YEAR GROUP: Year 3 TOPIC: Judaism TERM: Autumn Learning intentions Main teaching Pupil activities and group differentiation Assessment Focus Resources To recap facts about Judaism and Jewish beliefs. What do you already know about Judaism? Give children a few minutes to discuss this with a partner, then share their ideas with the class, writing ideas on the mind map on the slides. Show children the words on the slides relating to Judaism. Do you know what each one means? Invite children to share their ideas. Go through the information about how Judaism began and the basic beliefs of Judaism. Look back at the mind map on the slides showing what children initially remembered about Judaism. What other facts can we now add to our mind map? Add as many facts as possible as a class. Provide children with the Sentence Cards and activity sheet. Children to imagine they are asking a Jewish person questions about their religion. Children to choose the correct sentence from the Sentence Cards to answer each one correctly. Encourage children to check their answers with a partner before sticking them down. They can use the Information Sheet to help them if they are unsure. Support: Teacher focus group. Extension: Provide children with Differentiated activity sheet. Using the Information Sheet, books and/ or the internet to help them, children to answer the questions as though they were a Jewish child describing their religion. that Judaism is one of the world s oldest religions? that Jews believe in one God? the main features of Judaism? Activity sheets Sentence Cards Domino Cards Information Sheet
the Jewish festival of Passover. Ask children to turn to a partner. Can you each name three facts about Judaism? Give children a few minutes to discuss their facts, then choose a few pairs to relay their facts to the rest of the class. Explain that over the next few lessons we will be finding out about some different Jewish festivals and celebrations. Do you know about any Jewish festivals? Invite children to share their ideas. Tell children that today we will be learning about the festival of Passover. Give children the background information about the story of Moses, then read the story together on the slides. Ask children to get into groups and give each group the Ten Plague Cards, Character Cards and twelve lolly sticks or art straws. Stick each of the Ten Plague Cards and Character Cards to a lolly stick or art straw to create a puppet. Children are then challenged in their groups to re-tell the story of the ten plagues of Egypt using their puppets. One or two children could narrate while the others use the puppets to re-tell the story. the story behind the Passover celebrations? the ways in which Passover is celebrated today? identify symbols associated with Passover? Ten Plague Cards Character Cards Blank Cards -) Lolly sticks or art straws Go through the information on the slides about how Jews celebrate Passover today. Show children the acrostic Freedom on the slides. As a class, complete the acrostic to portray how the Israelites would have felt about becoming free after having been slaves in Egypt.
the Jewish festival of Sukkot. Show children the picture of Moses on the slides. Can you remember what Moses did to help the Israelites? Children to think back to the story they read in Lesson 2 about the ten plagues of Egypt and being led out of slavery. What do you think happened to Moses and the Israelites after they left Egypt? Invite children to share their ideas, then go through the information on the slides. Explain that Jews remember the time when the Jews wandered the desert with a special festival called Sukkot. Go through the information about Sukkot on the slides and how it is celebrated. Explain that Jews remember that God is the only protection they need during Sukkot. How do you think you would feel sleeping in a sukkah for a week? What would you miss about being in your home? Invite children to share their ideas. Provide children with the Picture Cards and give them some time to discuss what they can see. Children to draw and label a picture of a sukkah, using the word bank to help. Extension: write a definition for each of the words in the word bank. Remind children that during the first two days of Sukkot, Jews are not permitted to do any work. This can even include things like driving a car, using anything electrical or writing. How do you think it might affect their lives over the two days? What might be good about not doing any work? What might be difficult about these things? Discuss ideas as a class. that the Israelites wandered the desert for forty years before reaching the Promised Land? why Jews celebrate Sukkot? the main features of Sukkot celebrations? Picture Cards
the festival of Purim. Tell children that today we will be finding out about the Jewish festival of Purim. During Purim, Jews remember the story of Esther. Introduce children to the four main characters in the story: Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes and Haman. Haman is the villain of the story and when Jews read Esther during Purim, they will boo, hiss and bang cymbals and other instruments when his name is said to block out his name. Tell children that they will be doing that today too! Provide children with percussion instruments and remind them to look out for Haman s name and only use the instruments when his name is said. Read the story of Esther together on the slides. Explain that Purim is one of the most fun Jewish festivals. It is often celebrated like a carnival. Go through the information on the slides about how Purim is celebrated. Ask children to get into groups of four and give each group one of the Mask Templates. One children from each group creates a mask for each of the four main characters of the story: Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes and Haman. Use other materials to create hair, crowns, facial features, etc. to their mask. Read the story through again, this time asking children to wear their masks so they act out the part of each character as the story is being read. Alternatively, children can act out the story in their groups. Remind children that one of the most important aspects of Purim is Jewish unity. Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people but Esther s bravery saved them. Explain that Jews will often send food gifts to other Jews as a symbol of friendship and community. Can you think of a time you did something nice for someone to let them know that you cared about them? What could you do today to make someone feel as though they are important to you? retell the main points from the story of Esther? Do children know why Purim is a joyous and important festival for Jews? the ways in which Purim is celebrated? Mask Templates Additional art materials
the festival of Hanukkah. What would you do if you believed something was wrong but you were forced to do it anyway? What if a teacher told you to be mean to your parents? Would you do it? What if someone ordered you to hit someone in the playground. Would you do it? Children to discuss their ideas. Tell children that today they will be finding out about the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. It is the story of Jewish people who refused to go against their beliefs, despite being faced with death if they refused. Read the story together on the slides. Go through the information about how Hanukkah is celebrated by Jews today, including the use of a hanukkiyah (menorah), dreidels and eating fried foods. Explain that the candles on a hanukkiyah represent God s light, as well as how people can spread God s light themselves by doing good things. On activity sheet, children to write eight good things they could do in the next week, one for each night of Hanukkah, then answer the question. Extension: further questions Explain that Hanukkah is a celebration that is very close to Christmas in terms of the calendar. What similarities can you think of between Christmas and Hanukkah? What differences can you think of? Give children some time to think of as many similarities and differences as they can. that Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights? retell the main points in the story of the Maccabees? the main features of the celebrations of Hanukkah? Activity sheets
the festival of Rosh Hashanah. What do you usually do on New Year s Eve? What does your family do? What do you do to celebrate the start of a new year? Invite children to share their ideas. Encourage children to think about any resolutions they might make. Explain that Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebration. Go through the information on the slides about the festival, how it is celebrated and some of the symbolism behind its traditions. Quiz Remind children that Rosh Hashanah starts the ten Days of Awe when Jews ask forgiveness for what they have done wrong. Children to think of four things they did wrong over the past year, draw a picture for each and decide who they will need to ask for forgiveness. Extension: children to describe what they can learn from each of their mistakes. that Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year festival? the ways in which Rosh Hashanah is celebrated? Do children understand what the Days of Awe are and relate this to things they have done wrong themselves? Activity sheets