By:
On:
In: Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

Tefillah: We had the second graders join us because of some substitute timing. We reviewed that Ashrei = Happy and what makes us happy. We then translated the first few lines of Ashrei until בכל יום. I asked the students if they needed to thank their mothers today if they already did so yesterday? Why would we need to bless and appreciate Hashem every day? Should our feelings of thanks to our mother be the same each and every day? Before we said Ashrei, we thought of something we are happy for. We paused before בכל יום to think of what we would thank HashemRead More →

By:
On:
In: Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

Intro: We are starting אשרי! We discussed אשרי means happy. What do we need to do to be happy? We need to focus on good things to appreciate them to be happy. In אשרי, we will focus on many things ה’ does which is why we are happy. Chumash:  Review Pesukim 25-27. Translation sheets Learn pesukim 28-31 Draw shorashim on board 2) Ask questions:     if יעקב thinks it is time to leave, what should the conversation go like?    When do you think יעקב will want to go and why?     Will לבן want him stay? How will he convince יעקב toRead More →

By:
On:
In: Lesson Plans

Today was a great day. The class did this awesome unit about the Civil War where each kid took one historical figure, researched his life and role in the Civil War, wrote journal entries from that perspective and then dressed in costume to present  in a “town hall meeting” We went on a field trip today to Genessee Country Village & Museum – a living history museum where they recreate life from the 18th and 19th century. As a parent and co-teacher I came along. It was an awesome place. There was a pioneer homestead where they got to grind corn, carry a yoke, wash dishes andRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chinuch Tips

I hate grading papers. If you are a teacher, you probably understand. Grading papers ranks up there with folding laundry and dusting. And papers do need to be graded. So to help with the tedious work, I have been photocopying the assignments on transparencies, , writing the answers above the blank on  the transparency, and punching holes next to the answer blanks. I also punch a star in the top corner. If the paper is perfect they get the star gets colored. If the answer is correct, I color on the hole. Less thinking = less painful=less time = papers get returned.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Chinuch Tips, Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

Intro: The students were able to find the words on the second page of the worksheets but weren’t able to do the matching. So it was back to the drawing board for another way of teaching it so it sticks. I asked the students questions from each line. “What word in line 1 tells us that Hashem made the world with his words?” שאמר This specific reading of the text led to some very interesting questions that showed a deep comprehension. Why does it need to repeat the word מלך so many times? (we discussed themes in poetry.  I have a son in the class so I know thatRead More →

By:
On:
In: Downloads, Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

Intro: Give out these worksheets as a conclusion to ברוך שאמר – Chumash:   New Unit: Yaakov earning his own sheep by outsmarting  Lavan Pre Perek Prep: Part 1 – without the binder for help Part 2 – with the binder for help Differentiation: Enrichment – kids who finish all words hang up cards Remediation – Kids who don’t know Part 1 words look up in binder Other Remediation – Only do half of the words in Part 2, if they look familiar Other Prep: The rest of this perek is dependant on understanding what are the goats and sheep referring to. We will  color andRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chinuch Tips

So, I was really excited about http://www.nakdan.com/Nakdan.aspx but it was only a trial period and I used it to much in the trial period. I realized that I loved not having to put in nekudos. I like nakdan, From what I could tell in the Israeli reviews was that it works 85% of the time. Then I found out that Dagesh Pro was on sale for $69.95 and it comes with 10,000 graphics and auto-nikud. The extra features from Dagesh seemed worth the extra $20 that came with the shipping and tax.  I’ll let you know how it goesRead More →

By:
On:
In: Downloads

Pirkei Avos  Since Pirkei Avos is read between Pesach & Shavuos, I put together the text of pirkei avos with Nekudos, and the translation Perek 1 translated Perek 1 activities Perek 2 translated Perek 2 activities: For Mishna 1: Fold a paper staple in the middle and then cut the sides. Mishna 4: Make a paper doll chain and separate one from the group ForRead More →

By:
On:
In: Downloads, gedolim, Lesson Plans

List of Biographies Why teach Gedolim? Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel Rav Aharon Kotler Rav Henoch Leibowitz Chofetz Chaim The Rambam R’ Irving Bunim Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv The Ramban Rav Moshe Feinstein Baal HaTurim Rav Ovadiah Yosef Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Sarah Schnerir Rav Chaim Soloveitchik Chazon IshRead More →

By:
On:
In: gedolim, Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

It will be a busy day Intro: let the kids know the modified schedule. Tefillah: We went straight into davening Chumash:  Review:  Shorashim – kids act out shorashim Game – Prep: Filled a bag with yellow, orange and green papers. Put kids in two lines in front of the felt boards for two teams Round 1: Each kid put their hand in a bag and picked out a colored paper. They had to choose a flashcard from the felt board and translate. They had to identify the names (in orange). For the Imahos, they had to list their sons. For the Shevatim, they had to list theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Downloads, gedolim

  PDF of biography Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (Chazon Ish) (1878 -1953) Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz was born in Kosava, Lithuania to Rav Shmaryahu Yosef and Rasha Leah Karelitz. His parents had 6 children who died. His mother davened that she should have a son who would be a great tzaddik. He also had a brother Rav Meir Karelitz and a sister, Miriam. His sister married Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, the Steipler Gaon. His nephew is y”blc Rav Chaim Kanievsky. He did not have any children Rav Avraham Yeshaya was remarkable because he was able to learn for many hours at a time. He learnedRead More →

By:
On:
In: Lesson Plans

Tefillah: We reviewed the  idea that ה’  gives us  eternal עולם הבא for the smallest Mitzva. I asked the students what was their easiest Mitzvah. One said tzitzis, another shouted out “I love You, Hashem” etc. Today, we spoke about all the praises we give ה’ at the end of ברוך שאמר. This is based on an idea I found on a great website Praying With Fire – http://www.prayingwithfire.org/images/Newsletter52.pdf . Activity:  Ask each student how he would describe his grandmother in 1 word. Get a big list Asked would this word be enough to praise her if she was being praised at a dinner? How would you describeRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chinuch Tips

Language is learned visually. A mother says “shoe” to a baby as she dresses him. She points to her nose and names it. I try to provide as many visual cues for all my hebrew vocabulary lists. It takes me so much time to find the right Here is a great resource for this which requires a number of extra steps but will save you so much time having to find all the pictures yourself Word lists Enchanted Learning – An English Picture Dictionary Choose a topic –  Select all the pictures on the web page & Copy (Ctrl-C)   Make a usable format for theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Downloads, Lesson Plans, Teaching Chumash

Tefillah: Reviewed the  idea from ברוך שאמר  that ה’s does miracles   every day. This was a theme we really delved into with אדון עולם. Every day, before Tefilla, I asked each child to write one thing that was incredible that ה’  until we came up with 100 things. I think asking a similar question again will be over kill. Today we are focusing on ברוך שכר טוב ליראיו based on an idea I found on a great website Praying With Fire – http://www.prayingwithfire.org/images/Newsletter50.pdf. Activity:  Ask each student to list a favorite thing and rate it on the scale of 1-10 Close your eyes and imagine thatRead More →

By:
On:
In: Chinuch Tips

Are you looking for some hands-on science curricular materials Free: check out http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=Carolina+Biological+Supply+Co&btnG= for older versions of hands on science units that still have what to offer. Also, you can go to http://www.caboces.org/mst/science-kits for some free science kits that meet NY State standards. inexpensive: Finally, http://www.espsciencetime.org/ who have science kits which are relatively inexpensive. It might cost you more to print out the science units on your own printer than to order theirs online.Read More →