NCSS Notable Trade Book Lesson Plan The Blessing Cup Written by Patricia Polacco Available to Purchase

The Blessing Cup, by Patricia Polacco, may be used to provide insight into the lives of the Jewish as they were embattled and forced to evacuate Russia. This lesson seeks to probe students’ thinking for their understanding of the difference in primary and secondary sources and how they are useful for teaching and learning about historical events, people, their cultures, and their family traditions. Students work in small groups to research Jewish culture, traditions, and religious rites as noted in the book, as well as examine how the tea set serves to teach primary sources within a text. Students identify primary sources to describe their own history.