The CHAI Curriculum for Congregational Schools
Source: The CHAI Curriculum
The CHAI Curriculum is a flexible educational system for Reform congregational schools based on the values of Torah, Avodah and G'milut Chasadim. The curriculum is for grades 1-7 and is based on the most important concepts and values of Jewish life, helping students grow into committed and thoughtful Jewish adults. Each core level contains 27 complete one-hour classroom lessons in Torah, Avodah and G'milut Chasdadim plus family education lessons.
The CHAI lessons follow a curriculum model known as "backward design," as outlined in the book Understanding by Design (UbD) by Wiggins and McTighe and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). This approach and that of the CHAI curriculum is designed so that student learning will go beyond the specific classroom activities and will reach a deeper enduring understanding, establishing the basis for later Jewish learning and living.
Evaluation by an outside agency is an ongoing aspect of the CHAI curriculum.
Rabbi Krishef from Grand Rapids, MI has created a guide that goes through the curriculum page by page and explains adaptations so that CHAI can be used in Conservative or combined schools, CHAI for Conservative Congregations.