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Lesson Objective:
Determine whether it is acceptable to lie on any occasion.

Lesson Outcome:
By the end of the lesson, the children will have read and discussed a moral dilemma and decided whether it is ever acceptable to lie.

Resources:
Call My Bluff
To Lie or Die

 

Introduction

  • Play Call My Bluff game – Split class in to two groups and play Call My Bluff. Children given a word that (hopefully) they will not have heard of before. One team to come up with different definitions for the word, including the real definition, and present them to the other team. Each player must pretend that their definition is true to persuade the other team to go for their definition. Score points and repeat until all words used (you could continue with other words too which relate to specific subjects and even include English words transliterated into Hebrew to support their Hebrew skills).

 

Main Teaching

 

  • Read and Discuss “To Lie or Die” case study – Read through the problem about whether to lie about your faith when presented with the option of death. Children to give their opinions on the matter. Discuss Jewish interpretations.

 

  • Make a list of white lies – Explain to children that we are all guilty of telling white lies at different times in our lives. Make a list on the board.
    Examples may include: “I didn’t do it”, “I only had one”, “You look lovely”, “We haven’t bought you anything for your birthday”. Tick those that the children believe to be acceptable.

 

Activity

  • Option 1: Design a Quiz / Game / Lesson – Remind children of the dilemma facing Jonathan and that the Torah would suggest that Jonathan should “choose life”, lie, and teach about Judaism and his faith in other ways at other times. Tell the children that they need to help Jonathan by teaching the other group in the class about something important to them about Judaism. They can design a quiz, a game or teach a short lesson involving an activity, and let them make and play the game/quiz with the rest of the group.
    Examples could include: A festival, an object such as Shabbat candles, a place or an aspect of synagogue/Jewish life.
  • Option 2: Make a Poster – Children to make a poster to show an important part of Judaism to them / to teach other people about Judaism.

 


Plenary

  • Present quiz/game/lesson/Poster – Children to present their aspect of Judaism to the rest of the class.
  • Homework – what are the three most important things that they would teach about Judaism. Can be made into a family discussion.