The youngest students at Temple Emanuel, ages 5-7, attend religious school on Sunday mornings from 9am—11am.
The prayer curriculum is developed based on mastery learning theory. Mastery learning suggests that every child can learn the content, but each does so at their own rate of speed. Therefore, instead of the teacher devoting a given amount of time to presenting a particular prayer, assessing the students, and then moving on, mastery learning recognizes that children will master the material at different rates of speed. If a student does not achieve mastery on the test, they are given additional support in learning and reviewing the information and then tested again. This cycle continues until the learner accomplishes mastery, and they may then move on to the next stage.
The curriculum of the K-2nd grade program is aligned closely with the mission statement of our religious school: To provide novel and thought-provoking materials that invite students to explore the Language, myths, narratives, Laws, Symbols, Rituals, art, music, and ethical teachings that shape Jewish identity.
A well aligned curriculum is guided by a common framework of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and learning climate that are pursued over a sustained period of time. See K-2nd grades below:
| Sacred Texts – Torah | Holidays | Life Cycle / Synagogue | Israel | Values / Ethical Teachings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Sefer Torah, yad | Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah, Hanukkah, Purim;
Blessings: Hamotzi Vocabulary: bracha, challah, lulav, Sukkah, Shabbat shalom, Shanah Tovah |
Torah, Rabbi, Cantor, kippa, tallit | Eretz YIsrael, chalav, d’vash | Todah (thank you) and slichah (asking for forgiveness) |
| Myths/Narratives and Stories | Creation story, Adam and Eve | Moses’s birth, burning bush, plagues, Maccabees defeat Greeks and cleanse Temple, Esther saves the Jewish people | Field of Brotherly – #514 (Jewish Story Finder) | ||
| Laws | |||||
| Symbols | See Holiday Symbol Scope and Sequence | Israeli Flag | |||
| Rituals | Reading the Torah each week, reading Torah with a yad, standing when the Torah is removed from and returned to the Ark | Sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, fasting on Yom Kippur, asking for forgiveness, building ancing with Torah, lighting Hanukiyah, reading Megillah, Passover Seder, Shabbat Rituals – candles, wine, and challah | Wearing a kippah when praying; wearing a tallit when praying in the morning. | ||
| Art/Music | Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe | Bim Bam | Eretz Zavat Chalav |
| Sacred Texts – Torah | Holidays | Life Cycle / Synagogue | Israel | Values / Ethical Teachings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Review Language from kindergarten; Introduce the following new vocabulary: Sofer, parshat hashavuah, brit | Review Language from kindergarten;
Introduce the blessing for wine; Add the following new vocabulary: Teshuvah, Tzedakah, etrog, Kiddush, Sivivon, mishloach manot, matzah |
Review Language from kindergarten; Introduce the following new vocabulary: Aron Kodesh, Mezuzah, Ner Tamid, Siddur | Review Language from kindergarten; Introduce the following new vocabulary: yama, keidmah, tzfonah, negba | Review Language from kindergarten; Introduce the following new vocabulary: Teshuva (Becoming your best self); Tzedakah (caring for those in need); Hachnasat Orchim (welcoming visitors) |
| Myths/Narratives and Stories | Noah and the flood, Abraham and Sarah, Birth of Isaac, Esau and Jacob
The Giant Og and the Ark (#71 – The Jewish Story Finder) |
Joseph and his coat of many colors, Review Moses’ birth, burning bush, and plagues | Lekh l’kha – Genesis 12:1-3: God calls Abram to leave his home and go where God will lead him;
Genesis 13:14-17 – God commands Abraham to walk through the land |
Hachnasat Orchim (Welcoming visitors)
Genesis 18:1-15–Abraham welcomes the strangers to his tent. |
|
| Laws | Deut. 6:9 (Command to put a mezuzah on our doorposts as a reminder of God’s love and Laws. | Tzedakah (Caring for the poor) – Deut. 15:11 – you shall open your hand to the poor. | |||
| Symbols | See Holiday Symbol Scope and Sequence | Review Symbols from kindergarten: Introduce the following: menorah | |||
| Rituals | Review kindergarten Rituals | Review Kindergarten Rituals; Add the following: Tashlich, Reciting the bedtime Shema, Tu B’shevat Seder, Mishloach manot, four questions, | Baby naming | ||
| Art/Music | Hinei Mah Tov, Sivivon Sof Sof Sof | Craft project – making a class Torah and Aron Kodesh | Ufaratzta |
| Sacred Texts – Torah | Holidays | Life Cycle / Synagogue | Israel | Values / Ethical Teachings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Review Language from kindergarten and first grades; Introduce the following new vocabulary: mitzvot, Kadosh, Am YIsrael | Review Language from kindergarten and first grades; Introduce the blessing for candles; Add the following new vocabulary: Chag sameach, nes gadol haya sham, shamash, Pesach, Haggadah, Afikoman | Review Language from kindergarten and first grades; Introduce the following new words: tefillah, minyan, chupah | Review Language from kindergarten and first grades: Introduce the following new words: Yom ha’Atzmaut, degel, magen David | Review Language from first grade; Introduce the following new words: Gemilut Chasadim (acts of kindness), Avodah (worship God) |
| Myths/Narratives and Stories | Eliezer meets Rebecca at the well, Jacob marries Leah and Rachel | Review Joseph and his brothers; review Moses’ birth, burning bush, and plagues; Introduce Moses and Bnai YIsrael at Mt. Sinai | Review content from kindergarten and first grades; Introduce God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:1-8;
The Wisdom Bird: Solomon and Sheba (The Jewish Story Finder) |
||
| Laws | |||||
| Symbols | See Holiday Symbol Scope and Sequence | Review Symbols from first grade; Introduce the following: magen david, hoopoe | |||
| Rituals | Review kindergarten and first grade Rituals. | Review first grade Rituals; Add the following: Havdalah ceremony,
Preparing the Seder plate, Reciting the plagues at the Seder, Searching for the Afikoman, |
Marriage ceremony | ||
| Art/Music | Am Yisrael Chai |
| Kindergarten | First | Second | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosh Hashanah | Apples/honey | Apples/honey, Shofar | Shofar, Book of Life |
| Yom Kippur | Round challah | Round challah, Bow and arrow/miss the mark | Bow and arrow/miss the mark, Potter’s wheel |
| Sukkot/Simhat Torah | Sukkah | Sukkah, Lulav/Etrog | Lulav/Etrog, Cornucopia |
| Shabbat | Candles, Challah | Candles, Challah, Kiddush cup | Kiddush cup, Tzedakah box |
| Hanukkah | Hanukiyah, Latkes | Hanukiyah/Latkes, Dreidel | Dreidel, Light |
| Tu B’shevat | Buds on trees, Spring | Buds on trees, Trees/roots/fruit | Trees/roots/fruit, Aytz Chaim/Torah |
| Purim | Masks, Graggers, Hamentaschen | Masks, Graggers, Hamentaschen, Gifts to Needy | Masks, Graggers, Hamentaschen, Gifts to the Needy, Megillah |
| Pesach | Matzah | Matzah, Seder Plate, Haggadah | Haggadah, Seder Plate, Haroset, Maror |
| Yom Ha’atzmaut | Israeli flag | Israeli flag, Israeli foods | Israeli flag/foods, Menorah |
