Why is the Torah special? - The Complete Series (6 lessons)

Your class will find out about some of the features and practices of Judaism, explore some famous stories in the Torah, think about what it means to keep kosher and investigate how the Torah teaches and guides Jews in their daily lives.

This Torah KS1 lesson plan pack contains all the planning and resources you need to teach your class everything they need to know about Judaism. There are six detailed and easy-to-follow lesson plans with a corresponding slideshow presentation to lead you and your class through each teaching input. There are a range of differentiated activities to choose from and supporting printable materials, such as worksheets, story sheets, picture cards, and much more. All you have to do is download, teach and enjoy!

The first lesson in this series teaches your class what Judaism is and what Jews believe. They will be introduced to key vocabulary that will help them through the coming lessons, such as the synagogue, rabbi, Torah, and more. They will also read the story of the very first Jew, Abraham.

Your class will read the story of Moses together in this lesson as they find out about the origins of the Torah on Mount Sinai. They will also reflect on the Ten Commandments and rules they have to obey in their own lives.

Now that your class knows how the Torah began, they will explore how this special book is used by Jews today. They will learn about how Torah scrolls are written by hand, how the scrolls are treated and used in the synagogue, and how families use the Torah to worship at home. They can also have a go at making their very own scrolls!

This lesson teaches your class how stories in the Torah help Jews to learn about God. Looking specifically at the story of David and Goliath, your class will think about what the story shows about God and what Jews can learn from it.

Your class already knows that the Torah teaches Jews about how God wants them to live, but this lesson looks particularly about what the Torah says about food and eating. Your class will find out about foods that are kosher and foods that are non-kosher. They will then think about whether they would be able to eat their favourite meals if they were Jewish! Find out about kosher and non-kosher foods as outlined in the Torah.

There are lots of laws in the Torah about helping others and this lesson will help your class to find out about these rules and to think about how they help others themselves. They will find out about charitable giving and other ways in which Jews give their time and resources to help those who are less fortunate.