Year Group

Year 3 (7–8 years old)
Class Size: 31 students
Duration: 45 minutes

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National Curriculum Links

Religious Education (RE) – Key Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)

• Understanding Christianity and other religions: Pupils should be taught to:
  • KS2 RE - Judaism: Understand the significance of key practices, festivals, and celebrations within Judaism, recognising how these shape Jewish identity and community.
  • Develop understanding of religious beliefs, teachings and sources, practices and ways of life, including how religious individuals and communities make sense of the world and respond to moral questions.

Specific Learning Objectives Addressed

• Recognise the structure and function of the Jewish calendar in community and religious life.
• Identify key cycles of time (week, month, year) in Judaism, including the significance of Hebrew dates.
• Understand how the Jewish calendar relates to important events and traditions, such as Shabbat and festivals.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Describe the basic structure of the Jewish calendar including the week, lunar month, and lunar-solar year.
2. Explain the significance of the Hebrew names for days and months.
3. Connect specific Hebrew dates to Jewish customs and festivals, including Shabbat.
4. Demonstrate understanding of how the Jewish calendar affects the rhythm of Jewish community life.

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Resources Needed

• Large visual display of the Jewish calendar (poster or projector slide)
• Printable mini Jewish calendars (one per pupil)
• Colourful sticky notes or labels with Hebrew day and month names
• Storybook or short video clip explaining Shabbat and one key festival (e.g., Rosh Hashanah)
• Flipchart or whiteboard and markers
• ‘Jewish Time and Traditions’ worksheet for reflection and assessment

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Lesson Plan Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather whole class for a brief engaging introduction:
  • Pose the question: “How do we know what day it is?” Explore how the class uses a calendar to know the date and special days (e.g., birthdays or holidays).
  • Show a modern UK calendar quickly to contrast with the Jewish calendar.
  • Introduce that the Jewish people use their own calendar, which looks different and works in special ways linked to their traditions.

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2. Teaching Input (10 minutes)

• Present the Jewish calendar visually, breaking down:
  • The week (7 days, focusing on the special day of Shabbat – the Sabbath).
  • The month, which follows the moon’s cycles (lunar month, approx. 29.5 days).
  • The year, which is lunar-solar, adjusting with extra months to stay aligned with the seasons.
• Show Hebrew names of the days and months; explain meanings briefly (e.g., "Shabbat" means rest).
• Highlight two special days: Shabbat (weekly day of rest) and a festival like Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).
• Use the story or video to bring one of these special days alive, illustrating how the calendar connects to Jewish life.

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3. Activity 1 – Calendar Assembly (15 minutes)

• Pupils receive mini Jewish calendar sheets with blank spaces for days and months.
• In pairs or small groups, children place sticky notes with Hebrew day and month names into the correct order.
• Support with visual reference poster and teacher guidance.
• After assembling the calendar, prompt them to identify when Shabbat happens each week and the approximate timing of a festival in the year.
• Encourage pairs to share one interesting fact about the Jewish calendar with another pair.

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4. Activity 2 – Reflect and Connect (10 minutes)

• Return to the carpet or seated desks. Hand out the ‘Jewish Time and Traditions’ worksheet containing simple questions:
  • Name the special day that happens every week.
  • What do we call the Jewish months?
  • Why does the Jewish calendar have a different way of counting months than the one we use?
  • What festival marks the Jewish New Year?
  • How does this calendar help the Jewish community remember important events?
• Pupils answer individually or with support.
• Collect worksheets for formative assessment.

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5. Plenary (5 minutes)

• Recap key learning points by asking:
  • What is special about the Jewish week? (Shabbat)
  • How is the Jewish month measured differently from ours? (by the moon)
  • Which holiday did we learn about today? (Rosh Hashanah or Shabbat as examples)
• Explain next lesson’s focus: exploring Jewish festivals throughout the year to see how the calendar continues to shape everyday community life.
• Praise all pupils for their teamwork and contributions.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of group calendar assembly activity and class discussions.
• Evaluate understanding via pupils’ completed worksheets to identify any misconceptions or gaps.
• Teacher notes to inform next two lessons in the unit.

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Differentiation

• Support: Pair less confident pupils with stronger peers during calendar assembly; provide visual word banks.
• Challenge: Encourage more able pupils to research or discuss why an extra month is added sometimes (the concept of leap month).
• Use multi-sensory approaches: visual, auditory (story/video), and kinesthetic (hands-on calendar activity).

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Literacy: Reading Hebrew words, storytelling about festivals.
• Maths: Understanding cycles of time, sequencing days and months.
• PSHE: Respect and appreciation for different cultures and religious practices.

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Teacher’s Reflection Notes

• Did pupils engage well with hands-on calendar building?
• Did the storytelling/video help explain abstract concepts like lunar months?
• Was the pace suitable for Year 3 understanding?
• Consider adding more interactive games with days/month names next time for reinforcement.

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This detailed lesson blends curriculum aims and creative activities to immerse Year 3 pupils in the lived experience of Jewish time, promoting empathy and cultural awareness while fulfilling National Curriculum outcomes.