Materials

Copy of Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories by: Deborah Heiligman

Colored pencils for each student (optional)
Planning Sheet for each student

Technology

Jewish Learning Matters Passover Resource Page
Article: Passover (Pesach) Union for Reform Judaism  
Video: "What is on the Seder Plate?" 
Interactive Posters: www.edu.glogster.com
Laptop or iPad for each student
Document Camera

Students should have prior knowledge of note taking before teaching this lesson.
The day before teaching this three day lesson the teacher will need to:
1. Gather print sources (book and article)
2. Make sure the video link works in your classroom.
3. Print a copy of the planning sheet for each student.
4. Create an account on www.edu.glogster.com and ensure that each student has access.

Before: (Day 1)
1. Have a student helper pass out the informative writing planning sheet. Each student will have their own. 2. Review how to take notes from sources. This includes, jotting down with bullet points and labeling the sources as S1, S2, S3.

During: (Day 1)
3. Using the document camera, read aloud the book Holiday’s Around the World: Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories. As you read, allow time for students to take notes on their planning sheet. Notes from this source need to be labeled as S1 or written with a red colored pencil.
4. After reading the book, have students volunteer to share their notes. Allow other students to add to their planning sheet if needed.
5. Read aloud one of the articles and/or share videos or music on this Passover resource page which is most appropriate for your students, such as the article from Reform Judaism titled, "Passover,". While reading, allow students time to take notes on their planning sheet. Notes from this source need to be labeled as S2 or written with a blue colored pencil.
6. After reading the article, have students volunteer to share their notes. Allow other students to add to their planning sheet if needed.
7. Play the video: "What is on the Seder Plate?" 
While watching, students will take notes on their planning sheet. Notes from this source need to be labeled S3 or written with a green colored pencil.
8. After viewing the video, have students volunteer to share their notes. Allow other students to add to their planning sheet if needed.
9. Instruct students to hand in their planning sheets for safe keeping.


After: (Days 2 and 3)

Creating an Informational Essay
1. Have a student helper pass out the planning sheets that students completed the prior day.
2. Instruct students to write an informational piece about the Passover holiday using their notes from the three sources.
Here is a sample essay:

Passover is a holiday that Jewish people all over the world celebrate each spring. This holiday lasts for seven or eight days, and the people who follow the Jewish faith partake in certain activities throughout this time to remember their ancestors.
A book titled, Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories gave a lot of information about how Passover came to be a holiday. A very long time ago, a ruler in Egypt named Pharaoh enslaved the Israelite people and made them work for him. Many Israelite people were being born so Pharaoh made a rule that all boys that were born to Israelites must be killed, but a boy named Moses was able to survive and grow into an adult. God called upon Moses and instructed him to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelite people go, but Pharaoh would not. God didn’t like that Pharaoh was still holding slaves, so he sent ten plagues to Egypt. Finally, Pharaoh let the Israelite people go and the people were free. Passover is celebrated to commemorate those ancestors and everything that they went through.
During Passover, there is a Seder on the first two nights. The day before, families have to get rid of all chametz in their homes. Chametz is any wheat product that rises. Families must ensure that all chametz is gone from their homes during Passover. The Seder is a dinner that families eat together. They all share one plate and read from the Haggadah. On the Seder plate there are certain things. Zeroah is a roasted bone that represents the lamb that was sacrificed as a Passover offering. Beitzah is a hard-boiled egg that reminds us of the Hagiga sacrifice. Maror which is a horseradish root symbolizes the bitter times and the harsh suffering of the slaves. Charoset which is made up of multiple things like apple and honey that represents the bricks that we had to use and all of the hard work that we were forced to do. Karpas is usually parsley, but can be other things like onion, is dipped into salt water at the start of the Seder to represent the teachers that we cried as slaves. Chazeret is romaine lettuce and that is another bitter herb that we eat on the Hillel sandwich. A Hillel sandwich is made up of Matzah, chazeret, and charoset. During the Seder, families say special prayers and talk about Exodus.
Throughout Passover, families recite Hallel or Half-Hallel. According to source two, to end Passover, different families choose what would like to do. Some families have pizza on the last night, and some go out to dinner to celebrate.
Passover is an important holiday in Judaism and it is celebrated worldwide for seven or eight days in the spring. Families gather for a Seder at the beginning, and conclude Passover with a family meal. We use this time to remember where we came from, and where we are now.

A book titled, Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories gave a lot of information about how Passover came to be a holiday. A very long time ago, a ruler in Egypt named Pharaoh enslaved the Israelite people and made them work for him. Many Israelite people were being born so Pharaoh made a rule that all boys that were born to Israelites must be killed, but a boy named Moses was able to survive and grow into an adult. God called upon Moses and instructed him to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelite people go, but Pharaoh would not. God didn’t like that Pharaoh was still holding slaves, so he sent ten plagues to Egypt. Finally, Pharaoh let the Israelite people go and the people were free. Passover is celebrated to commemorate those ancestors and everything that they went through.
During Passover, there is a Seder on the first two nights. The day before, families have to get rid of all chametz in their homes. Chametz is any wheat product that rises. Families must ensure that all chametz is gone from their homes during Passover. The Seder is a dinner that families eat together. They all share one plate and read from the Haggadah. On the Seder plate there are certain things. Zeroah is a roasted bone that represents the lamb that was sacrificed as a Passover offering. Beitzah is a hard-boiled egg that reminds us of the Hagiga sacrifice. Maror which is a horseradish root symbolizes the bitter times and the harsh suffering of the slaves. Charoset which is made up of multiple things like apple and honey that represents the bricks that we had to use and all of the hard work that we were forced to do. Karpas is usually parsley, but can be other things like onion, is dipped into salt water at the start of the Seder to represent the teachers that we cried as slaves. Chazeret is romaine lettuce and that is another bitter herb that we eat on the Hillel sandwich. A Hillel sandwich is made up of Matzah, chazeret, and charoset. During the Seder, families say special prayers and talk about Exodus.
Throughout Passover, families recite Hallel or Half-Hallel. According to source two, to end Passover, different families choose what would like to do. Some families have pizza on the last night, and some go out to dinner to celebrate.
Passover is an important holiday in Judaism and it is celebrated worldwide for seven or eight days in the spring. Families gather for a Seder at the beginning, and conclude Passover with a family meal. We use this time to remember where we came from, and where we are now.

Remind students that if they reference the sources it should be done as the title of the work, or as source 1, source 2, or source 3. Students should also ensure that they organize their paper effectively and use transitions to link ideas.
3. As students finish their writing, have them read it to themselves and check for errors, or any needed revisions.
4. Optional: If time permits, students may type their essays on a computer or laptop.
5. Students will then turn in their planning sheets and essays to the teacher.


Creating an Interactive Poster
1. Each student will need to have a laptop or iPad where they can access their Glogster accounts. (Accounts should have been created prior to the lesson start date.) 
2. Using the glogster, students will create an interactive poster that shows the Seder plate, and gives a description of each item that is on it. Students may also record their voice and add it to their interactive poster. Here is an example
Note: You may wish to create a rubric for them (and for you) based on established criteria for content and quality. This will help as students craft their poster and with your evaluation and feedback
4. View each student’s Glogster and ensure that all part of the Seder plate was explained.
5.. If time permits, have students share their interactive posters with a partner or small group.
6. Students will need to email the link to the interactive poster to the teacher for grading purposes.

1. Students will have produced an informative essay about the Passover Holiday that meets criteria established for expository writing and demonstrates their understanding of the Passover Holiday and why it is celebrated.
2. Students will have produced a Glogster that shows each part of the Seder plate and describes it.

* PJ library Books