Made by Matt Humanities & RE

GROW pathway · RE · Autumn 1 · Week 4

Hanukkah: light and story

Cover lesson · 40 minutes

Thursday 09:30–10:10. Match the week to the school calendar before teaching.

Pupil sheets PDFEditable PowerPointTeacher plan & answers PDF

Stage 1 of 8 · 3 minutes

Arrive

Link a Hanukkah lighting practice to its remembered story.

Offer pointing, circling, drawing or scribed answers. Read cards aloud. No personal, family or faith disclosure is required.

Stage 2 of 8 · 5 minutes

Read the source

CLASSROOM FACT CARD — paraphrased from Chabad.org. Reported Jewish tradition; the miracle is presented as a belief/story, not a classroom science finding.

H1. Hanukkah is a Jewish festival lasting eight days. It recalls the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

H2. In the traditional account, oil expected to last one day lasts eight days.

H3. A hanukkiah has eight festival lights and a separate helper light, the shamash.

H4. One festival light is added each night; the eight lights recall the miracle. The helper is not a ninth festival night.

Stage 3 of 8 · 5 minutes

Watch a model

  1. H3 gives eight festival lights plus one helper.
  2. H2 and H4 explain why eight nights matter in the traditional account.

Point to the detail that supports the answer.

Stage 4 of 8 · 4 minutes

Choose

Why can a hanukkiah have nine light positions during an eight-day festival?

Choose first. Give a reason before checking.

Stage 5 of 8 · 3 minutes

Check

Reveal the deciding clue

B

H3 distinguishes eight festival lights from the shamash.

Keep your first choice. If you change it, say what changed your mind.

Stage 6 of 8 · 12 minutes

Your evidence

Your tasks

  1. Draw and label eight festival-light positions plus one separate helper position.
  2. Match story / object / practice to H2, H3 and H4.
  3. Explain why adding lights is more than decoration in this source.

Writing stays in this open page only. It is not saved or sent. Copy what you want to keep before leaving.

Stage 7 of 8 · 5 minutes

Improve

Check your answer against the source. Show the detail you used.

Add evidence, improve a link, or mark a claim you cannot support.

Keep your first attempt visible.

Stage 8 of 8 · 3 minutes

Reflect

Explain the difference between the eight lights and the helper.