Over the last few months, the 4th graders have studied a number of texts from the Jewish tradition that look at gossip
and define the different categories of speech that can be considered to be gossip. The rabbis were adamant that all types of gossip, even if the information shared can be viewed as being neutral speech, are wrong and can be hurtful and even dangerous. The students have worked in groups to grapple with the texts, understand them, and then apply them to their own situations. The culminating project, which they are just co
mpleting, will result in three filmed vignettes that are ‘Public Service Announcements’ to teach why gossip is wrong and should be avoided. Each group has been tasked to develop their own commercial within which one of the texts that they studied is quoted. These pictures are representative of how diligently they have been working on the scripts. Once you see the completed projects, I think you will all agree that they are of a much higher quality and contain more substance than most of the Super Bowl commercials that we recently watched! Stay tuned.
