Engage Your Students with a Catchy Hebrew Song and Dance Beat!

 

Hey fellow educators!

I recently stumbled upon a fantastic way to bring energy and excitement into my Hebrew classes – a catchy tune with a dance beat that gets students out of their seats and into dance mode! Not only is it a blast, but it's also an excellent way to reinforce Hebrew language skills.

The song, titled אִלּוּ יְהוּדִי הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ (If Only a a Jew knew), features easy-to-understand Hebrew words that students are already familiar with. The repetition of phrases like "תּוֹדָה רַבָּה!" (Thank you very much) adds a positive and grateful tone to the song.

1. Personal Touch: There's even a section where students can add their own line about what makes them excited to be Jewish. This personal touch fosters creativity and a sense of connection to their cultural identity.

Feel free to give it a try in your classroom, and let the joy of music and movement enhance your Hebrew lessons. I can't wait to hear how your students respond to this lively and educational experience!

Wishing you a harmonious and dance-filled learning journey!

Introducing Torah Top Trumps! Print it or make it your own!

Shalom, fellow educators! Today, I am thrilled to share a delightful educational game that has added a unique spark to my teaching toolkit: Torah Top Trumps. This engaging card game not only imparts valuable knowledge but also encourages creativity and collaboration. In the spirit of sharing, I invite you to adopt this game and empower your students to craft their own Torah-themed masterpieces. Let's dive into the world of Torah Top Trumps and discover how it can transform your classroom experience!

The Genesis of Torah Top Trumps:

Torah Top Trumps is more than just a game; it's a creative journey into the heart of Jewish teachings. Inspired by the classic Top Trumps card game, I saw an opportunity to infuse the rich narratives of the Torah into an interactive and enjoyable learning experience. The result? A captivating game that sparks curiosity and brings the timeless wisdom of the Torah to life.

How It Works:

Just like the traditional Top Trumps game, Torah Top Trumps is a card game that challenges players to compare different attributes. In this case, each card features a Torah character, story, or concept, with various attributes such as wisdom, courage, and historical significance. Players engage in friendly competition, comparing attributes and strategizing to win rounds.

Encouraging Student Involvement:

The beauty of Torah Top Trumps lies in its adaptability. I encourage you to bring your students into the creative process. Imagine the excitement as they research, discuss, and carefully choose attributes for their own Torah cards. This not only deepens their understanding of the Torah but also nurtures a sense of ownership and pride in their creation.

Why Torah Top Trumps?

1. **Interactive Learning:** The game actively involves students in exploring Torah narratives, fostering a deeper connection to the teachings.

2. **Critical Thinking:** Players analyze and compare attributes, promoting critical thinking skills and strategic decision-making.

3. **Creative Expression:** Crafting their own Torah Top Trumps cards allows students to express their creativity and personalize their learning experience.

4. **Collaboration:** Encourage group activities where students collaborate to create a comprehensive set of Torah cards, promoting teamwork and shared knowledge.

Sharing the Joy:

I am delighted to extend an invitation to fellow educators and enthusiasts to adopt Torah Top Trumps in their classrooms. The game is a powerful tool for making Torah studies not only informative but also enjoyable. Feel free to use the template, adapt it to suit your curriculum, and witness the transformative impact it can have on your students.

 Happy playing and learning!

Elevate Your Hebrew Conversations at Home with a Fun Game!

Shalom, language enthusiasts! If you've ever found yourself struggling to maintain Hebrew conversations at home, fret not! I've discovered an exciting and engaging way to boost your language skills, all while having a blast. As an educator passionate about promoting Hebrew language learning, I've incorporated a unique weekly assignment for my students: a Hebrew conversation game. What's more, with the help of Canva's AI tool, I've effortlessly translated and customized the game to cater to our linguistic needs. 

In my quest to make Hebrew learning enjoyable and practical, I stumbled upon a fantastic feature on Canva. The AI tool not only simplifies the translation process but also preserves the formatting, making it a game-changer for language educators like myself. The ease of use has allowed me to take an existing English game and transform it into a Hebrew game with just a few clicks. Customizing the Game: One particular game caught my eye, and with a creative twist, I've turned it into the perfect tool to encourage Hebrew conversations at home. The game, originally in English, is now a platform for my students to practice their language skills playfully. Whether it's vocabulary building, sentence formation, or engaging in casual dialogues, this game covers it all.

Bring the HQ Trivia Craze to your classroom!

My students, my children, and my friends were all talking about HQ.  If I create an HQ game for my students with questions which are relevant to the learning, I knew that II will have buy-in!

HQ Trivia, the  live trivia game show with cash prizes in which anyone can win if they stay in until the very end! For the first Torah Champs event, I prepared a HQ Game and the energy was amazing! The kids were playing using paper  "score slides" with the questions being presented on the TV screens with me trying to impersonate the comedian Scott Rogowski, the famous HQ host.

Here is the HQ Presentation I had on the screen. 

I downloaded the Google slides presentation into Power Point and I printed 3 slides on a page with the question number and only the answers. that way students need to wait to hear the question.

The students knew the material really well so almost everyone made it to the end!

Learn Trop on Quizlet

My 4th grade students are ready to learn Torah with trop. I prepared this Quizlet course to help them master the טעמי המקרא the most common notes and combinations. With Quizlet Teacher I am able to add a voice recording so that student can see the term a picture of the music note and hear a recording of  the note being sung.
https://quizlet.com/_4hawbt
https://quizlet.com/_4hawbt

Basketball In Hebrew

Recess is what is on the minds of so many students while sitting at their desks waiting and dreaming of the opportunity to get up and run around. What if some of the learning can be done more effectively by having the students  run around? Well, in an article in The New York Times, titled: 

How Exercise Could Help You Learn a New Language, the article presents:

 that working out during a language class amplifies people’s ability to memorize, retain and understand new vocabulary. The findings provide more evidence that to engage our minds, we should move our bodies.

The article then laments that movement isn't always practicle because schools don't have the budget to provide stationary bikes for all the students.

Well, my school has beautiful basketball courts and leaving the indoor classroom to the great outdoors on the rare warm day in February was  a real treat. We played a 5 on 5 for 30 min with designated callers to remind everyone of the new basketball vocabulary and the students stayed in the target language throughout. We played basketball in Hebrew!

Here is the sheet I prepared:

Hebrew Twister

I added a game to my Ulpan game box:משחק פלונטר Plonter-Hebrew Twister.
Learn the colors, body, directions and emotions. Just print the card add a spinner to it and students can independently play with each other giving Hebrew instructions. Advanced players can add emotions: יד ימין על אדום עם פנים כועסות (the player has to make the face while playing).