The Ten Commandments
(Judaism Unit)
Established Goals:
Students will…
• Identify the Ten Commandments as outlined in Deuteronomy
• Contrast the Ten Commandments to Hammurabi’s Law Code
• Evaluate the influence of the Ten Commandments on the American Law System
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• We can examine a biblical passage from a historical perspective
• The American Law System was influenced by early Puritan/Biblical values
Essential Questions:
• How are the Ten Commandments similar to Hammurabi’s Law Code?
• What principles of the Ten Commandments are reflected in our American values?
Students will know…
• The Ten Commandments
• The details of the Ten Commandments court case
Students will be able to…
• Critically read a passage from Deuteronomy and an article describing the Ten Commandments court case (statue at the Alabama Court House)
• Refer to notes on Hammurabi’s Code to contrast them to the Ten Commandments
• List five ways that the values of the ten commandments are reflected in our American values
Performance Tasks:
• In groups of 2-3, read the passage from Deuteronomy and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard.
• List the Ten Commandments in your notebooks as found in the passage.
• Read a brief article on the Ten Commandments statue court case, and in your notebook, describe the position of each side.
• Homework: The Ten Commandments statue should/should not be removed from the court house rotunda. Defend both the affirmative and negative.
Other Evidence:
• Discussion and check-ins on Deuteronomy and court case articles. Notebook checks.
Learning Activities:
• Distribute and set up Deuteronomy reading. Read the passage in pairs and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard. Review.
• Distribute brief article on Ten Commandments court case. Read as class. Discuss. T-chart in your notes on the opinions of each side in the case.
• Assign homework.
5 comments:
I am assuming the students have already learned the Code of Hammurabi. What grade level is this lesson for? I think that it is a very strong lesson that would work very well in a high achieving high school enviornment.
I think you did a good job of placing yourself in the role of the student. You have clearly listed all of the "stuff" that students will be expected to know in order to complete the lesson. For your established goals and understandings I feel that you could take a broader perspective. Perhaps mention something about reading primary source documents. Or, regarding the influence on 10 commandments on American Law, students will understand the influence of the past on future events. Such broader objectives lend themselves to multiple units and allow lessons to be framed more accurately by students.
Would it be worthwhile to have students debate the merits of having the Ten Commandments in placed in schools?
Would you think of adjusting your essential question to ask instead of "How" (which pre-loads an answer) to are the 10 Commandments and the Hammurabi code similar?
Or "are they examples of just laws?"
or
"What is a just law?"
Hutchinson's advice is well taken...how does religion affect government?
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