More than Hanukkah and the Holocaust: Teaching About Judaism in Elementary School

More than Hanukkah and the Holocaust: Teaching About Judaism in Elementary School

In this article, the author describes one way to teach about religion in elementary school social studies using the C3 Framework IDM model. The compelling question that guides the lesson focuses specifically on whether Judaism is a race, religion, or ethnicity. Each compelling and supporting question in the lesson is connected to one or more picture books that complicate student understandings of what it means to be Jewish. Students use these texts to develop answers to the questions. Throughout the lesson, students are asked to engage in formative performance tasks, but teachers are also encouraged to intentionally facilitate classroom discussions using structured discussion strategies.