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Course: World History Project - Origins to the Present > Unit 5

Lesson 2: Land-Based Empires | 5.1
Arts and humanities
World History Project - Origins to the Present
Era 5—The First Global Age (1200 to 1750 CE)
Land-Based Empires | 5.1
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READ: Rumi (Graphic Biography)

Google Classroom
Rumi was a poet who believed that universal love was a path to God. He rejected divisions based on ethnicity and religion.
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. Where did Rumi live as a young man, and what was his home city like?
  2. How did meeting Shams Al-Dīn transform Rumi?
  3. What did Rumi teach and write about?
  4. What is the meaning of Rumi’s poem about a reed, shown around his body in the biography?
  5. How does the artist’s design reflect the theme of crossing or transcending borders?

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 does this biography of Rumi support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about this period in world history?
  2. What did you find surprising or significant about Rumi’s life and biography?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Rumi (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Bennett Sherry
Artist: Liz Clarke
Rumi was a poet who believed that universal love was a path to God. He rejected divisions based on ethnicity and religion.
Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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