantheon,
shows kids playing with the fanoos.
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Information for teachers
and
students about Islam (Submission.)
Click here
info@submission.org
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