The Kohelet Prize Database

Database Entries Tagged with: Kohelet Prize 2016-17

Project-Based Learning in the Judaic Studies Classroom

The collection of lessons in our submission are examples of how we have applied project-based learning (PBL) to our Mishna and Chumash classes. In addition to having to develop the skills necessary to learn the material on their own, our students learned how to reach out to and share what they had learned with members of the broader school community, the Jewish community, and the global community. This process has brought our students to a greater appreciation of the role of the texts in their daily lives, and of their ability to take initiative in both the learning process and the practical application of what they have learned.

By: Rabbi Aaron Ross from Yavneh Academy

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

Subject(s) of entry: Tanach

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

View complete entry »

Project-Based Learning at CHDS

As we continue to improve our middle school program, we recently elected to change our learning environment to include more Real-World Learning, based on projects that better motivate students and increase their engagement. This entry describes our accomplishments so far.

By: Dr. Bernard Franks from Cincinnati Hebrew Day School

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

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

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

View complete entry »

Everyone is a Story

Student teams research the life history of an individual outside our school community and interview him/her for both educational and personal growth.

By: Mrs. Efrat Yakobi Gafni from Heschel Day School

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

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

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

View complete entry »

Project Sholom Tools for Happiness

The Project Sholom Message is that Kindness is not only something that we 'learn about', but something that is part of our daily lives.

The Project Sholom Method (catchy phrases, visual aids, role play, songs, stories and activities) give children experiences that drive home the lesson that you can be happy by making others happy. The Project Sholom Tools teach kindness skills, one at a time, in a way that is fun, easy to remember, and relevant.

By: Mrs. Miriam Gerber from Cheder Chabad of Philadelphia

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

Subject(s) of entry: Social and Emotional Education

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

View complete entry »

EVERlab

The 9th grade EVERlab unit focuses on the integration of the concepts, themes and structures from two different courses: Tanach I and Ancient World Civilizations. The unit begins with students brainstorming the overlapping content from eachcourse and moves through scaffolded design, collaboration, and critical thinking exercises in order for students to refine and deepen integrated topics they have chosen themselves. Students ultimately develop projects that demonstrate this integrated thinking.

By: Ms. Robin Gluck, Evan Wolkenstein from Jewish Community High School of the Bay

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, History, Literature, Science, Tanach, Design Thinking

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

View complete entry »

Electing a School Dugmah

During the 2016 election season, every member of the student body was involved in a mock election. The election was completely student-run and developmentally appropriate for elementary school students. The fifth grade students took the reins on the campaign for a school dugmah(leader/example).

By: Mrs. Abbye Cornfield, Mrs. Mindy Civan from Perelman Jewish Day School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, History, Literature, Math, Civics

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

View complete entry »

Dreaming with Yaakov to Search for Meaning

Dreaming with Yaakov takes learners on a journey through bibliodrama, geography, social studies, journal writing, archaeology, and art history, visual art, Tanach and Rabbinics, in order to explore what the story of Yaakov has meant to readers over the ages. The ultimate goal of which is to prepare students to see themselves as participants in the Jewish tradition of meaning making.

By: Mr. Eran Rosenberg, Ms. Susan Couden from Columbus Jewish Day School

Grade(s): 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, History, Ivrit, Literature, Tanach, Midrash, Social Studies

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

View complete entry »

Curriculum Integration Initiative

In the 2015-16 academic year we rolled out an interdisciplinary project designed to inspire an integrated approach to the multiple disciplines that are part of our school's dual curriculum. Please enjoy our Keynote presentation that will walk you through the vision, implementation, and impact of our project.

By: Mrs. Amy Horowitz, Rabbi Chaim Lanner from KYHS of South FL (formerly Weinbaum)

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

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

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning

View complete entry »

Comprehensive Digital Citizenship Curriculum

Technology today pervades every facet of life, from the refrigerator to the cell phone. In order, then, to prepare our students for well-integrated lives in the modern world, we must provide them with the psychosocial and emotional vocabulary and awareness to value, build and sustain healthy relationships; the technological skills to choose and use tools responsibly and effectively; and the Torah and Mussar (Jewish tools for self-development) skills to guide and shape their lives in accordance with their Jewish principles. We have developed an expanded, multi-year, cross-departmental curriculum based upon the most up-to-date research and most classical of Torah ethics, that reaches into every part of our educational process, teaching students directly and also via continuing education for staff and parents.

By: Mrs. Sarah Lipman, Mr. Robert Lipman, Rabbi Yisroel Pollock, Rabbi Shlomo Goldberg, Mrs. Robin Goldberg from Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov Ohr Eliyahu

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

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, Gemara, Halacha, History, Literature, Tanach, Jewish Ethics

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

View complete entry »

Carmel Academy Mitzvah Math

Imagine you’re an 8 year old student at Carmel Academy. You, along with your third grade classmates, are in a toy store, each with $50 in your pocket, money you worked so heard to earn through a class-wide reading challenge. You can spend the money on anything you like, but you cannot spend one penny more than you have. You use your best judgement to choose wisely, you use your estimating skills to make sure you will have enough money when you go to pay, and you carefully count your change from the cashier to make sure it is correct. You board the bus back to school with bags and bags of toys. What happens next exemplifies the true meaning of tzedakah...

By: Mrs. Hilary Machlis, Mrs. Robin Shainberg from Carmel Academy

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

Subject(s) of entry: Literature, Math, Tanach, Social Studies

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning

View complete entry »

Practicing Real World Skills Through a Revolutionary Service Learning Program

At CCJDS, we teach our children that their words and actions have the power to make change in this world. We believe that as they grow and learn academically, so too should our children explore what it means to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others. Through our school-wide, cross-curriculum SHIR HaLev program, students embark on a yearlong service project in the spirit of the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

By: Ms. Hadas Rave from Contra Costa Jewish Day 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: Art, Ivrit, Literature, Science, Tanach, Jewish Studies, Jewish Values, Tikkun Olam, Social/Emotional Development

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

View complete entry »

Passion Learning for Elementary Schools

Kindergarten through 5th grade students exercise already existing passions or new interests in multi-age/grade elective classes. Electives span such disciplines as sports, computer programming, engineering, robotics, culinary arts, fine arts, the environment, etc...

By: Ms. Allison Oakes from Sandra E. Lerner Jewish Community Day School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, Literature, Math, Music, Science, Also, physical education, Jewish life, environment, strategic thinking

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

View complete entry »

Parashat HaShavua Class

This course blends technology with traditional text study and shifts the teacher-driven model to a teacher-facilitator and student-driven/project based learning model. Each week, the parasha of the week is studied through unique student creations in which they are challenged to produce content related to the parsha of the week. The students learn new independent skills including Torah research and writing, and collaboration. as well as utilizing powerful digital tools to produce engaging, contemporary, and sophisticated compositions on the weekly parasha.

By: Rabbi Effie Kleinberg from Bnei Akiva Schools

Grade(s): 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Tanach

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

View complete entry »

Non-Fiction Research about Teeth

In this lesson, student use skills learned to navigate non-fiction texts in order to do research and learn facts about teeth. This topic is relevant to first grade students as they often begin losing their baby teeth at this stage of life, and it provides them with the scientific reasoning behind this occurrence.

By: Miss Hillary Edelson from SAR Academy

Grade(s): 1, 2, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Literature, Science

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

View complete entry »

Nicely Sliced Lunch Business

Our middle school students run a hot lunch business for the students and staff of the school on Fridays, in which they prepare and serve over 100 meals from a menu including grilled sandwiches, soup, salads and pasta. The students manage every aspect of the business, including finances, inventory, customer service, marketing, and vendor relations. The proceeds go to pay for the middle school spring trip, for tsedaka, and other classroom projects. We are on our fourth year of this very successful business.

By: Ms. Monica Morris from Yeshivat Netivot Montessori

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

Subject(s) of entry: Business Experience

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

View complete entry »

Mrs. K and the Food Festival

To help students explore real-world uses of decimal arithmetic, and also to encourage team building and creativity, I introduce this 2-part challenge to my Math students. First, in groups, they create thematic pop up restaurants for their classmates. In the second part, each student is given a random guest amount and is directed to calculate total costs for their orders from each restaurant to plan for a catering event.

By: Mrs. Sari Kopitnikoff from Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey

Grade(s): 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Math

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

View complete entry »

Benainu בינינו (Between Us)

Benainu is Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Day School’s holistic and comprehensive health and wellness program. Led by internal staff, with a strong home-school connection, Benainu considers the wellbeing of the whole child—the physical, spiritual, moral, social, and emotional parts that form the students we love. Through this program, we equip our middle school students with the knowledge, skills, and guidance they need to effectively navigate the complexities of adolescent life and provide them with the foundation from which they can continue to have private, personal and meaningful conversations with trusted adults throughout their years at Beth Tfiloh and beyond.

By: Mrs. Victoria Hervitz from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Day School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Science, Health, Ethics

Pedagogy:

View complete entry »

Moot Beit Din versus Moot Court

With the right teacher, the study of Jewish Law and the Jewish Legal System (Mishna and Gemara) is exciting, insightful, and extremely relevant to contemporary issues. What most students do not know is that British Common Law (the source for the U.S. and Canadian Legal Systems) has its basis in Jewish Law. Moot Court versus Moot Beit Din is a program that takes composite, real life legal problems, and divides students into two teams who research, recreate, and present each side of the case before both a Beit Din and a civil court giving the students incredible real world experiences.

By: Rabbi Chaim Goldenberg from Akiva Academy

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

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

Pedagogy: Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning

View complete entry »

Mock Beit Din

The mock Beit Din serves as a final exam, capping off a year of studying numerous cases surrounding the same theme -- in my case, the concept of mamon ha-mutal b’safek -- financial disputes between litigants. While the year begins with one mishnah providing one din, it ends with many variations on that theme. The mock Beit Din serves to demonstrate to the students the practical applications of the cases and laws studied, making the material actual and relevant to their lives - rather than dry and impractical.

By: Rabbi Ira Kosowsky from Berman Hebrew Academy

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

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

Pedagogy: UBD - understanding by design

View complete entry »

Medical Geography

A Medical-Based approach to ecology. Ecology is an important branch of biology, and has led to many important discoveries and developments in healthcare, agriculture, genetics, and anthropology. However, for elementary school students, this information can be made more relevant to their everyday lives by making the connection to, and describing the significant impact ecology has in, modern day medicine.

By: Mrs. Gittel Grant from Jewish Foundation School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Halacha

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

View complete entry »