Program of Studies
Middle School
Table of Contents Chicago Jewish Day School............................................................................................1
Our Mission........................................................................................................1 Our Vision...........................................................................................................1 Educational Philosophy Statement........................................................................................ 3 Developmental Overview..............................................................................................6 Academic Curriculum....................................................................................................7
Humanities..........................................................................................................8 Mathematics........................................................................................................9 Science............................................................................................................... 10 Hebrew and Judaic Studies................................................................................ 11 Jewish Life......................................................................................................... 14 Advisory............................................................................................................ 15 Arts Specialty..................................................................................................... 15 Technology........................................................................................................ 16 Co-Curricular Activities................................................................................... 16 Sample Scope and Sequence....................................................................................... 18 Sample Schedule........................................................................................................ 19
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Chicago Jewish Day School Educating our children in the richness of their past, the diversity of their present, and the possibilities for their future. Our Mission Chicago Jewish Day School creates for its students a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies. Our students develop a passion for learning and a strong sense of themselves as Jews and as human beings. We inspire our students to: • develop a strong Jewish identity through an integrated curriculum within a nurturing, stimulating, and creative environment • become a community of Jewish learners • respect and appreciate diversity • love Torah, Israel, Hebrew language, and prayer • be contributing, caring, and knowledgeable members of our community, our country, and the world
Our Vision Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs. Students learn a rich system of Jewish values, which stresses the practice of mitzvot and the development of ethical character. Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning. Chicago Jewish Day School serves the entire Jewish community and is a leader in promoting togetherness, cooperation, and respect across all Jewish denominations. Our educational approach appreciates and affirms differences in Jewish philosophy and background and values the range of Jewish religious practices among its students. At Chicago Jewish Day School, Jewish tradition informs our curriculum, calendar, celebrations, and daily schedule. We are committed to transmitting an in-depth knowledge of sacred Jewish texts and rituals, tradition and customs, and Jewish history. Our students gain fluency in reading, speaking, and understanding Hebrew language and literature, both classical and modern.
Mission and Vision
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Students also discover how to have a significant and joyful relationship with God, how to pray as a Jew, and to appreciate the centrality of Israel — the people and the land. Through this knowledge and experience, our students build meaningful Jewish lives. We are equally dedicated to excellence in our General Studies program, encompassing language arts, mathematics, social and natural sciences, the humanities, and technology. Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience. Faculty, students, and parents are strongly encouraged to participate in activities that improve the world and promote justice, peace, compassion, and respect. Our school operates as a community of learners with students, teachers, and families all partaking in the educational process. Our teachers and school staff care deeply about the school, the children with whom they work, and Jewish education. They understand and embrace the school’s mission, adopting and supporting the principles we value as a school community. Because we believe that students are inspired by adults who appreciate learning and who pursue their own emotional, intellectual, and religious growth, the school encourages and provides ongoing educational opportunities for teachers, parents, and all community members. Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment that fosters the kind of trust and warmth that lets students take risks and rise to challenges. Such an environment allows each student to shine, to strive for personal excellence, and to develop a strong sense of self as a human being and as a Jew.
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Middle School Program of Studies
Educational Philosophy Statement At Chicago Jewish Day School we educate children to think clearly and deeply, to gain knowledge and acquire judgment, and to respect diversity. We are committed to developing critical thinking and socially engaged intelligence that enables each individual to understand and participate effectively in the affairs of their community, country, Israel, and the world at large in a collaborative effort to achieve a common good. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive for learning to be authentic and meaningful and to inspire a passion for life-long learning. This document defines our vision of excellence in education.
Deep Understanding At Chicago Jewish Day School, we focus our teaching around thinking, stressing knowledge over information. Our inquiry-based curriculum encourages a curious, questioning and critical stance and develops a deepening understanding of important ideas. Facts and skills are important in a context and for a purpose. We challenge students by inviting them to think deeply about the issues that matter, helping them understand ideas from the inside out, and making connections between ideas and concepts. Students can then actively use these insights to apply what they have learned to their daily lives, expand understanding and even take action. Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning.*
Active and Experiential Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, curriculum is authentic and meaningful. Students understand that what they learn in school is applicable to the broader outside world. Learning is integrated between the disciplines to demonstrate to students how ideas span the different content areas. Students play a vital role in formulating the questions, seeking out and creating answers, thinking through possibilities, and evaluating how successful they have been. Students’ own questions are truly valued and integral to the learning process. Learning is a matter of constructing ideas rather than passively absorbing information or practicing skills.
Educational Philosophy Statement
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Student-Centered Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, we take our cue from the students — and are particularly attentive to student individuality. The question, “What is best for the student?” is at the core of all decisions. Each student is unique. Therefore, policies as well as learning and behavioral expectations are established in a broad manner that allows for individualized decision-making that reflects our respect for the individual student and his/her needs. We celebrate the developmental stages of learning and provide for each student’s unique timetable for unfolding his/her abilities. Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs.*
Intrinsic Motivation At Chicago Jewish Day School, we offer our students more choices — and more responsibilities. Our educational policies and practices are driven by the central question, “What is the effect on students’ interest in learning, their desire to continue reading, thinking, and questioning?” This question helps to determine what students will and won’t be asked to do. Our goal is for each student to leave Chicago Jewish Day School with a passion for learning along with the academic tools they need to be life-long learners.
Social Justice (Tikun Olam) “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” –rabbi hillel
A sense of community and responsibility for oneself and others isn’t confined to the classroom; indeed, students are helped to explore how they fit into widening circles of care that extend beyond self, beyond friends, beyond their own religious/denominational group, and beyond their own country. Opportunities are offered not only to learn about, but also to put into action, a commitment to diversity and to improving the lives of others. Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience.*
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Middle School Program of Studies
Collaboration The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interactions. At Chicago Jewish Day School children learn with and from one another in a caring community in both social as well as academic learning. Interdependence counts at least as much as independence. We help learners engage with ideas and drive each other’s thinking — to build knowledge, to care and to act.
Play Children learn through play. They must be active participants in the construction of knowledge and need concrete experiences to shape thoughts and concepts. Teachers provide materials and an enriched environment so that children can be challenged and totally involved in play. The teachers pose questions and elicit answers among the students to expand the experience, thus guiding in the discovery of knowledge and facilitation of play.
Attending to the Whole Child At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe in educating the whole child — taking into account the social, emotional, academic, spiritual, physical, and creative needs of a student. We are concerned with helping children become good learners and furthermore good people. Our social and academic learning are intertwined and each one enhances the other. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we set the tone and atmosphere for students to learn outside of their comfort zone and take risks as part of the learning process. Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment which fosters the kind of trust and warmth that encourages students to take risks and rise to challenges.* *Excerpt from Chicago Jewish Day School Mission and Vision statement.
Resources http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/progressive.htm Inquiry Circles, Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
Educational Philosophy Statement
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Developmental Overview For all of their famous rebelliousness, middle school students are filled with excitement for new ideas. A short talk with a Grade Six Cubs (or White Sox) fan about team statistics or a Grade Eight student about the latest music is enough to convince anyone that adolescents are enthusiastic about the things that are meaningful to them. A tremendous amount of physical, cognitive and emotional growth occurs between the ages of eleven and fourteen. Changing bodies, shifting relationships and the development of abstract thought are an integral part of early adolescence as students struggle to develop their identities. Our Chicago Jewish Day School middle school program is designed to address the needs, aptitudes, and interests of our Grade Six through Eight students, as well as ensuring that our older students remain integral and involved in our entire school. Our middle school guides students through the transition from upper elementary to middle school, putting into place the foundation needed for high school readiness. Another shift when students reach the upper grades is the transformation of morning meeting into an advisory program. Advisory is designed to offer students a consistent, dependable opportunity to get to know themselves and each other, with additional programming to meet the social and emotional needs of young adolescents.
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Middle School Program of Studies
Academic Curriculum The middle school at Chicago Jewish Day School is committed to offering a rich, integrated curriculum in a nurturing, stimulating, creative environment. When you visit our middle school, you will see our students actively, enthusiastically, and energetically engaged in all of their studies and activities. As you walk from classroom to classroom, you might hear students engaged in a discussion on “What makes us who we are?� during a lesson on early American History; delving into the Rabbinical response to poverty through studying Mishnah, creating games of probability for a carnival, creating a bridge and testing its strength and ability to carry load, or reading an online Hebrew magazine. One significant change in the middle school program from that of the lower grades is that subject classes become departmentalized with a dedicated teacher for each core subject. Our upper-grade teachers have specialized knowledge of particular content areas such as science, mathematics, social studies, and language arts. Our middle school faculty works as an interdisciplinary team made up of humanities, science, mathematics, Hebrew language, Judaic Studies, art, music, and drama specialists. The team works together to create a dynamic curriculum which is exploratory and challenging and incorporates student-generated questions and concerns. The curriculum is guided by the Common Core Standards to determine age-appropriate content and skills. The middle school team develops these basic concepts and skills into studentcentered, inquiry-based interdisciplinary units designed for the distinctive nature of young adolescents.
Academic Curriculum
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Humanities Our middle school humanities program is an integrated study of language arts, social studies, history, and literature. The class meets for eight periods a week to engage in an in-depth study of Ancient History (Grade Six) and American History (Grades Seven and Eight) as well as a concurrent language arts program based on the Readers and Writers Workshop approach of Lucy Calkins. Our humanities curriculum is a multifaceted learning experience. Lessons start with a big idea — Essential Question — and incorporate note taking, group work, and step-by-step discovery. Students are the center of instruction that taps into a variety of learning styles, allowing students of all abilities to learn and succeed. We routinely draw from our humanities content to create interdisciplinary units integrating mathematics, science, Judaic Studies, and Hebrew. Students grapple with a wide range of fiction, non-fiction texts as well as original documents, some of which may include: • Original Documents including The U.S. Constitution • The Epic of Gilgamesh version by Brenda Bryson • Night by Elie Wiesel • Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes • Leveled Independent Reading • First French Kiss Adam Bagdassarian • 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose Example from a Middle School Humanities Course
American History Course This course is designed to expose students to the diverse voices found in early American history through the integration of social studies, art, and literature. Within this course, an emphasis is placed on close reading and critical writing skills which students utilize when analyzing the varying perspectives presented and consider how to make connections to today’s world. Overall Course Objectives: • Students will interpret text and write a critical analysis of primary/secondary documents or literary elements. • Students will write a thesis and cite evidence to support their claims. • Students will craft clear and structured writing. • Students will learn to develop a focused argument, research and acknowledge counterclaims.
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Middle School Program of Studies
Mathematics Our mathematics curriculum centers on solving real-life problems that require thinking, planning, reasoning, computing, and evaluating. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe a problem-centered curriculum helps students obtain a deep understanding of mathematics. Our time is spent exploring varied mathematical situations, reflecting on solution methods, examining why the methods work, comparing methods, and relating methods to those used in previous situations. Our mathematics curriculum is based upon the following tenants: • Depth of learning: As students explore a series of connected problems, they cultivate an understanding of the embedded ideas. With the aid of the teacher, students develop abstract powerful mathematical ideas, problem-solving strategies, and ways of thinking. They learn mathematics and learn how to learn mathematics. • Algebra and Geometry integration: Students are encouraged to integrate Algebra and Geometry skills into real-world contexts and problems, allowing them to practice mathematical concepts, ideas, and procedures to reach a level of urgency that allows them to “think” with the ideas in new situations. • Developing positive habits of work: Students develop positive work habits by learning to persevere, contribute to group tasks, and follow tasks to completion. These valuable skills are used in nearly every career. To assess work habits, it is important to ask questions, such as “Are the students able to organize and summarize their work?” and “Are the students progressing in becoming independent learners?” Example from a Middle School Math Course
Algebra Course Unit: Quadratic Relationships • Use tables, graphs, and equations to model and solve quadratic functions. • Determine and identify the x- and y-intercepts, maximum, minimum, and line of symmetry of a quadratic function on a graph. • Compare linear, quadratic, and exponential functions. • Use the distributive property to write equivalent quadratic expressions in expanded and factored form
Academic Curriculum
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Science In Grades Six, Seven, and Eight, students learn the way scientists learn, exploring relevant questions and challenges, reading about scientific discoveries, investigating, experimenting, gathering evidence, and forming explanations. Students collaborate to find answers and to share their learning in a variety of ways. Asking questions and seeking answers are at the heart of scientific inquiry. Following the steps of scientific inquiry, students learn how to gather evidence, review and understand their findings, and compare their solutions with those of others. They learn that there can be differing solutions to the same problem, some more useful than others. In the process, they learn and apply scientific principles. They also learn to be objective in deciding whether their solutions meet specifications and perform as desired. Students study in depth units in chemistry, biology, and earth science. Our project-based science curriculum involves students investigating scientific content and learning science practices in the context of the world around them. Early activities introduce students to a challenge and help them to generate issues that need to be investigated, making inquiry a student-driven endeavor. Students investigate as scientists would — through observations, designing, and running experiments, designing, building, and running models, reading written material, and so on, as appropriate. Throughout each project, students use computer tools, online simulations, digital measuring devices that support their efforts in observation, experimentation, modeling, analysis, and reflection. Teachers support and guide the student inquiries by framing the guiding challenge or question, presenting crucial lessons, managing the sequencing of activities, and eliciting and steering discussion and encouraging collaboration among the students. At the completion of a project, students publicly exhibit what they have learned, along with their solutions to the specific challenge. Personal reflection to help students learn from the experience is embedded in student activities, as are opportunities for assessment. Example from a Middle School Science Course
General Overview of the Course: What is the origin of the matter and resources, and how are humans impacting the natural world? Unit: Chemistry of Matter • How are physical and chemical changes used to identify matter? • How does the atomic structure of elements affect their chemical properties? • How are plastics, aluminum, and glass made, and what are their physical and chemical properties? • What is the life cycle of plastic, aluminum, and glass bottles?
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Middle School Program of Studies
Overall Course Objectives: • Observe a phenomenon and be able to construct questions that lead to scientific research. • Demonstrate knowledge and proper use of scientific equipment. • Knowledge and utilization of engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to find solutions to global issues.
Hebrew and Judaic Studies Beginning in Grade Six, our Judaic Studies and Hebrew learning is divided into two separate classes each with a separate teacher: one for Hebrew language and one for Judaic Studies. Hebrew
Our middle school Hebrew language class offers a time to concentrate on Modern Hebrew language. Starting in Grade Five, students begin the Bishvil HaIvrit program. Bishvil HaIvrit is a dynamic Hebrew language curriculum designed by language curriculum specialists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is administered by the Hebrew Teachers College in Boston. Bishvil HaIvrit focuses on modern, conversational Hebrew. “Lessons are centered on themes of interest to teenagers, ranging from computers and sports to friendship and freedom. Each theme is presented from three perspectives: Jewish tradition, modern Israeli culture and general world knowledge, including art, science, mathematics, literature and philosophy. Each unit of study incorporates art, music, prose, poetry, news articles and Jewish texts, in layers of language ranging from biblical Hebrew to current scientific Hebrew terminology and common colloquialisms.” The Bishvil HaIvrit curriculum offers students the ability to engage with the Hebrew language through the following mediums: • Audio and video clips embedded in digital books • Interactive student exercises • Everyday conversations • Independent reading opportunities
Academic Curriculum
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Judaic Studies
Our Judaic Studies classes differ from our lower school in that our older students are offered more opportunities to grapple with complex concepts as the students become more abstract thinkers. Students in Grade Six through Grade Eight study Tanakah (Bible), Toshba (Rabbinic text and Jewish tradition) and Jewish history. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we teach our students to see Judaism as an evolving civilization that has interacted with other communities throughout history. We also address the development of different ways of living a Jewish life. We examine the following big idea: Judaism is an ongoing conversation that demands that we must learn from our rabbinic ancestors and contemporary commentators and then speak for ourselves. Tanakh (Bible) The Tanakh is the formative narrative of the Jewish people. The study of Tanakh at Chicago Jewish Day School is both thematic and skills-based study. Students learn to decode the text and ask big questions such as, “How does a people evolve from slavery to Peoplehood?,” “What can we learn by examining different leadership styles in Tanakh?,” and “How do we operate as a minority or majority and how does that impact the way we treat the ‘other’?” Students will study major narratives from the Five Books of Moses, Joshua, the Scroll of Ruth, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and learn Parshat HaShavua (the weekly Torah portion). Students will: • Become independent and literarily astute readers of the biblical text in Hebrew • Understand the interplay between the pshat (literal) and drash (interpretive) readings of the text • Develop familiarity with different parshanim (interpreters) and study ancient, Rabbinic, and modern modes of interpretation • Develop an appreciation for the sacredness of Tanakh • Build personal meaning to the text • Develop a love of Torah study for its own sake
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Middle School Program of Studies
Toshba (Rabbinic Text and Jewish Tradition) Toshba classes start in Grade Six as we introduce our students to a long tradition of text-oriented legal and philosophical studies. As they learn rabbinic texts, students develop habits of mind for openness to diverse ideas, creative thinking, and a way of life guided by moral standards in a respectful and diverse learning environment. Students will study mishnayot (paragraphs of the Mishna) and sugyot (discussions of the Talmud) from tractates Brachot, Megillah, Bava Kamma, and Eduyot. In Grade Eight, students will become familiar with post-Talmudic codes of Jewish Law, such as Maimonides’ Mishna Torah and Yosef Karo’s Shulchan Aruch. Students will: • Develop an understanding of the structure and the argumentation of the Mishna (Oral Torah) and of the Gemara (Talmud). • Understand that the Gemara relates to larger ethical, practical, and spiritual concerns, and that these studies are relevant to the lives they lead today. • Strengthen skills in considering and discussing respectfully a wide range of viewpoints. Jewish History Our history classes are designed to involve our students deeply and personally in the flow of the history of the Jewish people. Students begin their study with the birth of our People and monotheism; and continue through such topics as the Roman domination of Judea, Rabbinic Judaism, Medieval Europe, the Sephardic Diaspora, emancipation, Judaism in the modern world, and the creation of the State of Israel. Students will read The History of the Jewish People by Jonathan Sarna and Jonathan Krasner as well as primary sources from each historical milieu they study. In addition, students will ‘live’ Jewish history through their participation in the Jewish Courts of All Times as they become important figures in Jewish history in an online simulation. Students will: • Grasp the historical narrative of the Jewish people — it’s past and present and how it informs the Jewish future. • Understand the role of the individual and the communal in the shaping of the ethical character and religious practices of the Jewish people. • Understand and value that the Land of Israel informs and shapes the historical, theological, and sociological experiences of the Jewish people.
Academic Curriculum
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Jewish Life Our Middle School is a Jewish community which learns and celebrates together in rich, diverse, and meaningful ways. Alongside our Hebrew and Judaic Studies classes, we experience tefillah (prayer) together and mark ritual, holidays and milestones with a joyful, immersive, and accepting spirit. Jewish life at Chicago Jewish Day School respects and honors our shared heritage and our families’ diverse practices. Tefillah (Prayer) Jewish prayer, the central spiritual practice of the Jewish people, is a significant part of one’s individual relationship to the Divine and a powerful way to build community. Chicago Jewish Day School is committed to developing daily prayer services that are both educationally and spiritually meaningful. We model diverse visions of tefillah where students and teachers of different backgrounds, commitments and beliefs can fulfill their religious obligations and/or nurture their minds and souls in ways that are compelling to them. Chicago Jewish Day School students take responsibility for leading tefillot. They serve as shlihei tzibbur (leader of the congregation/chazzan), gabbaim (people who run the service) and Torah readers. In addition, students give divrei Torah, teach each other tefillah skills and lead group-wide activities. Students will: • Experience a warm tefillah environment. • View tefillah as a means to connect to the Divine through words and melodies. • Learn keva (fixed words and order of the prayers) and create kavannah (intentionality) around the prayers. • Understand the underlying philosophy and meaning of tefillot • Develop multi-denominational literacy through studies and discussions on a diverse range of siddurim (prayer books). • Hone leadership skills for conduction synagogue services. Chagim (Holiday Celebrations) Our students learn the key concepts and historical background of each holiday. They learn the customs and mitzvot (practices), special b’rachot (blessings), and liturgy for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays as they celebrate them with their class and with the school community. Middle school students partner with staff to create meaningful, joyful celebrations for themselves and younger students.
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Middle School Program of Studies
Tikun Olam (Repairing the World) Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of tikun olam into every aspect of the school experience. Throughout the school day, students learn about their communities and the world’s needs and are challenged to respond to those needs through ahava habriut (love of God’s creations), tzedek (justice), and chesed (righteousness). Middle school students have created and implemented successful fundraisers, community drives, visited the elderly, and volunteered in local food pantries and soup kitchens. Graduates of Chicago Jewish Day School go on to their next level of study with a degree of literacy, possessing the skills to lead a tefillah (prayer) service, read from the Torah, interpret our ancient texts, and speak Hebrew. Our graduates continue to participate in and lead their Jewish communities.
Advisory Our advisory program for our upper grades is a continuation of The Responsive Classroom approach we use in our lower grades and our belief that when children feel understood, safe, valued, and respected, they learn to value and respect others which benefits them emotionally as well as academically. Advisory offers students a consistent, dependable opportunity to get to know themselves and each other through intellectually challenging games, activities and discussions. We use this time to specifically address the social and emotional issues of young adolescents such as identity-formation, coping with change, emerging sexuality, the influence of popular culture, as well as the academic issues of developing good study and organizational habits. Each grade has an advisor who remains with them for their three years of middle school and facilitates their advisory period. We also invite community organizations in for workshops and presentations. For example, recently Chicago Women’s Health Clinic presented a program on puberty, sexuality and sexual health combined with discussions on Jewish values for our Grades Seven and Eight and a series of workshops centered around the issues of self-esteem lead by the Response Center for our Grade Six.
Arts Specialty We designed our arts program to be an integral, integrated part of all of our learning. Our program is an integrated music, art, Hebrew and drama experience culminating in a middle school play. This course meets for an hour and a half weekly and explores the concepts of theme, physical space, movement, group work and performance. The students create scenery and props, learn music and lyrics, as well as choreography and staging. Students are encouraged to add individual elements such as individual instrumentals, original dances and creative props.
Academic Curriculum
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Technology Chicago Jewish Day School technology education program is centered on providing students with learning tools that are accessed throughout the day to support and augment their achievement of learning objectives in all classes. As students become increasingly literate and responsible in the digital sphere, they will develop computational thinking, problem-solving, and acquire transferable technological skills. Our goal is to prepare our students to become digital citizens of the world and to prepare our students to use technology to go forward, better themselves, and to better the world around them. Middle school students build on strategies and techniques from earlier years to elevate their learning process. Within their individual classes, students enhance their technological skills by utilizing a variety of tools for their learning and assessment. Starting in Grade Six, students demonstrate an understanding of the obligations to each other and their devices that come with a 1:1 Chromebook environment. With the increased availability of their devices, students are continuously engaging with and learning from digital interactions and collaboration that go beyond the school day. They are able to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.
Co-Curricular Activities Yearbook
Middle school students can voluntarily participate in creating the school yearbook. With this project, students gain authentic opportunities to practice various literacy skills including digital, visual, and textual, and they take ownership over an important project that is distributed to the entire Chicago Jewish Day School community. Once assigned their pages, students decide content, choose photos, research, schedule appointments with teachers and students, and conduct interviews in order to create thematic pages. Finally, they go through the process of extensive editing and learn the importance of clean, concise work. The yearbook serves as an important real-world example of the writing process in action.
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Middle School Program of Studies
Experiential Learning
As in all grades, real-world connections are important and in these middle school years as students are becoming more critical thinkers, we want to ensure they see their learning at school is relevant and applicable to the world outside our classroom walls. With this in mind, we strive to create units and learning opportunities that tap into this age group’s strong convictions of right and wrong, just and unjust. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we feel it is a priority to introduce interaction between our students and the world around them and we encourage our students to find their own way to give back to the community.
Academic Curriculum
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Sample Scope and Sequence Humanities Topic: Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization • Reading: Building up Stamina • Writing: Personal Narratives Essential Question: What capabilities helped hominids survive? Integration: Technology — Google Earth, Judaic Studies, Science
Topic: Empires of Mesopotamia • Reading: Epic of Gilgamesh/ folk tales/legends • Writing: Hero Stories
Science
Hebrew
Topic: Earth Science How Does Water Shape Our World? Water cycle and rock cycle interact to shape the landforms that are unique to each of these areas — phases of water, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, reservoirs. The rock cycle is supported by the ideas of rock types, weathering, erosion, deposition, and rock reformation.
Prayer Topic: Weekday Amidah Topic: Shapes and Colors Essential Question: How do we describe our world in Hebrew?
Integration: Ancient Israelites, Technology — Sketch Up Pyramids
Tanach Topic: Book of Numbers (Matok Curriculum) Essential Question: How do the challenges the Israelites face in the desert affect them as a nation? Topic: Biology How can knowledge of genetics help feed the world? Cells, genes, DNA, evolution and natural selection
Topic: Mood and Weather
Essential Question: How did democracy develop in ancient Greece?
Topic: Ancient Israel — 1880’s Early Israel, Hellenism, Roman Rule, Babylonian Period, Sepahardic Jewry, Life in Poland and the Enlightenment. Essential Question: How have the Jewish people responded to change?
Topic: Bit and Pieces I — Understanding Rational Numbers • move among fractions decimals, and percents • compare and order rational numbers; equivalence
Topic: Shapes and Designs: Two-Dimensional Geometry • regular and non-regular polygons • special properties of triangles Algebra Topic: Bits and Pieces II — Understanding Fraction Operations • understanding and skill with addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication of fractions
Topic: Covering and Surrounding — Two-Dimensional Measurement • area and perimeter relationship • area and perimeter of circles Algebra Topic: Bits and Pieces III — Computing with Decimals and Percents • understanding and skill with addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication of decimals • solving percent Algebra
Social Studies and Prayer Topic: Chemistry How can you improve air quality in your community? Matter, states of matter, atomic theory, bonding, the Periodic Table of the Elements.
Integration: Technology, Science
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Algebra
Geometry Jewish History I
Essential Question: What do Shang artifacts reveal about this civilization?
Topic: Ancient Greece • Reading: The Odyssey • Writing: Individual Projects
Topic: Prime Time — Factors and Multiples • number theory • factors • multiples • prime, composites • prime factorization
Geometry
Topic: Ancient China • Reading: Non-Fiction Research/Folktales • Writing: Non-Fiction Research
Integration: Technology — Research Presentations
Essential Question: What do the blessings of the weekday Amidah say about our relationship with God?
Integration: Humanities
Integration: Technology, Judaic Studies, Science
Essential Question: How did social class affect daily life in ancient Egypt?
Mathematics Algebra
Essential Question: Why do historians classify ancient Sumer as a civilization?
Topic: Ancient Egypt • Reading: Historical Fiction • Writing: Historical Fiction
Judaic Studies
Middle School Program of Studies
Topic: Memories Essential Question: What are our memories?
Topic: Jewish Response to Hunger and Poverty/ Birkat HaMazon Essential Question: What are our obligations to the poor and how can we fulfill these obligations today? How is gratitude expressed in Jewish tradition? Integration: Humanities (the development of civilizations)
Topic: How Likely Is it? Probability • reason about uncertainty, calculate experimental and theoretical probabilities • equally-likely and non-equallylikely outcomes Algebra Topic: Data About Us — Statistics • formulate questions • gather, organize, represent, and analyze data; • interpret results from data; • measures of center and range
Sample Schedule Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
7:45–8:00 am
Arrival
Arrival
Arrival
Arrival
Arrival
8:00–8:50 am Period 1
Math
Math
Math
Math
Judaic Studies
8:53–9:43 am Period 2
Havdallah/ Advisory
T’fillah/ Advisory
T’fillah/ Advisory
Torah Service
Science
9:46–10:36 am Period 3
Judaic Studies
Judaic Studies
Humanities
Judaic Studies
Math
10:39–11:29 am Period 4
Humanities
Humanities
Arts Specialty (Drama, Art and Music)
Science
Humanities
11:32 am– 12:22 pm Period 5
Science
Humanities/ Technology
Arts Specialty (Drama, Art and Music)
Humanities
Hebrew
12:25–1:15 pm Period 6
Lunch/Recess
Lunch/Recess
Lunch/Recess
Lunch/Recess
Lunch/Recess
1:15–1:30 pm Bus to Lower School
1:18–2:08 pm Period 7
Hebrew
Hebrew
Hebrew
Hebrew
1:30–1:40 pm All School Kabbalat Shabbat
2:11–3:20 pm Period 8
Humanities
Physical Education
Science
Physical Education
1:45–2:15 pm Mishpachot
3:22–3:30 pm
Dismissal
Dismissal
Dismissal
Dismissal
2:20–2:30 pm Dismissal
Sample Schedule
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3730 North California Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60618 phone 773 271 2700 fax 773 271 2570 www.chicagojewishdayschool.org info@chicagojewishdayschool.org