Lesson

Abby Mudd: Standing Up to Anti-Semitism

Queen Esther needed courage to stand up and protect her people.  Following her example, Abby Mudd stood up to her classmates when she encountered antisemitism at her new school and reached out to community organizations to bring about change.  Consider the challenges and risks each faced, and practice speaking out in difficult situations.  $0.00$0.00Abby Mudd walked nervously to the front of the class, her heart beating so fast and loud that it felt as if the other students could hear it pounding in her chest. The Massachusetts tenth-grader feared speaking out, but after seven months of enduring antisemitic slurs, she knew she couldn't stay silent. Abby took a deep breath. "I never understood how difficult it could be to be a minority until I came to school here," Abby said, addressing a group of 11th and 12th graders. "Much have they distressed me since my youth, but they have never conquered me." Psalms 129:2 Lesson Summary:  Students will compare Abby Mudd’s heroism to the model of courage exemplified by Queen Esther. Students will consider what each young woman had to gain and lose by taking a stand. Students will also practice speaking up against acts of racism and antisemitism. Printable Lesson:  6602lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Worksheet Hebrew Article Additional Resources:  ADL Confronting Anti-Semitism Project http://www.adl.org/cas/default.asp

Megillah Myth Busters!

Which of these "facts" about the story of Purim are completely made up?  Believe it or not, these answers are based on classical midrashim. Quotes from the sources are found in the download.    $0.00$0.00So you think you know the true Purim story well? Think again. Our team of mad megillah scientists has discovered some way-out-there midrashim which say that some of the well-known megillah facts are simply urban legends! But now, we have a serious problem. Like most mad scientists, our scientists have gone mad too! Yep, they've gone bonkers and they've mixed up all of their unusual megillah facts with stuff that's completely not true! 100% MYTHS! Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, you will find the traditional Jewish texts from which the correct answers in the spread are derived. You may use these sources as you study the spoof page, to prepare a "Believe It Or Not!" sheet to distribute to the school or congregation before the Megillah reading, or as the basis for a Purim shpiel. Printable Lesson:  6608lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Adrenaline

Science-loving students will love learning about what happens to us mentally and physically when we experience an adrenaline rush. In the accompanying lesson on the value of ometz lev (courage), students will use biblical stories to identify where our strength and courage come from.   $0.00$0.00ADRENALINE IN ACTION *An 8-year-old girl was playing with friends in North Carolina. She saw a rottweiler dog jump on her 3-year-old neighbor and ran to the child's aid, pulling the child from the jaws of the vicious animal. *An emergency medical technician in New Jersey reported that he witnessed a woman lift a car to rescue her child who was pinned underneath. "The entire world is a very narrow bridge, but the main thing is not to fear at all." Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav Lesson Summary:  Lesson Plan #1: Using different Biblical texts, this lesson looks at where our strength comes from and how that relates to our spiritual adrenaline. Students will dramatize Biblical stories to help them determine the sources for spiritual adrenaline. Lesson Plan #2 (below): By engaging in a brief creative writing assignment, students will see how the control of our ingrained tendencies, inclinations, or biological responses (the “yetzer hara”) leads to gevurah (heroism). Printable Lesson:  Lesson Plan #1 Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet for Lesson Plan #1 Lesson Plan #2 Source Sheet for Lesson Plan #2

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Humble. Pursuits.

Inspire your students with this interview with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Then work with your students to create an inspirational plaque for their work area (similar to the one described by Justice Ginsburg in the article) that incorporates a piece of Jewish text. $0.00$0.00When former President Bill Clinton asked Ruth Bader Ginsburg why he should appoint her to the Supreme Court, she didn't immediately reply. "I never thought I'd be here," Ginsburg, then a federal judge, shyly admitted, "sitting in front of the president of the United States talking about whether I should be on the Supreme Court." She then explained how she thought she might help end the bitter divisions on the high court over controversial issues. "God guides the humble in justice and teaches the humble God's path." Psalms 25:9 Lesson Summary:  Students will create a definition of the word “humility” by considering the personality traits that humble people possess. Students will create an inspirational plaque for their work area (similar to the one described by Justice Ginsburg in the article) that incorporates a piece of Jewish text. Printable Lesson:  5603lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  List of BabagaNewz Values

The Whispering Wall

This article tells the story of the Kotel through the voice of a hyssop plant. Read it with your students in honor of Yom Yerushalayim or  when teaching a unit on Jerusalem or Jewish prayer.    $0.00$0.00They call this the Wailing Wall, but I really think it should be called the Whispering Wall. The women who come to pray here whisper a lot more than they wail or cry. They bring old prayer books and they whisper in many languages that I don't understand. Then again, what do I know? I am only a simple hyssop bush, growing out of the Western Wall where the women pray. Once, a long time ago, I saw men cry. They were the soldiers who came here in 1967 to reclaim the city of Jerusalem. They threw their arms up against the Wall. They cried loud sobs of joy and gratitude. "The Kotel, hyssop, and sadness. The Kotel lead, and blood." From the Israeli song "Hakotel" by Yossi Gamzu Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will analyze the narrative choice of the hyssop; consider the Biblical and contemporary uses of hyssop; and identify other ways in which plants are used by humankind. Through this study, students will recognize the humbling nature of human dependence on and need for plants and the environment. Printable Lesson:  5608lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  Canfei Nesharim http://www.canfeinesharim.org Live pictures of the Kotel http://www.aish.com/wallcam/Window_on_the_Wall.asp The Western Wall Heritage Foundation http://english.thekotel.org

Banned in Biology

Students will read about the debate between evolution and creationism. Students will then study the story of Creation and a Talmudic text to help them consider how both the theories of evolution and Intelligent Design can coexist within traditional Jewish belief. $0.00$0.00  Lesson Summary:  Students will study the story of Creation and a Talmudic text to help them consider how both the theories of evolution and ID can coexist within traditional Jewish belief. Printable Lesson:  5609lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Definitions Bereishit

Jewish Hip-Hop in 'da House

This article describes how Jewish hip-hop artists Matisyahu and Brimstone127 use their music to express truths about the world. In the accompanying lesson, students will listen to a song by Matisyahu and consider the meaning of truth by analyzing the lyrics. $0.00$0.00Since it first hit the streets of New York in the late 1970s, hip-hop has been putting truth to music. Many of the original rap and hip-hop pioneers wrote songs about growing up in tough places. Their music was an urban form of "street poetry" that, despite its quick popularity, many music critics simply dismissed as a crude fad. How wrong they were! Today, we know that the truth, spoken through hip-hop verses, is more popular than ever. "My word is like a hammer, like a shattering rock./Crack through your heart and take the evil apart." From "Refugee" by Matisyahu Lesson Summary:  Students will listen to a song by Matisyahu, one of the artists from the article, and consider the meaning of truth by analyzing the lyrics. As a class, students will create a hip-hop song that represents truths from their own lives. Printable Lesson:  4606lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet "Got No Water" Lyrics Additional Resources:  Brimstone127’s web site: http://www.brimstone127.com Matisyahu’s web site: http://www.matismusic.com

Lying

This article looks at thephysical signs exhibited whensomeone lies, and the sciencebehind the use of lie-detectors.In this lesson, studentswill learn about the Biblicalsign of improper speech(tzara’at) and discover whattraits they see when someoneis lying. $0.00$0.00  LIAR, LIAR * People tend to broadcast their true feelings through the upper part of the face. * When a person is being dishonest, certain tissues in the nose swell. * Liars tend to blink less than those telling the truth. TRUTH BE TOLD "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is for but a moment." Proverbs 12:19 Lesson Summary:  Students will learn about the Biblical sign of improper speech (tzara’at) and discover what traits they see when someone is lying. Printable Lesson:  4607lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  A more in-depth discussion of the science of lying http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SU/lying599.html Tips for detecting lies http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php More about the science of a polygraph http://science.howstuffworks.com/question123.htm

Protecting Anonymous Sources

Should reporters reveal anonymous sources?  American law and Jewish law have difering perspectives.  Students can use the guidelines on lashon ha-ra, evil or slanderous speech, to develop their own set of ethical guidelines for journalists. $0.00$0.00  Lesson Summary:  Students will study Jewish texts and act as editors determining content for their publications as a means of exploring this issue. Printable Lesson:  4601lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Proposals Sheet Chofetz Chaim Guidelines

Matt Jeffers: Standing Proud

Matt Jeffers overcame the challenge of being born with dwarfism to excel on the basketball court. By recognizing his limitations and celebrating his talents, Matt embodies the value of sameah b’h elko, personal satisfaction. In the accompanying  lesson, students will explore the relationship between challenges and strengths and reflect on ways to celebrate who they are. $0.00$0.00  Matt Jeffers felt the stares burning into his back as he raced onto the basketball court the first day of camp. "What is he doing here?" the kids thought as they gaped at 3-foot-10-inch Matt--a ninth-grader the size of your average second-grader. But when game play began, his campmates quickly learned that Matt's height is not as much of a shortcoming as they thought. Playing point guard, he darts between the other players, steals the ball, dribbles it with lightning speed across the court and passes it to a teammate who scores. "Do not look at the container, rather what is inside of it." Pirkei Avot 4:27 Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will explore the relationship between challenges and strengths and reflect on ways to celebrate who they are. Printable Lesson:  3602lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party Planner

Students will learn how a little creativity and thought can help emphasize the "mitzvah" part of B'nai Mitzvah celebrations and enhance the overall simhah (joy) of the event. $0.00$0.00  Pick a Date So, you don't get to pick the date, but there's a lot about your bar/bat mitzvah that you can decide. Alex and Sophie do a lot of things together. Right now, the twins are busy planning their b'not mitzvah. They discussed the Torah portion together, picked a mitzvah project, and found a theme to combine them. "Our entire family, even my younger brother and sister, was involved," says Sophie. "Have the wisdom to show restraint." Proverbs 23:4 Lesson Summary:  Students will learn how a little creativity and thought can help emphasize the "mitzvah" part of B'nai Mitzvah celebrations and enhance the overall simhah (joy) of the event. Printable Lesson:  3608lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet MItzvot and Values List Party Cards

Marissa Jaret Winokur: Don't Just Say It, Spray It!

Marissa Jaret Winokur, who starred in the Broadway production "Hairspray," talks about her successful acting career. Marissa appreciateswhat she has, and lives life by being true to herself. In the accompanying lesson, students will reflect on their personal traits and write self-portrait poems to identify internal sources of personal satisfaction. $0.00$0.00  At Broadway's Neil Simon Theater, the lights go down, the curtain goes up, and the audience sits mesmerized by Marissa Jaret Winokur, a short, plump woman with outrageous attire, enormous hair, and astonishing talent. In her Tony Award-winning lead role as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, Marissa belts out catchy lyrics and performs incredible choreographic feats, while showing that a big girl can achieve big dreams. "Don't hold me back," she aptly sings in her opening number, "cause today all my dreams will come true." "I have been happy [with what You gave me], and have made others happy with it." Rashi on Devarim 26:14 Lesson Summary:  Students will reflect on their personal traits and write self-portrait poems to celebrate themselves.   Printable Lesson:  3604lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Self Portrait Poems

The Wealthy Kids of Kibbutz Bet Yisrael

Share this article about Kibbutz Bet Yisrael with your students. The children of this urban kibbutz reflect on the ways that their lives are enriched by living in a communal structure and participating in both kibbutz life and the surrounding community. In the accompanying lesson, students will play a game in which they learn the value of working as a community. $0.00$0.00Like every kid in the world, Mendy Applebaum, age 10, desperately wanted to see the new Harry Potter movie the day it opened, but there was no guarantee he'd be able to go. The Applebaums are members of Kibbutz Bet Yisrael, an urban kibbutz which shares everything, including cars. If someone else needed a car for something more important, Mendy and his friends would be forced to see the film another day. "When you eat the labor of your hands, happy will you be and all will be well with you." Psalms 128:2 Lesson Summary:  Students will play a game in which they learn the value of working as a community. Printable Lesson:  3610lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  Israel Idealism in Action http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/israeldiary/Israeli_Idealism_in_Action.asp Information on the new kibbutz movement: http://www.zionism-israel.com/city_communes_kibbutz.htm About Kibbutz Bet Yisrael: http://www.reut.org.il

Satiety

That feeling of fullness doesn't come out of nowhere. Learn about the reactions caused by your brain telling you to eat... or to stop eating! It's not just about food. Judaism teaches one to be sameah behelko, satisfied with what we have. What is your recipe for being aware of and happy with what you have? $0.00$0.00  FILL'ER UP *Americans eat 7,620 chickens per minute. *Americans consume more than 2 billion pounds of chocolate each year. *The average person will digest around 50 tons of food in a lifetime. GUT REACTION "And you shall eat and you shall be satisfied and you shall bless God." Devarim 8:10 Lesson Summary:  Students will examine the concept of sameah b'helko through the metaphors of food and nutrition by constructing recipes for satiety. Printable Lesson:  Satiety lesson plan Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Army Recruiters Target Students

In this activity students will use a Jewsih perspective to create an opinion piece - either a political cartoon or public service announcement - to express their views about the ethics of recruiting young people for military service.  $0.00$0.00Pumping his arms with explosive power, the soldier bangs out 100 rapid-fire push-ups, while the crowd cheers the few hardy volunteers who manage to keep up with him. Amidst the excitement, military recruiters mingle and distribute enlistment pamphlets. And yet, despite highly visible recruitment kiosks like this one, the all-volunteer U.S. Army struggles to meet its enlistment quotas. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), high schools receiving federal funds must give military recruiters access to students' personal information. Lesson Summary:  Students will create an opinion piece - either a political cartoon or public service announcement - to express their views about allowing the United States Department of Defense access to personal information of teenagers for recruitment purposes. Secondly, students will use their work to consider whether it is ethical to target certain populations for recruitment. Printable Lesson:  3601lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  Leave My Child Alone: www.leavemychildalone.org US Defense Department's recruitment web site: http://www.todaysmilitary.com Information about the Student Privacy Protection Act: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ufpj/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1011

Pass It On

Students will read a fun story in which the main character turns a punishment into a community service project. In the lesson, students will respond to the story by creating "graffiti walls" to enhance their understanding of tikkun olam. $0.00$0.00My sister Mindy stopped dead in her tracks and threw her arm in front of me, as if I were about to be hit by a truck. I nearly dropped the bag of warm bagels we were bringing home for Sunday lunch. Lesson Summary:  Students will respond to the story, class discussion, and Jewish texts by creating "graffiti walls" to enhance their understanding of tikkun olam. Printable Lesson:  2609lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Thought Questions English Graphic Organizer Hebrew Graphic Organizer Additional Resources:  Jacqueline Dembar Greene's web site: http://www.jdgbooks.com/index.htm

Zach Solomon: Sweet Success

What is the relationship between ice cream and tikkun olam? For Zach Solomon, the connection was made when he learned Ben & Jerry's was partnering with an organization that provided job training for at-risk youth. He put the two together and raised the funds to open a training scoop shop.  He has the satisfaction of helping teens turn their lives around--and free ice cream. Your class will brainstorm ways to perform tikkun olam, and how best to preserve the dignity of those being helped. $0.00$0.00The sweet smell of freshly baked waffle cones invites you into the store, and you glance up at the list of funky ice cream flavors: Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, Chunky Monkey. "The highest level [of tzedakah] is the one who supports the hand of a Jew and...creates work for that person." Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the poor 10:7 Lesson Summary:  Students will play a game to help them brainstorm creative and unconventional ways to engage in tikkun olam. Printable Lesson:  2602lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Noun Sheet 26HA.pdf

Chaos Theory

This article describes chaos theory and how scientists cannot always make accuratepredictions because initial variables cannot always be measured. In this lesson, students will experiment with coin tosses and initiate a penny drive to explore how small change can make a difference. $0.00$0.00  RIPPLE EFFECTS * The gravitational attraction of a single electron at the edge of the known universe (10 billion light years away) is sufficient to cause an oxygen molecule on Earth to miss a predicted destination molecule within one hundred millionth of a second. * It is impossible to predict mathematically whether a coin toss will land heads or tails up in a coin flip, because there are too many complex factors involved. * A tiny change in a virus in African monkeys triggered the AIDS virus epidemic in humans around the world. "One mitzvah leads to another mitzvah." Pirkei Avot 4:2 Lesson Summary:  Students will experiment with coin tosses and initiate a penny drive to explore how small change can make a difference. Printable Lesson:  2606lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet "The Penny Harvest" from Tell Me a Mitzvah by Danny Siegel Results Chart Additional Resources:  Chaos Theory (deeper explanation for adults): http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html Another explanation of Chaos Theory: http://www.kids.net.au/encyclopedia-wiki/ch/Chaos_theory

Ruth Messinger: Extreme Global Makeover

Ruth Messinger of AJWS talks about the Jewish responsibility to care for communities around the world.  Studying texts relating to tikkun olam will help students apply the concepts to their own lives and be more involkved in their communities. $0.00$0.00  The ramshackle tent city in Darfur (southwestern Sudan) seems endless, much like the terrifying tales Ruth Messinger hears from the African farmers who have fled there. They recount horrifying tales of destruction carried out by the Janjaweed, a marauding Arab militia sent by Sudan's ruling Muslim government to crush Darfur's rebellious inhabitants. Although sickness and malnutrition spread rapidly through the tent city, Ruth refuses to sit idly by. She has resolved to make a difference in Darfur and has raised over $500,000 to aid its people. "If you see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it, then you have found a piece of the world that God has left for you to complete." Rabbi Menachem Schneerson of Lubavitch Lesson Summary:  Students will analyze Jewish texts related to the Jewish imperative to help others and will then apply them to their own lives and involvements. Printable Lesson:  2604lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Text Study Sheet Additional Resources:  American Jewish World Service: http://www.ajws.org/index.cfm Dannon Program to end hunger (click and Dannon contributes 15 meals): http://www.dannon.com/dn/dnstore/cgi-bin/ProdSubEV_Cat_240865_SubCat_241488_NavRoot_200_NavID_486924.htm Article about teens and tikkun olam: http://www.socialaction.com/teens/TeensandTikkunOlam.shtml

Show Me the Money

Your students will explore whether professional athletes receive fair salaries, rank occupations in terms of their societal value, and then allocate salaries to professionals in this article and accompanying activity. $0.00$0.00  Hockey fans thrive on bruising action. Last season, though, the only power plays were between lawyers. A bitter salary dispute caused disgruntled owners to cancel the entire 2004-2005 season. "Player salaries are higher than they should be," denounced Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bob Goodenow, chief negotiator for the players, defended his clients, saying at the time, "This is not about greed; this is about a fair deal." FACE-OFF Lesson Summary:  Students will rank various occupations to explore how essential various professionals are to society. Students will then allocate salaries to professionals based on their importance to society. Printable Lesson:  2601lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Profession Cards

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Offer younger children an exciting and age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish homeland