Rosh Chodesh & Chagim

Overview

This 45-minute lesson helps Year 3 students understand Rosh Chodesh, the Jewish new month, and its connection to the Chagim (Jewish festivals). Students explore how the lunar calendar shapes the timing of these festivals and reflect on the importance of these traditions within the Jewish community. This is lesson 2 of 3 in the "Jewish Time and Community" unit.

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National Curriculum Links

The lesson addresses the Religious Education Programme of Study for Key Stage 2 (Years 3–4), particularly:

• Knowledge, skills and understanding:
  Explore the significance of religious festivals and practices in different communities.
  Understand how religious beliefs are expressed in celebrations and observances.
• Attitudes, skills and progression:
  Ask and respond to questions about how and why people worship and celebrate.
  Express ideas clearly about religious stories, beliefs and practices and their impact on people’s lives.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

• Define Rosh Chodesh and describe its role in marking the beginning of the Hebrew month. (Knowledge)
• Explain how the lunar calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar and influences Jewish festivals. (Understanding)
• Identify at least two major Chagim connected to specific months. (Recall)
• Reflect on how community and time shape religious celebrations. (Reflection)

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Resources

• Visual calendar showing Gregorian and Hebrew months side-by-side
• Image flashcards of Rosh Chodesh celebrations (e.g., candle lighting, prayers) and Jewish festivals (Pesach, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah)
• Large moon phase chart (illustrating lunar cycle)
• Whiteboard or flip chart & markers
• Small paper moons or calendar templates for student activity
• Reflection journals or notebooks

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

Engage & Recap

• Begin with a short warm-up discussion: “What do you know about how we mark time and months?”
• Recap from Lesson 1 key points about the Jewish calendar and community.
• Introduce today’s focus: Rosh Chodesh as the start of the Hebrew month and its connection to festivals.

2. Introduction to Rosh Chodesh (10 minutes)

Explain and Visualise

• Show the dual calendar visual. Point out the Hebrew months and how the lunar calendar works: a new moon signals Rosh Chodesh.
• Use moon phase chart to demonstrate the lunar cycle (~29.5 days).
• Briefly describe customs observed on Rosh Chodesh (special prayers, sometimes festive meals).

Check Understanding:
Ask: “Why do you think the start of the month is important in a community?”

3. Connection to Chagim (15 minutes)

Explore Festivals

• Present image flashcards of major Chagim (Pesach, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah).
• Explain how these festivals tie into specific months in the Hebrew calendar starting at Rosh Chodesh.
• Show examples:
  • Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the Jewish New Year in Tishrei (7th month).
  • Sukkot begins on the 15th day of Tishrei, about two weeks after Rosh Chodesh.

Group Discussion:
Pose questions such as: “How might knowing exactly when a new month starts help people prepare for festivals?”
“Can you think of a time when your family prepares for special celebrations because of a date?”

4. Activity – My Month Moon Calendar (10 minutes)

Create Lunar Calendars

• Give each student a calendar template or paper moon shapes.
• Guide them to mark the new moon/Rosh Chodesh and place festival stickers or drawings (provided or freehand).
• Encourage them to add one fact learned about one festival.

Extension for early finishers:
Write a sentence about why celebrating festivals at the right time is important.

5. Plenary and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Invite volunteers to share their calendars and one new thing they learned.
• Reflect as a class: “What does Rosh Chodesh teach us about time and community?”
• Recap the key learning points with bullet notes on the board.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative: Observe participation in discussions and activity completion.
• Summative: Collect lunar calendar creations to check understanding of Rosh Chodesh and Chagim placement.
• Use reflective prompts in journals to assess depth of thought about community and time.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide pre-cut moon shapes and stickers; pair with a peer for activity.
• Challenge: Encourage older or more able students to write a short explanation of the lunar calendar’s significance.
• Use visuals, gestures and clear vocabulary to support understanding.

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SMSC and Cultural Capital

• Spiritual: Reflecting on how time connects people in religious practice.
• Social: Sharing festival customs promotes understanding of Jewish community life.
• Moral: Respect for diverse ways of marking time and celebration.
• Cultural: Insight into Jewish heritage enriches appreciation for multicultural Britain.

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Teacher Notes

• Use clear, age-appropriate language to explain the lunar cycle and religious concepts.
• Encourage curiosity and valuing of different traditions.
• Connect learning to students’ own experiences of time and celebration for relevance.

This lesson advances pupils’ understanding of the Jewish calendar and enriches their global cultural awareness, fully aligned with the aims of the National Curriculum's Religious Education framework.