The Kohelet Prize Database

Database Entries Tagged with: Middle School

Keva Vs Kavanah: The Trial of the Millennium

Middle school students learn Rabbinic texts about prayer’s structure, purpose, and origins, while simultaneously evaluating their own relationship with Tefillah in a reflection journal. The entire unit builds to a trial created by the students and presided over by a panel of local community rabbis, pitting Keva Tefillah against Kavanah Tefillah.

By: Sarah Zollman from Carmel Academy

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

Subject(s) of entry: Gemara, Mishnah, Social and Emotional Learning, Tanach, Tefila

Pedagogy: Hevruta Learning, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

Mishnah Sukkah: Design Challenge

Heather Kantrowitz has developed a project based unit on Mishnah Sukkah that has become an integral part of Austin Jewish Academy’s seventh grade program. Students learn Mishnah Sukkah and then build model-size sukkot based on the descriptions in the Mishna, and it has evolved to include a design challenge and writing component.

By: Heather Kantrowitz from Austin Jewish Academy

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

Subject(s) of entry: Engineering

Pedagogy: Constructivist

View complete entry »

From History to memory

An innovative program in our middle school: a multi-disciplinary. multi-grade curriculum that will help our students understand the meaning of Holocaust. We currently are implement a new curriculum for each grade of middle school includes projects, meaningful first-person accounts and personal student reflections.

By: Stephenie Samuels , Jack Fidler, Megan Hemliton , Roberta Writh , Barak Cerf, Benji Hain , Hal Borkow, Dana Bar-or , from Maimonides

Grade(s): 6, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts

Pedagogy: PBL - project based learning

View complete entry »

Towards an Environment of Personalization: The Academic Coaches Program

The Academic Coaches program connects each student to one caring, natural adult mentor in the school building able to provide both academic support and a more personal account of student development to other teachers and administration, while helping students develop goals and foster their own self advocacy skills.

By: David Teller from Fuchs Mizrachi School

Grade(s): 9, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa

Pedagogy: Constructivist

View complete entry »

Art as a Lens to the Holocaust and Genocide: The Legacy Project

Middle schoolers become researchers, artists, historians, and storytellers, exploring memorials and monuments through an integrated year-long study in Judaism, Fine Arts, and Humanities. This project-focused learning fosters deep understanding and engagement about the Holocaust on a personal level as well as within a deeper global context.

By: Colleen Simon, Rhiannon Van Bindsbergen from Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford

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

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, History, Literature, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Soulful Education, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

Connecting the Unconnected

“Connecting the Unconnected” is a collaborative learning experience that brings together sixth through eighth grade students at six Jewish day schools in small Jewish communities to connect Jewish history and values with social justice, civil rights, and American and Israeli heritage through classroom learning and real-world experiences.

By: Denise Bennett, Rabbi Amanda Brodie, Liora Chessin, Carolyn Hawks, David Prevositi, Matthew Russ from Friedel Jewish Academy, Ezra Academy, N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, B'nai Shalom Day School, Hillel Community Day School, The Lippman School

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

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, History, Literature, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social Studies, Technology

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, Flipped Learning, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

From Landfill To Life Filled – Applying Israeli innovation to an interdisciplinary project-based learning experience

Hebrew Academy Miami RASG middle school students participated in a interdisciplinary project based learning experience with a global component. They integrated math and entrepreneurial skills, environmental science, tech tools and Hebrew language in order to design a solution for a global environmental issue and do Tikun Olam.

By: Meirav Kravetz, Marie Angie Lopez, Javier Gonzalez from Miami Hebrew Academy RASG

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

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Economics/ Business, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Ivrit, Math, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Science, Technology

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, Language Immersion, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design

View complete entry »

Balancing a Checkbook by Adding & Subtracting Decimals

Each student was given a fake check book. The students learned how to correctly write out checks, using the proper format. They got to experience balancing a checkbook by adding and subtracting decimals when making fake purchases and deposits.

By: Lisa Shamus from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Middle School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Math

Pedagogy: Blended Learning

View complete entry »

Film Festival in Bloom

The goal of the fifth grade film festival project is to develop critical thinking across the curriculum by integrating the use of Bloom’s taxonomy in a project that encompasses writing, researching, technology, math, environmental science, and service.

By: Kim Sivick, Jodi Deichman from Katz Hillel Day School

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

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Math, Science, Technology, literature

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

View complete entry »

Am I My Brother’s Keeper? From The Torah to S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders

You Be The Judge: What does Jewish Law say should happen to Ponyboy Curtis? An exploration and analysis of S.E. Hinton’s American Classic, The Outsiders

By: Jenessa Scwhartz, Jamie Zimmer from Yavneh Day School

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

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Halacha, Mishnah, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tanach, literature

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Hevruta Learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Wholebrain Teaching, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

Student Centered Chumash Class

Differentiated instruction is crucial in education, because every student should be given the opportunity to maximize his/her potential. Shifting my Chumash class into a more student-centered one has helped me reach this goal. In this model, students play an active role in their learning, and they produce work that demonstrates authentic learning.

By: Zehava Greenwald from Bruriah Junior High

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: Tanach, Technology

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, Flipped Learning, Hevruta Learning, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

True Tefila

In the aftermath of hurricane Irma, our school building sustained significant damage, forcing the relocation of the entire middle school. The students responded to the chaos of the new learning environment with an unrelenting determination of meaningful prayer. This response, was an outgrowth of the foundation for Tefila established in our class.

By: Miriam Blackstein LaTova from Brauser Maimonides Academy, Westchester 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: Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology, Tefila

Pedagogy: Experiential Education, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Soulful Education, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

Scheduling Circus

Creating a school schedule is difficult. Furthermore, creating a schedule that works for 14 multi-age, multi-level, individual students with very different academic and social-emotional needs, seems nearly impossible. It was through a journey of taking great risks and reflecting on failures that brought our classroom the schedule(s) we all needed.

By: Amy Morford from Arevim Schoolhouse

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, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Halacha, History, Ivrit, Math, Mishnah, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Physical Education/Health, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tefila, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, Montessorri, Social and Emotional Learning, Wholebrain Teaching, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

Are You ‘Board’ with Traditional Lesson Plans? GAME ON!

GameOn! provides students with innovative skills they use to create board games based on their mastery of a particular topic. Students transform their knowledge of any subject into a tool used by other students. Creating a website, we connected classrooms across the globe through educational game play and development.

By: Stephanie Teitelbaum and Lauren Resnick from Martin J. Gottlieb 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, Computer Science, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Math, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Technology, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, Gamification, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Wholebrain Teaching, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

View complete entry »

3D Halacha

In this high school Judaic elective class, students learned spatially-related Jewish law while concurrently learning 3D design software. The combination of these two disciplines allowed students to explore difficult Jewish concepts often skipped in day schools, as well as master the incredibly marketable 21st Century skill of 3D design. In this one-year curriculum, 3D software became a powerful tool for empowering students in their Judaic Studies.

By: Ari Kelleman from Robert M. Beren Academy

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

Subject(s) of entry: Halacha, Mishnah, 3D Design

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

View complete entry »