December 18th-20th
Grinch and holiday happenings
Writing: Gingerbread loose in the school
Since religion is a shaping force in the story of civilization, Core Knowledge introduces children in the early grades to major world religions. The focus is on geography, major symbols, and figures. The purpose is not to explore matters of theology, but to introduce basic vocabulary for understanding many events in history. The goal is to familiarize not proselytize. To the question "Which one is true?" our response will be "People of different faiths believe different things to be true. The best people to talk to about this are your parents."
Judaism-Belief in one God, Story of the Exodus (Moses), Israel, Chanukah, Star of David, Torah, synagogue
Christianity-grew out of Judaism, Jesus, the meaning of "messiah", Christmas, Easter, the symbol of the cross
Islam-Originated in Arabia, spread worldwide, followers are Muslims, Allah, Muhammad, Makkah, Qur'an, mosque, the symbol of crescent and star