General Knowledge

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1.  General Knowledge - Is There Such A Thing?

2.  The General Knowledge Curriculum

3.  The Kerem School Jewish Literacy Programme
     The 'J.L.P.' includes a very thorough General Knowledge element that is largely
     based on the above General Knowledge curriculum.

4.  Yr. 6 Core General Knowledge Q&A Study & Review - new
     Yr. 6 Core General Knowledge Q&A - Tests
     Judaism in Focus: Questions for Yr. 6 Discussion and Creative Writing - new

1.  General Knowledge - Is There Such A Thing?

It is hotly debated whether or not there is indeed a discrete area of study that may be labeled "General Jewish Knowledge".  Any particular unit within that category will inevitably fall into some other area, be it Chumash, Nach, Jewish History (all of which overlap anyway), Tefilla, Halachah, Hebrew (Classical / Modern), Israel Studies and so on.

In truth, all of these subjects overlap, interrelate and interact in many ways.  They are all elements in the enormous sea of knowledge to which we refer collectively as 'Torah.'  Nevertheless,  we can learn each area with a different emphasis or focus, depending on what and how we study.

The topics in the tables you will see here could indeed be studied in their 'home contexts.'  However, on the one hand, it would be difficult to cover so much ground in full in order to encounter all of these specific units and, on the other hand, even when these particular areas arise in their own context they may not ultimately receive a thorough treatment.

A General Knowledge curriculum is therefore useful in that it enables us to achieve a good coverage of many key areas that could never be studied properly in all of their original contexts in the time available.  (...sounds like a physics definition!)

Of course, once the General Knowledge curriculum has been written, certain units included in it can be purposefully taught within other discrete subjects.  For example, a topic from Chumash can be taught when it arises during the study of the appropriate Parashah, if that Parashah is being taught in the year targeted for that General Knowledge unit.  The reverse is also true:  a particular Parashah might be selected for a certain year group precisely because one or more significant areas of knowledge that arise in that parashah are listed in the General Knowledge curriculum for that class.  In this way, time is used to optimum benefit.  Furthermore, learning the topics in their original contexts will enable learning that is integrated and is strengthened by natural associations.

We can conclude, then, having come almost full circle, that while it is often necessary to abstract units from their own context in order to ensure they get taught at all, we would do well to construct our curricula holistically in order to build teaching and learning that is as integrated as possible and keeps the substance of what we are learning, as much as possible, where it belongs.

In the following page you will find General Knowledge curricula for the seven years from Reception to Year 6 (ages 5 to 11).  I hope you find them useful.

2.  General Knowledge Curriculum

     General Knowledge Curriculum for Key Stage 1 (Infants) (pdf file)

     General Knowledge Curriculum for Key Stage 2 (Juniors) (pdf file)

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