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Course: Big History Project > Unit 7

Lesson 3: Ways of Knowing: Agriculture and Civilization | 7.2
Arts and humanities
Big History Project
Agriculture & Complex Societies
Ways of Knowing: Agriculture and Civilization | 7.2
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READ: Ibn Khaldun - Graphic Biography

Google Classroom
Ibn Khaldun was a North African Arab scholar and politician who pioneered the social sciences.
The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. What happened Ibn Khaldun's political career? How did this affect his work as a scholar?
  2. What is 'Al Muqaddimah'? Why was it important?
  3. What does Ibn Khaldun say is a key element in society's functioning?
  4. How did Ibn Khaldun approach important figures like Timur?
  5. Looking at just the images and colors in this graphic biography, what ideas do you think the author could be conveying about societies during this time?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. How did the work of Ibn Khaldun influence what was known about the rise and fall of societies? How might this have contributed to the increasing complexity of civilizations?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Ibn Khaldun - Graphic Biography

Writer: Eman M. Elshaikh Artist: Argha Manna
Ibn Khaldun was a North African Arab scholar and politician who pioneered the social sciences.
Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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