Chumash Curriculum
To fully understand the goal of the curriculum and the purpose of the materials presented below, I would urge the reader to review the article Why Our Children Learn So Much Yet Know So Little, found in the Curriculum Philosophy tab. In the article we explain that that which we consider important to remember may be divided into two categories: text and concept. The first involves fundamental textual skills, and the second deep understanding of fundamental concepts. The curriculum is thus divided into two sections: שרשים and דברי חז״ל.
שרשים
Skill acquisition includes prefixes, suffixes and Shorashim which all serve to build the student’s foundation of textual skill. Lists of the Shorashim learned in each פרשה should be given to students at each grade level. In addition, students should be exposed to lists of the variations of each Shoresh, to ensure mastery of prefixes, suffixes and the fashion in which words are built.
These lists are found in the Shorashim section below. There are three lists. One is of the Shorashim found in the פרשה. Students should be required to know all the Shorashim. The second and third are a list of all the variations of each Shoresh, divided by פרק. One list, which is presented as a student worksheet, provides only the Shoresh with spaces left empty for the student to fill in as the פסוקים are learned. (Students who have mastered the skill of recognizing Shorashim within פסוקים may be given these sheets prior to learning the פסוקים or the פרק.) The third list, presented as a teacher guide, is similar to the above, however the variations are filled-in. (When a שורש or variation is first listed in each פרשה it is bolded).
דברי חז״ל
Fundamental concepts, which we will term Musagim, can be characterized as crystallizations of Halachik or philosophical ideas which form the basis of future learning and understanding. Scores of such Musagim are imbedded in the פסוקים we teach, in the form of דברי חז״ל; most are quoted by Rashi. These Musagim will focus attention on the central message or messages of each unit, ensuring the students learn and deeply understand the fundamental ideas that teachers feel should be committed to long term memory.
The דברי חז״ל tab below is divided into two sections. The first is a list of all Musagim that are found in the פרשה. It will be up to the teacher to decide how many and which of these Musagim should be taught. (I have starred certain Musagim which I felt were particularly important.)
In addition there is a list of Musagim which I have fully explained. These were developed as a guide to teachers to illustrate how a Musag should be taught. In each, the first page is to be given to students as it contains a concise explanation of the Musag, while the following pages are in-depth explanations of how we reached our conclusion. While our eventual goal is to provide at least five such explained Musagim on each פרשה, it is our hope that teachers will use them as a guide to develop Musagim on their own.
