Project 125: World Book Day and 1,001 Arabian Nights

It was our third home education World Book Day (see also Project 75: Charles Dickens & World Book Day and Project 24: World Book Day and the Wizard of Oz) and we thought we'd introduce a classic from a different culture in the form of 1,001 Arabian Nights. We made use of the Geraldine McCaughrean version as we've enjoyed her work previously (see Project 115: Christmas and The Pilgrim's Progress).

1,001 Nights is a collection of stories, so the fact we didn't have a chance to read the whole of the book this week didn't matter: we read the first and last chapters, and a selection of the most notable tales (including Sinbad, Ala al-Din, and Ali Baba and the forty thieves). Nothing quite emphasises the impact of the tales on Western culture than the large number of films based on the tales that have been made, and we watched five!: The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad  (1958), Aladdin (1992), The Return of Jafar, (1994), Sinbad: Legend of the seven seas (2003), and Aladdin (2019).

Of course we didn't just watch films (although the children might if you let them). The children completed a number of worksheets from Twinkl on Aladdin and Ali Baba, explored Islamic art, learned about the golden age of Islam, and designed their own flying carpets:

Solomon and Monica's Flying Carpets

Next week's project: Water.