Grade 4

Overall Theme: Jewish Heroes

Texts Used: 
Mystery of the Coins, And God Cried Too

Derech Binah: The Hebrew Primer (Behrman House Publishers)

Highlights

The concept of “What is a hero, who is a hero, why are heroes so important?” is a year-long topic of study and discussion.  There are class debates among the students about the characteristics of a hero and specific heroes. Role models such as Moses, Noah, Abraham, and Joseph, as well as Holocaust survivors and more modern heroes are studied. As a culminating project, the students discuss what they have learned about themselves during the school year, what they plan to improve upon, and present their choice of a hero at the moving ahead ceremony.

The holiday customs and symbols are also reviewed in an age-appropriate way.  Some examples of projects are:

-Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippor – mitzvah quilt

-Sukkot – presentation of four seasons

-Chanukah – handcrafted menorah project