Title of the Lesson: Where Do I Find Enduring Jewish Knowledge? Part One

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices. This is one of many lessons we will be sharing on teaching Judaic content, lesson planning, models of teaching, differentiated and individualized instruction and learning activities designed to transform the classroom into a Jewish community of cooperative learners. The title of this lesson is “Where Do I Find Enduring Jewish Knowledge? Since there are 13 elements in each lesson plan we will divide this lesson plan into three parts. Here is the first part of this lesson on finding enduring Jewish knowledge.

Title of Lesson: Where Do I Find Enduring Jewish Knowledge?

Enduring Jewish Knowledge Rationale for the Lesson: Enduring Jewish knowledge such as the Torah and the Talmud contain a body of wisdom that guides a person regarding how to lead a righteous and meaningful life.

Essential Question/s: What is enduring Jewish knowledge? How do I find enduring Jewish knowledge? What makes Jewish knowledge enduring? What Jewish knowledge is not enduring?

Assessment/s: (Initial, ongoing, and final activities designed to measure what the student has learned)

Students individually, in pairs, via classroom discussion and as a homework assignment discuss the answers to these essential questions. What is enduring Jewish knowledge? How do I find enduring Jewish knowledge? What makes Jewish knowledge enduring?

Objective/Learning Outcome: (What the student is supposed to learn from this lesson) In his or her own words, the student will be able to explain the procedures for finding enduring Jewish knowledge.

Name of the Active Learning Procedures: Rally Round and Nominal Brainstorming

Anticipatory Set: (Motivation activity that prepares students for the objective/ learning outcome)

Suggested Motivational Statement:

We know that enduring Jewish knowledge is the essential body of information that an educated Jewish person should possess. Today we will be discussing where this enduring Jewish knowledge can be found.

Introductory Activity: (Initial exercise to focus on the objective/learning outcome)

Invite your students to reflect and record their thoughts on these four questions: (1)Where does one find enduring Jewish knowledge? (2) Is it in the Torah? (3) Is it only in the Torah? (4) Is every word written in the Torah an example of enduring Jewish knowledge?

In the next post we will share part two of this three part lesson on finding enduring Jewish knowledge.