Ziryab: the Refugee Who Was an Instant Sensation
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Author Sarah Towle uses a circular storytelling method in her piece about 8th century musician, Ziryab. Compare and contrast the first and last paragraphs of her nonfiction minute. How are they the same? How are they different? How do they exemplify a ‘circular story’?e intro text
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English/Language Arts
Exploring language and craft
How does Sarah hook you and draw you into the story in the opening paragraph?
By definition, all stories have a beginning, middle, and end and contain a problem to be resolved. This is called the story arc. Does Sarah manage to give us an arc in her telling of Ziryab’s life?
It can be said that Ziryab’s tale is an epic: that is, the recounting of a life-long journey of a hero’s deeds and adventures. It is no small task to tell an epic tale in 400 words. Does Sarah succeed? If so, how? Can you chart the course of Ziryab’s journey?
Close reading skills
Sarah reveals in the opening paragraph of Ziryab’s story her own personal opinion regarding the importance and power of history. What might that belief be? (Hint: her theory aligns with that of Winston Churchill who once said: “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”)
Making meaning in context
Sarah uses at least two words that do not belong either to our era or to the English language, notably Caliph and Oud. Did you have any trouble understanding these words? If not, why? What clues did Sarah offer you to aid your understanding?
The story states that Ziryab was given the name “blackbird” because of his beautiful singing voice. What does that tell you about a blackbird?
Social Studies
Sarah tells us that Ziryab was born in 789 AD (otherwise known as CE) and died in 813. In what historical era would he have lived?Find Baghdad on a map of today. What country is it in? What region? How are that country and region important today? Now look at an 8th century map from the same region. What country was Baghdad a part of then?
Now do the same exercise for Córdoba and Andulusia. Are they cities or regions? What country are they part of? How about in the 8th century?
Using your research skills, work in small groups to find five fun facts about both Baghdad and Córdoba from the 8th century to share with your teacher and classmates.
Sarah relates that when Ziryab was exiled from Baghdad, he wandered the Islamic World for a decade before arriving at his destination: Córdoba. What areas on today’s map comprised the Islamic World of Ziryab’s time? What made that world “Islamic”?
How do you think Ziryab traveled in the 800s
Exploring themes
Sarah tells us that Ziryab fled Baghdad for Córdoba, both advanced cities and major cultural centers on the opposite ends of the Islamic World at his time. Discuss the concept of exile. What is it? How do you think it would feel to be banished from your homeland? Do you think the ruler of Al-Andalus was right to welcome the asylum seeker
Discuss all the ways in which Ziryab contributed to the advancement of his new home. Did you ever stop to think where the tradition of the three-course meal came from? And the habit of daily hygiene, as Sarah asks? With a partner, brainstorm a list of other things do we do on a regular, daily basis? Pick one. Trace it back through time to find out their origin stories.
ART
Visual
Look for images of Ziryab on the internet. There aren’t that many, but they are distinct to his culture and era? How?
Musical
Search YouTube to find a recording of Baghdadi oud music, a recording of traditional Andalusian classical guitar music, and an example of musiqa al-ala from Morocco today. Listen to them one at a time, focusing on the guitar sound. What do you hear in each genre that is similar? How does the music of each one link to the other, forming a connection between the 800s and today?
STEM
Physics
Make a wave machine to explore how sound (and light) waves work. Here are a few good how-to examples of wave machines you can build with your classmates. All you need is masking tape, skewer sticks, and candy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE520z_ugcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB8w2FvPsBA
Of course, these experiments demonstrate just one wave. When you have more than one wave vibrating simultanelously, as on a multi-string instrument, they will compete or work together, creating yet more wave currencies, called sympathetic waves. With the knowledge you gained from your wave machine demonstration, discuss how Ziryab actually changed the course of music history by adding an additional string to his instrument.
Return to your recordings of 12 centuries of guitar music to see if you can hear the differences between them again, particularly from the point of view of wave mechanics.
Natural Science
Find a recording of a blackbird. Listen carefully to its particular song. Now listen to the song patterns of other birds. Do you find the blackbird song the most beautiful?
Where can we find blackbirds today? What is their natural habitat? What are their migratory instincts and patterns?
Can we find blackbirds today in the Islamic world of Ziryab’s yesterday? How, if at all, have their habitats changed? Why?
Exploring language and craft
How does Sarah hook you and draw you into the story in the opening paragraph?
By definition, all stories have a beginning, middle, and end and contain a problem to be resolved. This is called the story arc. Does Sarah manage to give us an arc in her telling of Ziryab’s life?
It can be said that Ziryab’s tale is an epic: that is, the recounting of a life-long journey of a hero’s deeds and adventures. It is no small task to tell an epic tale in 400 words. Does Sarah succeed? If so, how? Can you chart the course of Ziryab’s journey?
Close reading skills
Sarah reveals in the opening paragraph of Ziryab’s story her own personal opinion regarding the importance and power of history. What might that belief be? (Hint: her theory aligns with that of Winston Churchill who once said: “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”)
Making meaning in context
Sarah uses at least two words that do not belong either to our era or to the English language, notably Caliph and Oud. Did you have any trouble understanding these words? If not, why? What clues did Sarah offer you to aid your understanding?
The story states that Ziryab was given the name “blackbird” because of his beautiful singing voice. What does that tell you about a blackbird?
Social Studies
Sarah tells us that Ziryab was born in 789 AD (otherwise known as CE) and died in 813. In what historical era would he have lived?Find Baghdad on a map of today. What country is it in? What region? How are that country and region important today? Now look at an 8th century map from the same region. What country was Baghdad a part of then?
Now do the same exercise for Córdoba and Andulusia. Are they cities or regions? What country are they part of? How about in the 8th century?
Using your research skills, work in small groups to find five fun facts about both Baghdad and Córdoba from the 8th century to share with your teacher and classmates.
Sarah relates that when Ziryab was exiled from Baghdad, he wandered the Islamic World for a decade before arriving at his destination: Córdoba. What areas on today’s map comprised the Islamic World of Ziryab’s time? What made that world “Islamic”?
How do you think Ziryab traveled in the 800s
Exploring themes
Sarah tells us that Ziryab fled Baghdad for Córdoba, both advanced cities and major cultural centers on the opposite ends of the Islamic World at his time. Discuss the concept of exile. What is it? How do you think it would feel to be banished from your homeland? Do you think the ruler of Al-Andalus was right to welcome the asylum seeker
Discuss all the ways in which Ziryab contributed to the advancement of his new home. Did you ever stop to think where the tradition of the three-course meal came from? And the habit of daily hygiene, as Sarah asks? With a partner, brainstorm a list of other things do we do on a regular, daily basis? Pick one. Trace it back through time to find out their origin stories.
ART
Visual
Look for images of Ziryab on the internet. There aren’t that many, but they are distinct to his culture and era? How?
Musical
Search YouTube to find a recording of Baghdadi oud music, a recording of traditional Andalusian classical guitar music, and an example of musiqa al-ala from Morocco today. Listen to them one at a time, focusing on the guitar sound. What do you hear in each genre that is similar? How does the music of each one link to the other, forming a connection between the 800s and today?
STEM
Physics
Make a wave machine to explore how sound (and light) waves work. Here are a few good how-to examples of wave machines you can build with your classmates. All you need is masking tape, skewer sticks, and candy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE520z_ugcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB8w2FvPsBA
Of course, these experiments demonstrate just one wave. When you have more than one wave vibrating simultanelously, as on a multi-string instrument, they will compete or work together, creating yet more wave currencies, called sympathetic waves. With the knowledge you gained from your wave machine demonstration, discuss how Ziryab actually changed the course of music history by adding an additional string to his instrument.
Return to your recordings of 12 centuries of guitar music to see if you can hear the differences between them again, particularly from the point of view of wave mechanics.
Natural Science
Find a recording of a blackbird. Listen carefully to its particular song. Now listen to the song patterns of other birds. Do you find the blackbird song the most beautiful?
Where can we find blackbirds today? What is their natural habitat? What are their migratory instincts and patterns?
Can we find blackbirds today in the Islamic world of Ziryab’s yesterday? How, if at all, have their habitats changed? Why?
