On Wednesday, Grade 3, in conjunction with their Human Body Unit, hosted a CJDS Health Fair! This unit began with each student "applying" to the Chicago Jewish Day School of Medicine. Once accepted and throughout the inquiry-based study, students identified a body system (e.g., digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory) and topics related to the human body that they wanted to learn more about, which drove their research and learning.

As part of this research, experts from a variety of health occupations joined Grade 3 students to share their expertise, often providing hands-on experiences to foster learning and interest in health-related fields. Hebrew and Judaic Studies were integrated with this study of science. In Judaic Studies, students learned about the Jewish value of shmirat haguf, which teaches us to care for our bodies and spirits. Throughout this study, students learned Mi Shebeirach, which is a prayer that asks G-d to heal those who are sick, injured, or not feeling well for other reasons. Students also learned the prayer we say after using the restroom, Asher Yatzar, and made signs to decorate the hallways around the bathrooms at CJDS. Additionally, they learned Hebrew vocabulary focused on nutrition and healthy food, and performed a song-and-dance from the musical Dr. Guf Li in full Hebrew immersion! Guests were then invited to the various health exhibits, where students shared their projects and knowledge of the human body's systems.

Each student graduated from the Chicago Jewish Day School of Medicine and received a diploma signifying their completion of this important study, and got to turn the tassel on their graduation cap from right to left! Many thanks to the several guests who visited the classroom to share their medical knowledge and expertise: Annie Levenson, Joanna Lind, Jonathan Parker, Neili Glotter, Peter Heydemann, Rachel Slutsky, and Steve Nussbaum.