The Kohelet Prize Database

Database Entries Tagged with: Project-Based Learning

Mishkeh Mechanic/Success Strategist

Eighth grade students completed a project in STEM class, documenting throughout using the SeeSaw app's video and picture abilities, and crafted a non-fiction “narrative" in Language Arts class, where they followed the Teshuva process to "realize," and thus capitalize upon, their mistakes.

By: Srividhya Sundaram, Ariella Landy from Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

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: Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology

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

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Alternative Energy Exploration Unit

This integrated writing and science unit focuses on energy, and asks the driving question “How and why should we use energy wisely?” Students investigate what energy is, where it comes from, and how we use it. They conduct research on sustainable fuels, write persuasive essays advocating for the use of a particular source of energy, design billboard advertisements for their chosen energy source, and participate in a debate judged by industry experts on different forms of sustainable energy. Finally, students design and create their own tikkun olam service-learning projects to make a positive difference in our community’s use of energy.

By: Ms. Rebecca Sheinbaum from Denver 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: Literature, Mishnah, Science

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

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Bamidbar Values Letter

In what may have been the most rewarding experience of my career, students chose three values learned from Sefer Bamidbar and wrote letters of gratitude to their parents for already helping them learn these values throughout their lives. Simultaneously, parents wrote value letters to their daughters. Parents and daughters exchanged letters on the same day in what ended up being a meaningful and emotional expression of what we hold dearest.

By: Mrs. Shira Greenspan from Ramaz Upper School

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

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

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

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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

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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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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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