INTRODUCTION
What is this curriculum about?
This curriculum focuses on Israel from a range of perspectives and utilizes a range of pedagogic techniques. It allows high school students to gain a broader and comprehensive study of many facets of Israeli life including its history, people and culture, the tensions both within Israel and in its relationship with others, and its place and significance for Jews worldwide. Furthermore, it assumes that in order to provide students with a meaningful study and encounter with Israeli life from a distance it is necessary to combine formal text study along with a wide variety of informal learning techniques such as video and audio presentations, engaging group discussions and assignments, simulations and role plays, interactive activities and moral dilemma discussions.
The Goal
The goal of this curriculum is for high-school students to become much more knowledgeable about and connected to the many facts, faces and facets of Israel, and more passionate and committed to making Israel an important part of their lives. It is also hoped that the knowledge, passion and commitment gained from this course will inspire students to participate in an organized Israel tour, preferably one designed specifically for these students by the Florence Melton Communiteen Mini-High.
The Rationale
This curriculum recognizes that studying “Israel” means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it means studying Zionist and Israeli history; for others it means studying Israeli culture and politics; for others it means studying Israeli wars and conflicts and yet for others it means studying the relationship between Israel and other Jewish communities. Instead of choosing one aspect of Israel over another we decided to divide the curriculum into 6 distinct units, each unit dealing with a different theme. Furthermore, the curriculum assumes that students who choose to learn about Israel, particularly if they are coming after school hours, are neither interested in, nor capable of, a rigorous text-based in-depth study of only one facet of Israel but are more likely to be stimulated by a broad-based approach and by a broad selection of engaging pedagogic techniques.
The Structure and Contents of the Curriculum
I. The curriculum is comprised of 26 lessons divided into 6 distinct units as well as 1 introductory and 1 concluding lesson (28 in all).
- “Roots” – explores the religious, national and historical foundations of Zionism (6 lessons)
- “People” – introduces some of the many faces and populations of Israeli society (3 lessons)
- “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” – focuses on the causes of the conflict, not the development of the conflict itself (5 lessons)
- “Culture” – offers insights into some of the prominent features and developments of Israeli culture (5 lessons)
- “Internal Conflicts and Debates” – deals with some of the key conflicts and debates that are taking place today within Israeli society (4 lessons)
- “Israel and Us” – addresses aspects of the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry (3 lessons)
These 6 units and their subunits are shown graphically in the Star of David curriculum outline.
II. The lessons are designed (with one exception) on the assumption that classes run 45-60 minutes.
III. Included in each lesson is a statement of the goal of the lesson, a list of the materials for the lesson which are included in the kit (such as video or audio tapes, maps, pictures, charts, etc.), a list of the materials that the teacher needs to provide (such as pens, paper, video and audio equipment), the texts or issues to be studied in the lesson and analyses of those texts or issues, a suggested lesson plan, and materials found in the kit.
IV. In addition to a Teacher’s Guide the curriculum includes a Student Reader which is a collection of the primary texts to be studied in the lesson, to the extent that the lesson revolves around text study. Since many lessons are not text-based there are many lessons not found in the Student Reader.
Using the Curriculum
Although the 6 units of the curriculum are separate and distinct, the curriculum is designed sequentially. The units should therefore be taught in the clockwise order in which they appear on the Magen David curriculum outline. While some units must be taught in their entirety before moving on to the next (such as “Roots” and the “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”), there are others in which the teacher may choose to alternate lessons between one unit and another. In two of the units – “Culture” and “Internal Conflicts and Debates” – it is recommended to alternate lessons, as some of the lessons within the units follow similar formats, and alternating between the units helps avoid potential tedium. In general, teachers should use their discretion in balancing the aims of the curriculum and the needs and interests of their students. This principle should be followed not just in determining the order of the lessons but in determining the flow of each lesson as well. Thus, although all the lessons include suggested lesson plans, teachers must use their discretion in deciding whether, and to what extent, they wish to follow these suggestions and to what extent they wish to create their own lesson plans.
Curriculum Outline
Roots
- Who Needs a Land Anyway?
- The Jewish People in Their Homeland: At Peace Or in Pieces?
- A Temple Like None Other: The Holy Temple in Jerusalem
- Exile From the Land: How Would We Survive?
- “It Is Difficult to Be a Jew”: One Example and a Few Key Solutions
- The Challenges of Creating a Jewish State in the Land of Israel
People
- The Many Faces of Israel
- Israeli Teens: Are They Like Us?
- What is it like to be an Israeli soldier?
Israel and the Palestinians
- How Did It All Begin?
- The Refugee Problem
- The Occupied Territories
- A (Different) Tour of Jerusalem
- What About the Children?
Culture
- Symbols of Israel
- Israelis Sing About Israeli Life
- Israeli Culture: Where Is It Headed?
- Some of Israel’s Extraordinary Achievements
- A Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration
Internal Conflicts and Debates
- The State of Israel: How Jewish Should It Be?
- What Should Be the Status of Israeli Arabs?
- What Price Should Israel Pay to Bring Home Its Captives?
- Soldiers Who Refuse To Serve In the Territories
Israel and Us
- Israel in Our Lives
- The Story of Alex
- What Can I Do for Israel?