The Abbasid Caliphate and Its Golden Age - Reading Comprehension & Activities

The Abbasid Caliphate and Its Golden Age
About:
The Abbasid Caliphate ruled a huge Islamic empire from 750 CE to 1258 CE, with its capital in the city of
Baghdad. It is best known for a period called the Golden Age of Islam, when science, medicine, and mathematics
flourished thanks to scholars at places like the House of Wisdom. This worksheet explores how the Abbasids rose
to power, why Baghdad became such an important center of learning and trade, and how the caliphate
eventually declined and fell to Mongol invaders. Students will build reading comprehension, vocabulary, and
critical thinking skills while exploring this key period in world history.
What’s Included:
This worksheet features Article (5 paragraphs), True/False (16 statements), Comprehension Questions (6),
Multiple Choice (15), Word Search (15 words), Crossword (10 clues), and Odd One Out (30 words).
Target Grades:
Grades +5
Teacher Note:
This worksheet pairs well with a lesson on the earlier Umayyad Caliphate, since it lets students compare how two
different Islamic dynasties rose, governed, and eventually fell. Encourage students to notice how the House of
Wisdom connects to the spread of scientific ideas we still use today. The comprehension and evaluation questions
work well for small group discussion before students complete the rest of the worksheet independently.