I am currently in the process of creating a Jewish History curriculum for 7th and 8th grade students in a Modern Orthodox day school. The Jewish History class in our school meets only once a week so the curriculum needs to fit within this time constraint. I have attempted to focus on primary sources as much as possible. Many of these sources, however, prove difficult for this age group to decipher and analyze. An age-appropriate secondary source that covers a wide range of Jewish History (and that each student could own) would be helpful. I have yet to find a text that works well in a Modern Orthodox Yeshiva setting; one that is both open minded and respectful of Rabbinic tradition. I often use the Behrmann texts (Jonathan Sarna) as a teacher's guide (they provide great ideas for keeping middle school kids excited about Jewish History!) but they are clearly written for a different student population.
I am curious to know what other Middle School Jewish History teachers are using as texts or if there is any age appropriate curriculum that has already been created and used effectively in this age group.
