Essential Questions for our Students What is Torah? Why is it important to me? How does it shape my moral development? How does it shape my world view? How do I view Biblical characters? Kindergarten Material Skills/Objectives Assessment/ Content Assessment/ Skill Kindergarten 1) What is the Torah? Whats a passuk? 2) (Bekiyut/Parsha) Avot, Canaan, Mitzrayim, Midbar, Mishkan, Chagim Learn Hebrew Letters Basic Hebrew Tanach vocabulary 2) Understand introductory concepts of each parsha 1) Draw a Family tree Match pictures with the right story Build the mishkan Act out a skit of things that happened in the Midbar Chagim- match pictures with the right chag 2) Illustrate the story of parshiyot Answer oral questions Write the Letters Learn the Sounds they make write important names, places, and holidays in Hebrew 1st Grade 1st Grade 1) Bereishit: the 7 days of creation - in pesukim - Gan Eden (discussion) 2) (Bekiyut/Parsha) Avot, Canaan, Mitzrayim, Midbar, Mishkan, Chagim in more detail Parsha song Read in Hebrew and English the pesukim and their translations 2) Understand introductory concepts of each parsha Illustrate 7 days of creation Play a game where they have to place them in order and all the correct animal/birds/moons/tress/humans on the right square. 2) Illustrate the story of parshiyot Answer oral questions (more detailed) Read outloud and translate for pasukim they have learned translations before. Write the translation. Students should know the stories of parshiyot 2nd Grade 1) Noach/Lech Lecha 2) (Bekiyut/Parsha) Avot, Canaan, Mitzrayim, Midbar, Mishkan, chagim in more detail Reinforce Read in Hebrew and English the pesukim and their translations- because its the most basic skill. 2) Understand introductory concepts of each parsha and main characters of each parsha 1) Noach story cartoon project, Noach and Avraham timeline creation, family tree, memory games 2) Weekly parsha assessment, (on previous week) including character explanations Read pesukim outloud and translate pasukim they have never learned. Write the translation. 3rd Grade 1) Vayera, Chayei Sara, Toldos 2) Bekiyut - Less of focus on weekly story, more about Ten Commandment, Intro to Mitzvot as they appear in the parshiyot 1) Be able to read Rashi and translate Understand more chumash vocabulary 2) Know 10 commandments in order, basic mitzvot that are being taught Read rashi and translate vocabulary assessments 10 commandment project, mitzva madness Read outloud. Give them the letters and have them identify each letter. THis way they cant just rely on context they are help accountable to know every letter. 4th Grade Vayetzei - Vayichi emphasis on character and story development (Moral questions) Rashi, and other meforshim outside Vocabulary Grammar basics Daber vs. Amar VHipuch Taamei Mikra Critical approach to characters and story Reading assessments Worksheets Fishbowl, TPS, dialogues, RAFT Students will write the meforshim and then compare and contrast with other meforshim. (ideas not people) Worksheets 5th Grade Sefer Shemot Themes: people vs moshe, machloket within the camp, leaving mitzrayim behind, forming a nation, the yoke of the Torah, building of the Mishkan Learn Meforshim inside-Learn who says what. Learn about certain approaches to understanding Tanach. Ex;Rashi has a pshat understanding based on meforshim, while Ibn Ezra focuses mainly on derech hapshat. Reading Assessment, Writing Assessment Explain how different meforshim got to different answers (not just what did he say) 6th Grade Sefer Bamidbar Themes: people vs moshe, machloket within the camp, leaving mitzrayim behind, appreciation of Gods hand, Korach Learn how to read perakim and snippets of Meforshim on their own (with hard words translated) Reading Writing Asessments, skits & videos Meforshim project 7th Grade Devarim Themes: preparing for Eretz yisroel, differences between eretz yisroel and mitzrayim, Gods interaction and expectation with people Mitzvot Poetry in Tanach- Haazinu Reinforcing - using various meforshim - critical approach to characters and to story Reading, writing, assessments, skits, videos, projects Poetry project Moshe Mussar project, facebook profiles of characters 8th Grade Vayikra Themes: Holiness of kohanim, mumim, ervah in Judaism, Reference Tools: Concordantzia and Bar Illan Responsa Jastrow & Heb Eng dictionary What are limitations of translations of Tanach? Reading, writing, assessments, skits, videos, projects Have them do exercises practicing looking up specific words or topics 9th Grade 9th Grade Bereishit Reinforce Learn how to use Concordantzia and Bar Illan Responsa Research a topic write a paper 10th Grade 10th Grade Shemot - Vayikra Learn Tikbolet, chiastic structure, mila mancha etc How to recognize themes within Tanach Identify structures in seen and unseen material. Explain what the implications of using a particular structure What do themes show you 11th Grade 11th Grade Bereishit- Shemot All- focus on theologically rich material Ex: free will, akedat yitzchak, Rape of Dinah Learn about Ambiguities in Tanach Research and write a paper about a topic that poses an ambiguity 12th Grade 12th Grade Vayikra - Devarim Focus on theologically rich material AND styles of parshiyot Ex: korach How to think critically about Biblical criticism Class wide debate. Give them an excerpt and have them answer critical thinking questions.