The rings represent members of an interfaith family joining together to celebrate their traditions while respecting the distinctiveness of each faith.
Grade 5:
Common Roots
By the end of the school year, students in the fifth grade will be able to: Fully understand that Jesus was a Jew and came out of the Jewish tradition, name another Jewish rabbi/teacher and describe his teachings, discuss what teachings Jesus brought from Judaism and what he changed and why, discuss how the Bible stories were affected by the times in which they were written, and begin to explore some of the spiritual elements of both faiths.
The fifth grade class first explores the 300 years before the birth of Jesus so students will understand the common historical roots of Judaism and Christianity. They then look at Jesus in his contemporary setting to gain an accurate understanding of the historical Jesus. This is followed by a study of Hillel to compare his teachings with the teachings of Jesus. Bible stories studied will include some of the following: Moses, Miriam, Deborah, John the Baptist, Isaiah, the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, Judges and Kings, and the Jewish Prophets. The students will also read a curriculum-related historical novel, The Bronze Bow. In this class students will continue to discuss the historical roots of the Bible and will be shown how stories written at different times have different themes and messages.