Jewish People: Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi
- SKU 25705
- UPC
Grades: 4-6 Though its usage may well be broader, this material was specifically designed to be used in fourth to sixth grade as a personality centered introduction to Jewish history. We know that many schools struggle with a problem of (a) knowing that research suggests that sequential history cannot really be studied until seventh or eighth grade, but (b) also knowing that if history is not taught in the fourth to the sixth-grade slot, many students will never have an opportunity to study it.
Therefore, what we have created is a series of “biographies” that tell individual stories in the context of background, that can be mastered during this period. Each of these units is designed to:
- Tell the story of a significant, influential, Jew
- Set that story in a specific historical period
- Expose students to the use of primary source material/texts
- Use the conflicts in our subject’s life for a source of values
- Provide tools for a review of key concepts
The individual biographies can be considered “quilting squares” and can be assembled in any fashion that the teacher or curriculum designer desires. They can be clustered within a historical period, gathered by theme, or sequenced o demonstrate a historical flow.
Life in Iberia (the Spanish/Portuguese peninsula) under the Muslim Caliphs was pretty good for the Jews. It was called the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. Some say it was almost as good as Jewish life in North America today. The Catholic Church and European royalty at that time did not like Jews or Judaism. The reasons are complex and frustrating. They involved economic competition, religious domination and a need for scapegoats, among many others.
*When you purchase this lesson you will be provided with a link to download the lesson. Make as many copies of this lesson as you need for your school and only your school. Materials that are downloaded are not returnable. The teachers' guide is not included.
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Jewish People: Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi