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Shivat Haminim (The Seven Species) Lesson Plan

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Shivat Haminim (The Seven Species) Lesson Plan Shivat Haminim (The Seven Species) MATERIALS Expand the discussion and LESSON Items in red are available to print at babaganewz.com/teachers: ask students to consider the following questions. For the first part: pictures of the shivat haminim, texts for This can be done either as a each of the shivat haminim, discussion questions for the texts group discussion or as a writing exercise. For the craft: terra cotta flower pots, floral foam chunks, Have you ever tasted any of these items or foods made bamboo skewers or wooden floral stakes, banner template PLAN with them? BY SETH GOLDSWEIG printed on cardstock, the shivat haminim in Hebrew, paint AND TAMMIE RAPPS pens or paint and brushes, markers, glue, old magazines, What are your favorite foods that are made with these decoupage items? LESSON AT A GLANCE LESSON PLAN What words would you use to describe each of the The shivat haminim (the seven species? species of agricultural products Mount pictures of the shivat haminim onto seven large pieces of paper and hang them Which of the shivat haminim do you think with which the land of Israel is around the classroom. you are most like? Why? blessed) often serve as the Begin class by asking students if they can Divide students into seven groups. Give focal point—or centerpiece—of identify the seven pictures around the each group a text related to one of the the celebration of Tu B’Shevat. room. Ask: shivat haminim. Explain that the texts compare Many Jewish texts present the each item to a certain human quality. Each group should shivat haminim as metaphors What do all these plants/foods have in common? read the text aloud and answer the following questions to for understanding human Introduce the following text to the class: help them identify the comparison that is presented. qualities. Students will study What can we learn about this food item from the text? DEVARIM 8:7–8 texts about the shivat haminim For God your God will bring you to a good land, a land of What can we learn about ourselves from the text? and consider which one they brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth Do you agree with the comparison presented in the text? are most like and why. They will in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and grape Why or why not? then create shivat haminim vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive centerpieces to adorn the trees and date honey. Each group should then share the metaphor from the text with the whole class. After hearing the metaphors, ask the school’s Tu B’Shevat Seder or j]z.j Myrbd students the following questions. celebration. / Xr3a3 hb5of Xr3a3]la3 5a8yb1mK 4 5qK3-la9 hy=1 Did you change your mind about which of the shivat OBJECTIVES he5q4B1B6Mya1x4-y t-m- -ht4W t-ny5e8 My1m5 yl2j8n6 haminim you are most like? Why or why not? Students will learn about the NoJr1w4 hn5a2t4W Np3g3w4 hr5-ec4W hF5j1 Xr3a3 .rh5b5W Based on the texts, why are you most like that item? shivat haminim and the ,vb5d4W Nm3v3 tyz2]Xr3a3 Working in their original seven groups, students will now symbolism of each one. create a symbolic representations of their assigned species Students will identify how they that can serve as centerpieces to display on Tu B’Shevat. To To what do these verses refer? personally relate to one of the create the centerpieces, provide each group with shivat haminim and its meaning. Why do you think there are specifically seven the materials. Instruct students to write the growing species mentioned? Do you think that name of their species in Hebrew and Students will create centerpieces there is any symbolism to that number? English on one side of the banner and to for Tu B’Shevat using the texts, write the metaphorical text on the other Why do you think that it was important for images, and metaphors they side of the second banner. Groups Bnei Yisrael (the People of Israel) traveling studied about the shivat haminim. should then sandwich the skewer in in the wilderness to hear this promise? between the banner to make a flag that can VOCABULARY How do you think hearing this description stand in the floral foam inserted at the bottom wheat of Israel affected them? hF5j1 of the flower pot. Groups can decorate their flower pot with hr5oec4 barley How do the shivat haminim provide for many of a pictures of the species by drawing them or using decoupage nation’s basic needs? [grains and fruit for bread, wine for to affix pictures taken from magazines. Np3G3 grapevine drink, and olive oil for light] hn5a2T4 fig ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES How, traditionally, do we symbolically represent the NoJr1 pomegranate shivat haminim every week in our own homes? [challah— Prepare a Seven Species Salad (link to recipe available at babaganewz.com/teachers) for Tu B’Shevat. ty1z6 olive wheat; wine/juice—grapes; candlelighting— olive oil] Create edible flowers for the holiday (instructions available rm5T5 date Why do you think we use these at babaganewz.com/teachers). BABAGANEWZ.COM symbols every Shabbat? How do Design an agricultural map of Israel. Have students SHEVAT 5770 these items help to reinforce the research the areas in Israel in which the various shivat TU B’SHEVAT message from the verses we just haminim grow best and designate those areas on a map of — PAGE 2 — studied? Israel using appropriate symbols for each of the species. .
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