B”H

Talmud Torah Time

Hebrew School Curriculum for grades K-2

39 2-hour lessons on Alef Bet and holidays/mitzvot each include: Concepts, group and individual activities, songs, appendix, schedule, and more. 85 pages $50.00

TOPIC CONCEPTS Pesach (4 Jews were slaves in Mitzrayim, Moshe is sent to Paroh by Hashem, 10 plagues, Jews are free, sea split!, before weeks) Pesach we clean for chametz, we also sell all our chametz, how matzah is made, items we need for Pesach, we have a Seder Lag B’omer Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s Yahrzeit is on Lag B’omer. He “lit up” the Torah with his teachings. He had to hide from Romans because was teaching Torah. Rabbi Akiva’s wife told him that it’s never too late to start learning Torah, he became a great Rabbi, taught love of fellow Jew, his students stopped dying on Lag b’omer Shavuot Torah is present from Hashem to us, we all make sure to go and hear the 10 commandments- (learn the 10 commandments), on Shavuot we eat dairy products Holiday Review of names, items, and songs of the holidays Review Creation Hashem created the world and rested on 7 th day, what He created on each day (why shabbat) Israel Eretz Yisrael (Israel) is a holy land, a present from Hashem to the Jews, it’s our land, place where Beit Hamikdash was and will be Honoring One of the ten commandments is to honor parents- it’s a big mitzvah. How we honor parents: listening, respectful Parents (2 talking, helping, don’t sit in their seat, let them rest weeks) Mezuzah (2 Why do we have a mezuzah? Because it’s a mitzvah in Torah how it’s made (scribe, quill, ink and parchment), why weeks) we cover it- to protect it and show its preciousness, difference between Torah and Mezuzah, where it’s put, mezuzah protects us Torah Torah is from Hashem to us, is all true, is best book in the world, it teaches us how to live (e.g.: what we need to know about keeping Shabbat and the holidays, how to act to parents and friends, how to feed our body and neshamah), learning it is a big mitzvah that Hashem wants us to do all the time.

from ‘Components of the Daily Schedule’ Component in Explanation Reason schedule Judaica Hour Mystery A small decorated container. Students guess, To pique curiosity, to give students a heads up on today’s topic, and to bag through passing it around and determine students’ prior knowledge and experience (00:00 - 00:03) feeling/listening/hints etc., what the object inside is Tefillah Can be done along with davvening CD/large class Encourages memorization of the prayers and a calm, introspective time (00:03 - 00:08) siddur/individual ones with pictures. These are between Hashem and the student basic tefillot but you can add as the year progresses Calendar Find the Hebrew date, the week’s Parsha, Shabbos Gives students general Jewish knowledge, and feelings of capability and job start and end times, any upcoming holidays on a routine (00:08 - 00:10) real Jewish calendar. Rotate this job w/students Lesson and Concepts of the lessons are taught through activities, Students learn well through active involvement, and being challenged to activity minimizing frontal teaching use thinking skills. Whole-group activities make it a fun atmosphere and (00:10 – 00:30) is a good time to build social skills. Stations At their own pace, students do different activities People learn in different ways. So to cement concepts, students (00:30 – 00:50) suited to them that are set up around the room. experiment, discover, experience and create, with fun and appropriate Related toys and games that your school may have stations set up in the classroom. Students need a rich environment in the or that you bring from your home are great to have little time they have at HS to get in whatever Yiddishkeit possible in that set out- such as: matching, sorting, board games, short time. Also prevents boredom. Not all stations are meant for all lacing, pegboards, puzzles, dramatic play props, students to complete. Teacher should make sure that students do the books, tracers, stamps, puppets, etc. interest table is stations that are better suited to their abilities, interests, and learning just there for the students to have something related style. Students that are doing lower level stations but are capable of to the lesson to see, touch, ask about, and play/ higher level ones should be encouraged to do higher level ones. And

Mezuzah 2

Mystery Concepts Group Activities Stations Books Supplies/ Comments bag Quill A Trip to and ink Difference Ask them to tell what the Related toys and Mezuzahland between Torah differences are (what’s in the games, and Mezuzah cases, where it’s put, size, The Unusual Gift covering, etc.) Interest Table: assorted – story of gift to quills and ink Persian king- a Sort kosher and not kosher mezuzah – mezuzot Art: Write/copy/fill in because we don’t the Shma/their Hebrew have to protect it- Where it’s put Go on search around building name/ Alef Bet with it protects us (in (slanted, right for mezuzahs, note the quill & ink on nice Our Sages side, which positions of them, kiss them paper Showed the Way

doorways) vol. 4, pg. 155) Other: “Where does the

mezuzah go?”: have magazine pictures of Songs Mezuzah Story of Persian king (see doorways for them to protects us Books →) point to correct place (Tune: Turkey in the straw) I ran around the corner and I ran around the

or draw the mezuzah block

Assessment Question: Assessment on, or they could draw And I ran right into a bakery shop Where do we put the mezuzah? mezuzah? the put do we Where Have a real sofer come or see a picture of a doorway I looked at the door and you know what I saw

1. There! A mezuzah hanging on the door

How is a mezuzah like an alarm system? system? an like alarm mezuzah is a How short clip from “Let’s write a (on a house or room or Torah” video of mezuzah just a plain doorway) So I stood up proud and I shouted out loud 2. making or one of chabad.org and draw the mezuzah Did you know I’m in the mezuzah crowd? We love mezuzah (kiss, kiss) videos or JEM’s Purim cd of in the correct spot on megillah making plain paper

ALEF BET

Letter Decoration of Basket words Special Station Activity/ Review game Original Supplies/ And hint letter art comments Mem Glittery crayons Melech-king Crayon rubbing over -Mystery box -feel the shape Cotton Malka-queen the letter of the letter and guess which snow Mouth is open and Mezuzah one it is is losing it’s Meetah-bed -Run- Around –Pickup game marbles, *mem Matzah (teacher puts flashcards all went over the around room, then calls out a mountain Man, melon letter, children run around and try to be the first one to pick up the letter that was called.) Nun Rub colored Ner-candle Shape from play -Show and talk about Ner of Tulle Chanukah candles on Naal-sandal dough Shabbos, Havdallah, and Telephone, the letter Chanukah When you sit/lie Nurse, nose -Step on it game – Place flash like a nun, you cards all over – play music, can do nothing children dance, when music else, or else the stops, step near the closest shape messes up letter – When Morah calls you, you say your letter Samech Dip dreidels into Sevivon-dreidel Alef bet soup- -Spin assorted dreidels Sea shells paint, spin on the Sukkah-tabernacle children keep adding -Make samech hats Slanted on its side letter Seer-pot (writing) letters in the Seerah-sailboat pot of soup (pot- Sefer-book shaped poster)

Seven, scarf Ayin Googly eyes Einayim-eyes Make the letter with -Talk about Mitzvahs we do Colorful Anan-cloud masking tape with einayim pompoms Has two einayim Eeparon -pencil -Put the letters in order on top Aleh –leaf

Ear, egg

APPENDIX 23: Ideas for extra Alef Bet letter practice at home for students in the summer or year round

1. Trace the letter 2. Shape from Wikki Stix, “magnetix”, Popsicle sticks, pennies, play dough, anything! 3. Write the letter in clay with pencil, do dot-to-dot 4. Sing: shalom, shalom, alef 5. Color the letter 6. Make up a story with that letter 7. From a deck of mixed alef bet cards, tell them to take only letters ___ through ___ 8. Fill in the missing letter 9. Draw the letter with marker, then dab water on it for nice effect 10. Write a letter on the child’s back, they guess what letter it is 11. They draw a picture of something that starts with the letter 12. Write the transliteration 13. Write the letter without looking 14. Write letters with different things (marker, paint, chalk, finger in the air, etc.) 15. Rainbow writing 16. Matching alef bet cards 17. Crayon rubbing on a paper that’s on top of a cutout of the letter 18. Shape with body 19. Find the letter on the page 20. Memory card game 21. Make alef bet flags 22. Mystery box -feel the letter and guess which one it is 23. Draw the letter in shaving cream/ bag of paint 24. Paint the letter 25. Complete the letter out of blocks 26. Hebrew letter stamps 27. Make the letter with masking tape 28. Write the name of the letter 29. Write the English equivalent 30. What English word starts with this letter? 31. Alephbetize a bunch of cards. See who can do it faster