The Kohelet Prize Database

Database Entries Tagged with: Kohelet Prize 2016-17

Make for Yourself a Teacher, Find a Friend, Save the World

At Arthur I. Meyer Academy, Jocelyn Weiner used a student driven and created curricular integrative process, inspired by UbD, to create a unit to explore, research, solve, and write informational books about issues of importance in the upcoming presidential election with 18 third graders. The teacher began the unit by using Judaic and Secular text to help guide students to critically think about issues in our country and community.

By using students’ questions, wonderings, and misconceptions, the students and teacher were able to create the unit and lessons needed to solve the problem. The goal was achieved by creating individual books that provided ways to solve the issue, what Jewish text and scholars say about the problem the community was faced with, and a detailed description of the topic (according to credible, secular, age appropriate text).Jenna Sherwood, the other third grade teacher at Meyer Academy, built upon the research students did in reading in order to give a better understanding of timelines in math class

By: Ms. Jocelyn Weiner from Arthur I. Meyer Academy

Grade(s): 3, 4, 5, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: History, Literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Letters of Admiration

Students reflected upon the unique traits of leaders in Tanakh and wrote letters of recognition to modern-day figures who exemplify these traits.

By: Mrs. Shira Greenspan from Ramaz Upper School

Grade(s): 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: History, Ivrit, Literature, Tanach

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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LaHaV

We're changing how our students relate to their heritage. The LaHaV curriculum has pioneered a text-based approach to Talmud and Tanakh education that communicates the richness and relevance of Jewish tradition by exploring the principles of halakhic legal theory and asking our students to apply their learning to contemporary, real-world issues.

We’re also transforming the Judaic studies experience for teachers around the world - we’ve created a groundbreaking digital curriculum app that serves as the basis of a fully connected network of Jewish educators who share training, resources and methodologies across schools in the US, Israel, and Australia.

By: Rabbi David Stein and Rabbi Noam Weissman from Shalhevet High School

Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Gemara, Halacha, Mishnah, Tanach

Pedagogy: IBL - inquiry based learning, UBD - understanding by design

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L’Dor V’Dor: Linking Youth to Elders from the Ground Up

L’Dor V’Dor provides deep one-on-one encounters between students K-6 from Columbus Jewish Day School and Jewish and non-Jewish elders around lifecycle and holiday events. Through carefully planned and facilitated exercises, simulations, and activities, the intergenerational wisdom of elders interacts with the joy of youth among participants aged 6-106, through the use of art, music, text study, guided interactions, prayer, and more.

By: Dr. Gina Freeman from Columbus Jewish Day School

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, History, Literature, Music, Tanach, Midrash

Pedagogy: Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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Knocking Down Classroom Walls

Why should we limit our students to the knowledge of our teachers? By using Skype lessons, we bring in knowledge and experiences to our students that were unavailable to them before. I built learning experiences for our students around Skype lessons.

By: Mrs. Elyse Haber from Hebrew Academy Montreal

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Literature, Math, Science

Pedagogy: IBL - inquiry based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Kindergarten Community Library Project

Using the Design Thinking Model, the Kindergarten classes redesigned and created a more efficient and organized library based on the needs of our school community. The children researched, interviewed, and engineered in order to enhance our JPDS-NC South Campus Community Library which houses picture books, non-fiction, fiction, easy readers, Hebrew, and Jewish values books in an inviting environment which is conducive to learning and reading for fun.

By: Lisa Davis, Vas Pournaras, and Xani Pollakoff from JPDS-NC

Grade(s): K, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, History, Literature, Math, Science, Social/Emotional

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, Design Thinking Model

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Judaism Revealed

The units of the Judaism Revealed program are lessons and units utilizing the “Understanding By Design” methodology as a springboard to build a curriculum that does not sacrifice depth, meaning and Jewish content when creating a universal message for a multi-denominational elementary school audience. The lessons delve into the depth of the holiday allowing the students to taste the relevance that the holiday has for them in the 21st century.

By: Mrs. Channie Weiss from Charlotte Jewish Day School

Grade(s): 4, 5, 6, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Judaica - Chagim

Pedagogy: UBD - understanding by design

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Israeli Knesset Simulation

The Israeli Knesset Simulation is a combination of live role-playing and online virtual world interaction in which high school seniors immerse themselves in Israeli politics by becoming members of Knesset. By playing a specific character, learning the party platform, and drafting legislation through committee work, the seniors engage in Israel from the inside-out, breaking down the barriers between their education and the real world.

By: Rabbi Natan Kapustin from Abraham Joshua Heschel High School

Grade(s): 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: History, Social Studies

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Innovating Real-World Solutions in the Startup Incubator

The Adelson Educational Campus has constructed a 5000 square feet, state-of-the-art, invention and entrepreneurial workshop: the Startup Incubator.

In this space, teachers and mentors from university and industry work collaboratively with students to employ the design cycle in identifying and tackling real-world challenges. Prototyping a wide range of products from mobile apps and digital videos to IoT devices and drones, students ultimately develop not only solutions but lean startups through our relevant and progressive “Education for Life.”

By: Dr. Camille McCue, Mr. Leon Wilde, Mrs. Robin Pence, Dr. Yvonne Houy, Miss Rachel Ziter, Mr. Tobin Herringshaw, Mr. David Philippus from The Adelson Educational Campus

Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, Tanach, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics)

Pedagogy: Constructivist, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Imagine and Design Lab: Beyond the Classroom Walls

A fifth grade teacher and curriculum coordinator collaborate to develop a science unit. The children learned about inventors and inventions, specifically, how inventors solve real world problems. They designed a new unit incorporating Design Thinking to help students gain real world problem solving skills.

By: Mrs. Yonina Lermer from Yeshiva Har Torah

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Science

Pedagogy: IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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Halacha Mini Color War – Hilchot Shabbat Edition

Halacha Mini Color War (HMCW) is a week-long Hilchot Shabbat course that is designed as a color war competition between teams of high school students. HMCW facilitates real-world learning of Halacha while creating and maintaining the fun and energetic atmosphere of a Color War. Students are motivated to learn and master the material, and their mastery is assessed by their ability to successfully compete in the Color War events.

By: Rabbi Jonny Gordon from Kohelet Yeshiva High School

Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Halacha

Pedagogy: IBL - inquiry based learning, UBD - understanding by design

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Falling in Love with Breishit

It has been my goal and passion for my students to engage with the Biblical text, to find personal meaning in its wisdom, to wrestle with its many interpretations, and to internalize its messages and values.

By: Mrs. Rita Plaut from Krieger Schechter Day School

Grade(s): 8, 9, 10, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Tanach

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills, Hevruta learning for study of text

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Halacha by Action

Students use hands-on obstacle courses, field trips and models to replicate actual Halachic scenarios they are likely to find in their own lives. Students take the knowledge they have studied. research the best ways to implement it and create a life-like interaction with these Halachos.

By: Rabbi Uri Kestenbaum from Joe Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic School

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Halacha

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, PBL - project based learning

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Halacha and Technology: An Interdisciplinary, Hands-on Approach

Our senior elective, Merging Halachic Judaism with Modern Life, combines the study of and appreciation of Jewish law with the study of engineering and its principles. In the first half of the year, students learn Hilchot Shabbat and how these laws manifest in modern life. In the second half the year, students work in groups to identify and create a working prototype that merges both Halachic implications and modern technology to enhance the Shabbat experience. Students, thereby, learn to view the latest technological innovations through the prism of a religious perspective.

By: Mrs. Rifkie Silverman from The Frisch School

Grade(s): 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, Gemara, Halacha, Science

Pedagogy: Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Forces Unit

In this unit, we learned how forces cause movement in both physical and social environments. The Ontario Science Curriculum talks about direct and indirect forces (e.g. gravity, magnetism, static electricity), but we took this concept to the next level by analyzing direct and indirect forces that have an ability to cause real world movement. To do so, we integrated our Science learning with Reading, Writing, Drama, Art, Jewish Studies, Technology, and Media Literacy.

By: Miss Melissa Master from Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School

Grade(s): 3, 4, 5, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, Halacha, Literature, Science, Tanach

Pedagogy: UBD - understanding by design

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Flipped Learning: Promoting Critical and Creative Study of Tanach and Jewish Law

Powered by video instruction and analytics, this 21st century approach to teaching Tanach and Jewish Law helps students master storylines and basic concepts before coming to class. Teachers use repurposed instructional time for higher-order thinking activities (analysis, evaluation and creation), highlighted by a protocol for guided group discussion of Sefer Yehoshua and project-based learning related to the laws of kashrut.

By: Rabbi Joe Hirsch from Akiba Academy of Dallas

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Halacha, Tanach

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills, Flipped Learning

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Ancient Egypt

When beginning the study of parshat Shmot, students recall that by the end of sefer Breisheet the Hebrews dwelled in Egypt. We are reminded in the first few verses of Shmot that Jacob and his family made their way to Egypt and that Joseph already resided there. As the story unfolds, a rich understanding text can be gained from learning about ancient Egypt and seeing how its culture and environment impacted the Hebrews.

By: Ms. Lisa Richman from Perelman Jewish Day School - Stern Center

Grade(s): 5, 6, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, History, Ivrit, Tanach, Social Studies/History - Ancient Civilization

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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First Comes Wonder

What does Real World Learning mean in the elementary classroom? Making science, social studies, current events and the children's natural interests the launching point that ties together the reading, writing and math.

By: Mrs. Debra Tolchin from Yeshivat Noam

Grade(s): 1, 2, 3, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Literature, Math, Science, Limudei Kodesh - Ben Adam Lechavero

Pedagogy: UBD - understanding by design

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All School Read

Every student in our school reads the same book, author or Jewish value-themed text. Working across grades and disciplines, students develop projects synthesizing ideas related to these texts from Art, Music, Judaic studies, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. Most years we have found a partner school to widen our students' horizons and deepen their understanding of the theme or value being studied.

By: Mrs. Julia Weinstein, Mrs. Elaine Kaplan from Rockwern Academy

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, History, Literature, Music, Science, Judaic Studies (culture, history, values)

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design

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A Slave’s Journey: From Brick Making to Matza Baking

This curriculum uses the Exodus story as the foundation for the students to research and execute the making of bricks. The Pesach narrative is then used to expose the students to child labor throughout history. The bricks are used to build a working oven upon which the students baked matza and then taught the rest of the school the matza-making process.

By: Rabbi Andrea Gouze from Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island

Grade(s): 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Halacha, History, Literature, Math, Science, Tanach

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design

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