• First, consider how objects are part of your classroom discussions, lecturers, or activities. Please share creative ways that you incorporate material culture into your classroom. 

I incorporate material culture into my classroom in numerous ways. As a chemistry teacher, it is natural for me to provide numerous tactile objects for my students to work with. For example, we recently completed a unit on intermolecular forces, and I brought in dish soap and milk to do a demonstration. This helps students see physical objects to paint a picture for something that is more intangible.

• How do the coins expand your knowledge of the caliphates and the trade system in the early Islamic world? 

The coins expand my knowledge of the caliphates in that they show me the different ideologies that each caliphate possessed. They might feature different verses from the Quran in each coin, or showcase some phrases that a particular caliphate emphasized. This would help me understand more completely the ideology of a particular caliphate.

• How do you see religion and politics blending together in the minting of these gold coins? 

In a sense, the caliphate was already a blending of religion and politics. The caliphate was the reign of a chief Muslim ruler, so the authority was using religious power to enact laws. As such, these gold coins would showcase both the religious and political agendas of the rulers and what they wanted to complete/accomplish in their reign.