PRE-KINDERGARTEN
General Developmental Level
Active...
idea of right and wrong is developing, but cannot always distinguish between
them or accept responsibility ... family is the context for understanding
relationships ... great disparities among children's learning skills and
physical abilities ... has sense of God's care through attention of caring
adults ... short attention span ... appreciates help of others and wants to
help
Course Description: Starting With God
This is the introductory year in a formal educational setting for many of our Jewish
children. They will begin their Jewish journey with an introduction to the
concepts of God and Torah and how Shabbat is celebrated in the home. The
teacher also will present Torah stories from the Creation to the death of Moses
as well as introducing the customs, foods, and blessings of the Jewish
holidays. Activities will be varied, hands-on, and geared toward the short
attention span of children of this age. The children also will be introduced to
the Hebrew language, learning a few words and numbers from one to ten.
Texts and Resources
- A Child's Garden of Torah Lessons (Torah Aura) – a read-aloud Torah book with 25 four-page lessons
- My First Learn and Do Jewish Holiday Book (Behrman House) – a read-aloud book presenting the customs, foods, and blessings of the Jewish Holidays
- Symbols of Shabbat Instant Lesson (Torah Aura) – a four-page lesson with stickers that introduces eight basic Shabbat symbols
- Fun For Little Hands Series (Kar-Ben) – Six activity books covering Shabbat, High Holidays, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Israel
- A Jewish Preschool/Kindergarten Copy Pak (A.R.E. Publishing)
- Shabbat Shalom Copy Pak (A.R.E. Publishing)
KINDERGARTEN
General Developmental Level
Active
and purposeful ... consciousness of right and wrong is developing, but cannot
always distinguish between them or accept responsibility ... family is the
context for understanding relationships ... great disparities among children's
learning skills and physical abilities ... has sense of God's love and care
through attention of loving and caring adults ... short attention span ... can
learn from mistakes ... appreciates help of others and wants to help ...
emerging wonder about life and death
Course Description: Jewish Identity
This is the second year of school for some youngsters and the first exposure to a
Jewish education for other children. The students will begin to learn what it
means to be a Jew – both at home and at the Synagogue. An important part of
being Jewish is learning about God's commandments, or mitzvot, and our
young students will be exposed to this vital concept as well. They will
begin/continue the exploration of some basic concepts about God.
Texts and Resources
Each of the three titles below by Behrman House is a set of eight 4-page folders with
poems, photographs, activities, and discussion questions.
- Let's Discover God
- Let's Discover the Synagogue
- Let's Discover Mitzvot
The titles below by Torah Aura are 4-page folders with stickers and activities.
- Parts of the Synagogue Instant Lesson
- A Jewish Home Safari Instant Lesson
- The Ten Commandments Instant Lesson
- Places in Israel Instant Lesson
- A Lifetime of Torah Instant Lesson
- My Synagogue (Behrman House) – a child's tour of the synagogue with activities designed to explain everything in age-appropriate terms
- Mitzvot (Behrman House) – an activity book designed to introduce children to the commandments they are expected to fulfill
- Jewish Preschool/Kindergarten Copy Pak (A.R.E. Publishing) – Teacher resource
- Mitzvot Copy Pak (A.R.E. Publishing)- Teacher resource
The book below is used as a resource and reference.
- One Mezuzah: A Jewish Counting Book (Behrman House) – an introduction to common Jewish objects and Hebrew numbers in a counting format
1ST GRADE
General Developmental Level
Widening sense of world beyond home ... eager to learn ... asks many questions ... great
imagination ... little concept of time and space ... personal desires may
conflict with sense of standards .... sense of responsibility to the group ...
has questions about God ... wants honest and immediate answers ...
Course Description: Holidays and Judaism Through the Year
This year will provide a thorough introduction to the rhythm of the Jewish year through a
study of our holidays, our symbols, and our Bible. As first graders are
becoming less egocentric and are developing the idea that the needs of others
are separate from their own and equally valid, the class will begin exploring
the idea of tzedakah.
Texts and Resources
- Let's Discover the Holidays (Behrman House) – a set of sixteen 4-page folders that introduce and reinforce new concepts for the child
- Let's Discover Shabbat (Behrman House) – a set of eight 4-page folders that introduce the rituals and traditions of Shabbat
- My Calendar (Behrman House) – an activity book that introduces the names of the Hebrew months and when the current year's religious holidays fall
The titles below by Torah Aura are 4-page folders (Instant Lessons) with stickers and activities.
Erev Shabbat, Yom Shabbat, Motzei Shabbat
Beit Knesset, Synagogue People, Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah
Hanukkah – The Things We Do, Tu B'Shevat, Purim – The Story
Purim Is Fun, Seder Symbols, Shavuot
The books below are used as resources and references.
- Tzedakah (Behrman House) – an activity book that teaches opportunities for tzedakah and kindness in a child's everyday world
- Let's Discover the Bible (Behrman House) – a set of sixteen 4-page folders, each of which tells a single Bible story
- Let's Explore Being Jewish (Behrman House) – a set of seven 16-page magazines covering a wide range of what it means to be Jewish
2ND GRADE
General Developmental Level
More introspective ... sensitive to adult approval ... self-critical ... richly
imaginative, but interested in here and now ... looks for fair play and honesty
... emerging feel for prayer ... interest in Bible heroes ... growing sense of
community beyond home and school ... assimilates new information when presented
in familiar examples ...
Course Description: Israel and the Torah
A child in the second grade is ready to begin an
exploration of the larger world. The study of the land of Israel combines this
interest with a growing sense of the spiritual aspects of
Judaism. Creating his/her own menorah and Torah is a hands-on way of appealing
to the child's creativity and further connecting him/her both to a place
(Israel) and a concept (Torah). The students also engage in a significant tzedakah project.
Texts and Resources
- Being Torah: A First Book of Torah Texts (Torah Aura) – a text that begins a child's relationship with the Torah by a close reading of selected passages followed by commentaries and opportunities for age-appropriate discussion
- Being Torah: A Student Commentary (Torah Aura) – a workbook accompanying the above text with activities and expanded discussion opportunities
- Our Jerusalem (Behrman House) – a set of eight 4-page folders with classroom activities that take a young child on a tour of Jerusalem
- Isaac Finds a Wife (Chariot Victor Publishing) – a short book used to help illustrate an aspect of early Jewish history
The titles below by Torah Aura are 4-page folders (Instant Lessons) with stickers and activities.
- The Torah
- Places in Israel
www.israel4kids.org – the Embassy of Israel's official website for children
3RD GRADE
General Developmental Level
Aware of real physical and intellectual growth ... impatient to get started on new
projects but eager to finish ... desire to do things "my way" but
still craves adult approval and support ... communication skills improving but sometimes talks for sake of talking
... enjoys collecting and swapping ... interested in dramatics ... time and
space take on meaning ... likes groups but upholds rules ... can understand
personal relationship to God as connected to God's care for others ...
Course Description: God: In the Bible and In the World
A third grader is capable of understanding the connections between stories from our
sacred texts and his/her own life. He begins to understand the historical
context in which Torah stories occur, and she is increasingly exposed to the
unbroken chain that connects us as contemporary Jews to those stories.
Texts and Resources
- My Jewish World: People, Places, Things, and Actions (Behrman House) – essentially a guidebook covering everything from rabbis to Jewish food
- A Child's Introduction to the Early Prophets (Behrman House) – classic Bible tales that keep their magic yet enable the reader to distinguish between historical fact and poetic myth
- My Jewish Year: Celebrating Our Holidays (Behrman House) – reintroduces the stories, rituals, symbols, traditions, legends, vocabulary, and blessings of the Jewish holidays that were studied in first grade
- God's Top Ten: The Meaning of the Ten Commandments (Torah Aura) – a story for each of the Ten Commandments which helps the student interpret and find meaning in these fundamental "rules" of Judaism
- Partners with God (Behrman House) – an exploration of the ideas of God and holiness which helps a child begin thinking and talking about God and spirituality
- A Child's Bible: Lessons from the Torah (Behrman House) narratives retold in simple words that speak to their eternal truths and apply them to the contemporary concerns of our children
- Gamebook for A Child's Bible: Lessons from the Torah (Behrman House) – additional hands-on material to reinforce the lessons of the text
- A Child's Introduction to the Early Prophets Workbooks (Behrman House) – additional hands-on materials to reinforce the lessons of the text
4TH GRADE
General Developmental Level
Longer attention span offers more independence ... wants to be accepted as
responsible, yet recognizes need for help ... likely to attach to role models
... may not have sense of personal limits ... fair play and individual rights
are crucial ... clearer thinking about right and wrong ... curious about the
unknown, but finds the past exciting ... can build on previous knowledge ...
individual reading skills vary widely ... teacher important as leader and
opinion maker ... moral development can be guided by Bible's lessons ... favors
facts and people over fantasy and abstract ideas ...
Course Description: Torah, Avodah, and G'milut Chasadim
The fourth grade class uses a curriculum developed by the Union of Reform Judaism called Chai: Learning for Jewish
Life. According to Avot 1:2, "the world stands on three things:
Torah, Avodah, and G'milut Chasadim." These concepts of study,
worship, and deeds of loving-kindness will serve as the framework for the 27
separate lessons provided in the program. The 9 lessons of the Torah cover
Numbers and Deuteronomy; the lessons of the Avodah deal with Keva
(the fixed order of the worship service) and Kevanah (the proper
personal focus and concentration to connect with God during prayer); and the
sections of G'milut Chasadim address the need to make peace in the
student's everyday life as well as the need to accept differences among people.
Text and Resources
- Chai: My Jewish Life Journal – a student workbook that accompanies the Level 4 Curriculum Core. There is an extensive Teacher's Notebook that explains the program and provides the background and resources needed to teach each lesson.
5TH GRADE
General Developmental Level
Period of pre-adolescent adjustment ... interests beginning to widen ... may still
have difficulty conceptualizing or generalizing, but memorization skills are
developing ... sense of time has evolved enough for firmly rooted study of
history ... boys and girls separating in interests and activities ... need
reinforcement of "dos and don'ts" of living in society ... can have
deep religious feelings and a close relationship to God ... questions may begin
to trouble faith ... knows and can use many facts of Jewish history and observance
....
Course Description: Cycles of Jewish Life
A Jewish boy or girl in the fifth grade has probably experienced, participated in, or at
least been exposed to some of the myriad markers of a Jewish life. Perhaps she
has attended the naming ceremony for her baby sister (Brit Bat) or her
older brother's Bar Mitzvah. Maybe he has watched his uncle marry under
the Chuppah or, sadly, sat shivah following the death of a
beloved great-grandparent. This 5th grade year will present the
events of a Jewish life cycle in an organized, coherent manner.
Text and Resources
- The Life Cycle Journey: A Workbook for Jewish Students (A.R.E. Publishing, Inc.) – a guide for students using the metaphor of a journey to teach life cycle landmarks
- BabagaNewz Magazine – a monthly magazine that appeals to "Jewish kids exploring the world". Each issue centers around a different theme with current events, personality profiles, puzzles, posters, and other activities
- Journey of a Lifetime: The Jewish Life Cycle Book (Behrman House) – a tour through the significant milestones in a Jewish life
- The Life Cycle Workbook (A.R.E. Publishing, Inc.) – an overview of the life cycle with myriad activities including vocabulary and text worksheets and parent interviews
- The Jewish Lifecycle Book (Ktav)
- Encyclopaedia Judaica (The MacMillan Company)
Teacher website resources
www.babaganewz.com
www.myjewishlearning.com
6TH GRADE
General Developmental Level
Preadolescence gradually gives way to adolescence ... eager to discover secrets ... wants to
figure things out for self in ethical and religious matters ... girls usually
more physically and emotionally developed than boys ... more sensitive to
criticism ... capable of great anger, fear, dejection, and elation ... growing
ability for abstract thinking ... relationships with peers can be both exciting
and painful ... critical of adults ... open to ideas that will realize more
mature values but must reach them by oneself ... sees connection between
religious teaching and personal problems ...
Course Description: Making a Difference Through Mitzvot
A sixth grader is pulled many directions. Does he want to voice his natural curiosity
about God, or will he be considered "uncool" if he does so? Is it all right for
her to show compassion for a shy newcomer without alienating her established
circle of friends? Will their teacher dislike them if they ask too many
questions? Judaism is a religion of questions, and by focusing on the concept
of mitzvot, sixth graders will gain an understanding that asking the right questions can lead to doing the
right thing in both the physical and spiritual world.
Text and Resources
- Making a Difference: Putting Jewish Spirituality Into Action, One Mitzvah at a Time (Behrman House) – presents ritual and ethical mitzvot with practical and creative ways to connect their study to the lives of students
- Mitzvot Copy Pak (A.R.E. Publishing, Inc.) – reproducible pages to help make mitzvot relevant
- BabagaNewz Magazine – a monthly magazine that appeals to "Jewish kids exploring the world". Each issue centers around a different theme with current events, personality profiles, puzzles, posters, and other activities. The accompanying website is www.babaganewz.com.
- Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values (Behrman House) – connects the abstract with the concrete by introducing the student to 20th-century Jews who, through living the ideals of mitzvot, achieved heroic stature
- Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult's Guide to Building a Jewish Life (Jewish Lights Publishing) – discusses serious questions (Why should I believe in God? Why should I be expected to marry someone Jewish?) with honesty, respect, and humor
7TH GRADE
General Developmental Level
Onset of adolescence ... traits developing that will leave into maturity ... girls
are about a year ahead of boys in intellectual and physical development ...
with guidance, can see relationship between different events ... resentful of
repetitive, childish activity ... beginning of search for philosophy of life
... can be encouraged to express abstract values ... receptive to social action
projects ... enjoys responsibility that gives a sense of achievement ...
Course Description: Judaism in America
This year – the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year marks a milestone in the lives of many American Jewish adolescents. Relatives of different ages and from different parts of the country may gather for this major celebration. A great-uncle may relate how different it was in Kansas City when he was 13; a grandmother may talk about her childhood in the Jewish neighborhoods of Chicago. This year will focus on the fact that Jews have been in America since the end of the 15th Century and have participated in and contributed to the long and colorful history of our nation. In addition, students will explore their own family's personal history as well as the history of Jews in Oklahoma.
Text and Resources
- Challenge and Change: History of Jews in America (Behrman House) – three concise volumes combining thematic and chronological explorations of events from the 1492 expulsion from Spain to the dawn of the 21st Century
- The Melting Pot: An Adventure in New York (UAHC Press) – a "do-it-yourself" story set in the Lower East Side of New York City at the turn of the last century in which the reader makes decisions which determine his/her future
- Let Freedom Ring: A History of the Jews in America (Behrman House) – an overview of the political, social, and religious experiences of the Jews in America from the time of the first group of Jewish immigrants to today.
- The Golden Land: The Story of Jewish Immigration to America: An Interactive History With Removable Documents and Artifacts (Harmony Books) – The text is supplemented with removable artifacts in reproduction like a pamphlet advertising a Yiddish theater production and a handwritten copy of Emma Lazarus's "The New Colossus".
- Women of Valor: Stories of Great Jewish Women Who Helped Shape the Twentieth Century (Behrman House)
- Jews in America: A Cartoon History (Jewish Publication Society)
- Babaganewz History Supplements
8TH GRADE
General Developmental Level
Can be a difficult year of emotional imbalance ... physical changes become more
pronounced ... leadership potential is emerging ... receptive to learning from
stories of courageous deeds ... especially proud of new skills ... can relate
God and prayer to personal problems and harsh realities ... insecurities
manifest in complaining, withdrawal, sarcasm ... some linguistic skills appear
particularly strong ... word games can be effective learning tools ... judging
religion by the examples of its representatives ... greater interest and power
in reasoning and discussion ... language can be useful tool for expressing
values ...
Course Description: Judaism Compared and Judaism Attacked
A Jewish eighth grader can be simultaneously proud of and insecure about his/her
heritage. He undoubtedly is in a scholastic environment that is overwhelmingly
not Jewish, and she may well be asked what is "so different" about her
religion. Developmentally, most eighth graders are ready to approach in a
meaningful way a study of the event that has shaped much of the last sixty
years of Jewish history – the Holocaust. Gaining an understanding of the
differences between religions and how those differences could lead to untold
suffering or knowledgeable acceptance is important for every Jewish child.
Text and Resources
- The Holocaust: The World and the Jews, 1933-1945 (Behrman House) – uses primary source materials to help the student analyze and learn about the myriad aspects of the Holocaust
- Historian's Notebook: Student Workbook to The Holocaust: The World and the Jews, 1933-1945 (Behrman House) – enables a development of analytical skills by examining the facts and the evidence in more detail
- Judaism and the World's Religions (Behrman House) – a guide through a Jewish lens to the many paths through which people search for the divine
JEWISH WEBSITES
A Google search for 'Jew' connects to about 1,820,000 sites. Here are a few of them.
www.akhlah.com/
– Akhlah, the Jewish children's
learning network, is an important resource created to provide Jewish children
and their family's access to the prayers, stories and rituals that have bound
Jews together around the world and through the ages. Akhlah is
specifically designed for the youngest and least knowledgeable among us, while
maintaining scrupulous attention to the details of the subject matter.
http://ashrei.com/
– The goal for this site is to create community on
topics of Jewish study, and support the new and growing spiritual practices of
souls wherever they may live and travel. We will accomplish this by maintaining
a warm and welcoming atmosphere, utilizing tools which are easy and convenient
for the individual, and encouraging communications among our Partners.
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/
– MyJewishLearning.com is a transdenominational website of Jewish information
and education geared toward learners of all ages and educational backgrounds.
As the central Internet site for learning about Judaism, it is designed to be
the following: a)content rich and pedagogically sound--to invite and facilitate
site visitors' engagement in ever-deeper levels of learning; b) relevant to
adult audiences of diverse backgrounds and learning objectives--from novice
learners, who know little about Judaism, to experienced learners, who know a
great deal but want to learn much more accurate, well written, and visually
engaging; c) representative of the wide and valid range of trans-denominational
perspectives within Judaism; and d) compatible with a broad range of user
experiences--from self-guided browsing and learning, to site-assisted browsing
and learning. A key feature of this site is content that is packaged to
facilitate learning at graduated depths, at the learner's option.
http://www.torahtots.com/
– a young person's site that includes the following: Jewish Music; This Month In Jewish History; TT Printable Monthly Jewish Calendar; All About the Jewish Calendar; Historical Time Line; Synagogues of The Past; World Candle Lighting Times; Hebrew/English English/Hebrew Date Converter; Shabbat; Holocaust; Our Torah; The 24 Holy Books of the Written Law; 39 Melachot; Diaspora Holiday Calendar; Israel Holiday Calendar; Yahrzeit Date Finder; Yizkor Dates; Tractates of the Talmud; Holidays – (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Tu B'Shvat, Purim, Pesach ( Passover ), Sefirat Ha'Omer , Lag B'omer, Shavuot, Tu B'Av, New Holidays, Diaspora Holiday Calendar, Israel Holiday Calendar, Fast Days
http://www.askmoses.com/
– AskMoses.com is an innovative and vibrant website where one can log-on
and get instant advice from a number of qualified men, women and Rabbis who
make up the AskMoses.com staff. These staff members operate on
AskMoses.com 24 hours a day six days a week. They are available to answer
any and all questions posed to them on a variety of issues ranging from simple
questions on Jewish Holidays to complex personal issues.
