The Holiday Unit

INTRODUCTION
The Holiday Unit extends HTM to the Jewish festivals. Holiday Units are based on vocabulary specific to one holiday.  Unlike the Foundational Unit, the vocabulary for any given holiday is not dependent on the vocabulary from a previous holiday.  For example, the Passover level can be taught regardless of whether the students learned the vocabulary for Purim.
 
The vocabulary for the holidays is divided into options making it easier to build on student learning from year-to-year. It is desirable for teachers to keep track of the levels introduced with each class of students, passing on that information to next year’s Hebrew teacher.  However, note that teachers could present the Options in a different order than found here, or words may be added or removed as deemed appropriate.  These variations should also be documented and communicated to the next year’s teacher.

INTEGRATING THE FOUNDATIONAL AND HOLIDAY UNITS
In the Holiday Unit, the vast majority of the new words are nouns.  Terms that are marked with an asterisk (*) are likely to already be familiar to the students.  Be sure to combine nouns with verbs from the Foundational Language Unit (i.e. have the students point to, walk to, run to, touch, etc. the new nouns).  When writing scripts it will be helpful to mark the page of the Foundational Unit a particular class of children has reached, as well as the specific Holiday Unit.

Sample scripts are included following each holiday unit, but they may be extended to add novelty and to meet a particular groups needs.  Note that "Shabbat 1" and "Shabbat 2" contain scripts that serve as models for other Holiday Units; the curriculum refers back to them frequently.

AS HOLIDAY UNITS ARE TAUGHT, REMEMBER TO...
  • Seat the students in a semi-circle
  • Use authentic props, when possible.  Find photographs for some of the vocabulary or concepts
  • Present 3 new words at a time, and wait until most of the students have mastered those before introducing more words
  • Present commands in unique combinations
  • Integrate fun and humor
  • Model a command several times before asking students to do it
  • Use words from previous units to reinforce memory
  • Vary the way students are called on: different groups of students, individuals, and the whole class
  • Remember that the concepts around the holidays are taught in English elsewhere in your school’s curriculum.  The HTM activities only reinforce the Hebrew terms associated with these concepts

Note that each of the holiday scripts have combinations that may be adapted for other holidays.

Note also when using food items for play, use artificial items (lacquered, stuffed toys, wooden play sets).  Use the real item when the children will actually eat the food or say the בְּרָכָה.

Below is the appendix to the Holiday Unit, which contains a list of nouns introduced in this unit and their genders.  For charts of the new vocabulary, instructions, sample scripts, and flashcards, please see each holiday's page.
holiday_appendix_a.pdf
File Size: 135 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
For a worksheet that will help organize your script writing, click here (and then "yes" for making a copy). A video explaining how to use the worksheet is here. 
VIDEOS:  
Here are video examples of the Passover Unit,
 Segment 1 (above) and Shabbat #1, Level 2 (below) being taught.  Pay attention to the way that the teacher integrates commands from the Foundational Unit with the new holiday vocabulary.
Powered by the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland