Hebrew Scriptures Jig-Saw Project

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh."     - Ecclesiastes 12:12

This is the first of several group projects we will do in class.  This project is called a "Jig-Saw" because it uses a two-group technique - a "friends" group (the Jig group) to whom you will report what you learn,  and a "study" group (the Saw group) in which you will focus on a particular section of Hebrew Scriptures and study it as a group.  All the pieces should fit together nicely in the end, like a completed jig-saw puzzle.
 
Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to give you a sense of some the traditional Biblical passages in Hebrew Scriptures which have had a resonant impact on art, literature, philosophy, religion, and culture in the "Western" tradition for the past couple millennia.  It is a very social activity, allowing for discussion and free expression of thought and opinion. It is also a "teaching" activity in which you will need to focus your own teaching skills to effectively "teach" your friends the material you learned.
 
Materials (What you will need):
 
A. Get a Bible -                                                                                To begin with, you will need to get a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).  Any translation will do (if you read Hebrew, you don't even need it in translation), however paraphrases, such as Children's Bibles, will not be acceptable.   Bibles are easily purchased at used book stores, may be obtained through synagogues or churches often, and are extremely accessible on-line (you will need to bring print-outs or laptops to class if you get them on-line).  Translations and versions such as the Revised Standard Version (RSV), Latin Vulgate (used by the Roman Catholic Church), New International Version (NIV), etc. are all acceptable.  Official sectarian editions are also acceptable (Watchtower, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Canterbury Bible) but highly paraphrased versions are discouraged.  The King James Version of the Bible is acceptable but STRONGLY discouraged, unless, of course, you are very comfortable with early 17th century English.  Bring your Biblical materials to class each day, having read and prepared them for quiz and discussion.
 
 B. Get a Group (of, preferably, friends) -
These are the "Jig" groups.  Depending on class size, groups will generally consist of  6 people (the teacher will confirm the group sizes in each class).  Once you have formed your group, get out a piece of paper (only one for the whole group) and list everybody's name in your group, first and last.  Each group member will chose an individual reading to focus on which each person will then study (in their "Saw" groups).

C. Get a Focus (pick one of the six passages) -                                There are six basic different passages we will be studying in the Jig-Saw Activity, listed below.  Each person in your "Jig" group will select a different one of the passages.  Once everyone has chosen, write down the Hebrew Scripture Passage they will be focusing on next to their name.  Ultimately each of you will present to your "Jig" groups, teaching your group all the key elements of your focus of study.  The teacher will give a basic explanation of each of these passages in order to help match selections to individual interest.

Ecclesiastes (The Preacher) (9)
Judges (11,13-16,19-21) (10)
Ruth + Song of Songs (Solomon) (10)
Lamentations (8)
Daniel 1 - 6 (10)                                                                                              Esther (9)

Procedure (what to do):
 
(1) Based on your choice of the above Hebrew Scripture passages, form your "Saw" groups.  Everyone in your "Saw" group will be reading the same passages and preparing them.
 
(2) Read your chosen passage.  It will be useful to keep the six discussion topics in mind (listed below) as you read.  Take notes as needed.
 
(3) In class, in your "Saw" group, discuss the following topics as they pertain to your group's chosen passage:
 
     (a) Authorship - who wrote it?  when?  under what circumstances was it written?  what is known about the (possible) author?
     (b) Genre and Style - what genre is it?  (is it a narrative?  poetry?  collection of sayings? prayers?) does it use literary devices?  does it make references to history or other literary works?  is it written simply?  who does it seem to be written for? why is it written in that style and not another?
     (c) Structure, Characters, and Plot - aside from the chapter and verse references, how is the book set up?  are there sections?  are there related ideas?   is there a time period in which the work takes place?  are there main characters?  how are they distinguished?  is there a plot?  is there a climax? is there a resolution?
     (d) Themes - what are the main themes and ideas of the work?  what is the point of it?  what is the moral? why is this book in the Bible?
     (e) Portrayal/View of God -  given our examination of the varied roles and perceptions of the Hebrew God in Genesis, Exodus, and Jonah, what view or attitude does your passage reflect about the ancient Hebrew's concept of God? how is this manifest?  what passages emphasize this view?                                             
     (f) Key Quotes -  pick what you think are the two or three most memorable and the most significant quotes from your work.  Share them with your groups and explain your reasons for selecting them.

(4) Share your views within your "Saw" group.  Also be sure to raise any questions you may have about the material, you may find others in the group who either have the same questions or who may be able to offer clarification.  Do not feel limited by the above-listed questions in your focus on the work - enquire!  ask!  question!

(5) Assemble a study-guide for your "Jig" group based on what you conclude in your "Saw" group.  I will not collect your study guides, nor will I grade them.  The study guides are purely for your "Jig" group to gain a better understanding of the material you have studied for them. 

(6) Return to your "Jig" group and distribute copies of your study-guide to them.  Explain your selected work to the group in 10 minutes.  Each person in your group will present their study-guide and give a teaching session summarizing the key elements of their work.  Once all members of the "Jig" group have presented, your groupwork is done and you may study individually.

(7) There will be a final round of questions in class in which the teacher will participate if there are any questions.  Hopefully the group project was interesting and informative.

The test on this unit will rely heavily on quote identification (not just of Hebrew Scriptures but from all readings in the unit). 

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Hebrew Scripture Jig-Saw FAQ’s:

Question: How do I know if I have a King James Version?  Is it a bad version?

Answer:  If you start seeing a lot of "Thee" and "Thou" and "Thy" - you probably have a King James Version (KJV).  Other easy-to-spot indicators are "Hath" (for "has") and verbs ending with -th (maketh, taketh, leadeth), all of which are typical of proper English in the 17th Century.  It is not, however a bad version at all.  Many teachers of literature believe it to be the most beautiful translation in English.  Some churches hold that it is the only acceptable and divinely-inspired English translation.  Nonetheless, for purposes of historical research and investigation of ancient Hebrew peoples, it is generally far too difficult for high school students to use as a study tool.  It is not prohibited for class purposes, merely discouraged.

Question:  What do you have against Children's Versions?
 
Answer: Nothing.  But for purposes of historical inquiry into the ancient Hebrews, they are as valuable as a comic-book version of Romeo and Juliet, written in modern Japanese slang, is to understanding Shakespeare.  Sure - there's a connection, but it's not a valuable one in terms of historical understanding.

Question: I was comparing my Bible with the Bible of someone else in the group.  I noticed that sometimes the numbering of chapters and verses was different, in fact, her Bible even had extra chapters in it that mine didn't.  Which one of our Bibles is the right one?
 
Answer:  The right one for what?  Different Bibles have different purposes. Some are for study, some are for personal devotion.  Asking which version of the Bible is the right one is like asking which menu at a French restaurant is the right one: the Chinese version or the Spanish version.  it depends on what you need.  There are historical explanations as to why certain versions have certain books and others do not.  Not all Bibles are the same. 

 
Question: Why don't you tell us which version to buy or get on line?  Can we buy one from you?

Answer: I will not promote a particular translation of the Bible. There are many translations, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.  Students from the Judeo-Christian tradition will most likely use the translation adopted by their local congregation.  I support the diversity which that engenders and will not specifically promote any individual translation.  And, no, I do not sell Bibles, in spite of the fact that an administrator once came to me, very concerned that I was selling Bibles to students; when I explained to him that I was not selling them, he became very concerned that I was not giving students copies of the Bible passages used in class.  (Clearly his initial concern was not actually about my career as a Bible-salesman.)  When I noted that the Bible is the #1 most published book on the planet, and the easiest to get ahold of, he became very concerned that I was discriminating against poor students.  I replied that very poor students could use the internet to get any number of varieties of Bible translation.  To this he responded that they may not have internet access.  By this point I could see that he was really simply trying to hassle me so I told him to recommend to the student for whom the assignment was a problem that they could either steal one from a hotel (I was being sarcastic), or develop a friendship with someone on the planet with a copy of the Bible that they could borrow.  News of this got out and I was referred to as a "Bible-Salesman" for the rest of the year.

Question: Isn't what we're doing illegal?  Aren't you teaching religion?

Answer: If I was converting students to Judaism through this project, yes, it would be illegal.  If I were deliberately converting students away from Judaism (or any other religion) through this project, yes, it would be illegal.  However there is a key difference between teaching religion and teaching ABOUT religion.  If I, or any other teacher, is promoting their own religious beliefs, or non-beliefs (atheism, agnosticism) in a classroom environment, they should be confronted directly, since such activity is both illegal and unethical.  The California State frameworks make it quite clear that studying about religion is not only allowed, it is required by state standards.  For more, see the following:

History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten to Grade Twelve

(Note the standards for grades 6, 7 and 10 - they explicitly cover religion)

Question: What religion are you?

Answer: Students have labelled me as everything from a Satan-worshipper to a Roman Catholic to a Zoroastrian to an atheist.  That's a highly personal question and not appropriate to classroom instruction.

Question: Do we have to do the study guide?

Answer: Nope.  But if you don't do your part, don't blame me if the friends in your group refuse to group with you again in the future.  You're responsible for teaching them the material.  Do it any way you want, with or without a study guide.  It's just that study guides are very helpful.