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Azrieli Differentiated Instruction - VARK Lesson Plan

11th Grade Navi-1 - Yeshayahu - Ms. Leora Balk

This two-phase lesson explores "sidran shel Neviyim", the order of the books of Navi,
according to the Gemara Bava Batra and the Abarbanel (sources 7 & 8 on the
Hakdamah Source Sheet). This lesson works great for a double period class or else
may work better split into two lessons bridged across two days. All kinds of learners can
participate in the listed activities and, with the appropriate support along the way, all can
achieve the goals of the lesson.

Goals:

● TLW read and translate the two sources with fluency and accuracy
● TLW distinguish between the opinions of the Gemara Bava Batra and the
Abarbanel as to where exactly the book of Yeshayahu should be placed in the
order of the books of Neviyim and be able to explain the reasoning each source
presents to back its unique approach
● TLW select key quotes to capture the most significant lines of the text
● TLW identify each main idea with a visual image

Activities:

PHASE 1:​ ​Teacher reads Gemara Bava Batra (source 7 on Hakdamah source sheet)
aloud, line by line, translating along the way. The first time through, students must listen
and read along without interruption. They are not allowed to write anything, yet.
Teachers reads source a second time, this time allowing students to write down
translation and notes. Teacher explains the Gemara in broken down pieces, presenting
the question, development, and answer, integrating CFUs, along the way. Next, the
students turn to each other and practice reading the Gemara to each other, translating
line by line with an 8-minute timer on the board to help students feel accountable and
pace themselves. Each chavruta partner follows along in his notes to help his
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counterpart read as accurately as possible. Teacher walks around to offer support and
ensure students are on task. Students are to answer guided questions on the Gemara
from the “Sidran shel Neviyim” packet. Students have the option of choosing a packet
with “hint quotes” beneath each question, leading them to the exact part of the text
where the correct answer can be found. A word guide for the Gemara is posted on
Haiku for weaker students who may not have caught all of the translation from reading
the Gemara together in class. When a chavruta pair finishes learning, they bring their
sheet up to the teacher for checking.

PHASE 2:​ First part of Abarbanel - the 3 objections to the Gemara and introduction to
his multifaceted answer - are learned altogether as a class, led by the teacher. Students
are then split up into groups and each group handed a different piece of the long text.
Word guides are available to those groups who need them. Each group is responsible
for studying their assigned piece of the Abarbanel together and for filling out their
portion of the Abarbanel chart found in the “Sidran shel Neivyim” packet. Teacher can
manipulate these groups somewhat according to skill level if he so wishes. A timer is
put on the board and the teacher goes around during the learning to assist students
where needed. When the timer rings and students have finished learning their piece and
filling out the chart, a “jigsaw” activity takes place, where students are rearranged into
new groups composed of one participant from each original group. Each student is
responsible for teaching the piece he learned in his first group to the members of his
new group and helping them fill out the chart. Students eventually return to their seats
and a blank chart is mounted on the Smart Board. A member from each original group
is called upon to fill out his appointed piece of the Abarbanel, until the entire chart is
filled out. Students can check their answers with the chart on the board, but it should not
take long- they should have filled everything out quite accurately after completing the
jigsaw activity.

*All different kinds of learning needs are addressed in this activity. The ​kinesthetic
learner​ who needs to participate in hands-on activities feels directly involved and active,
because he has the chance to stand up and move around as he joins his first and
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second groups. He is motivated to actively participate in learning his group’s piece of

the Abarbanel with specific tasks like highlighting key quotes and summarizing main
ideas on the sheet. He is especially motivated to get involved in the learning, since he
knows he will soon have to relay it to a new group of his classmates relying on him to
teach it to them! The ​visual learner​ feels content with the guided notes and chart
provided to him to help organize the meforshim in his mind in a visual way. He feels
more comfortable checking his notes for accuracy from the chart up on the board for
everyone to see. He better absorbs the Gemara while going through the questions,
because it chunks the text for him into more easily digestible pieces he can view one by
one. He especially appreciates the fun picture hints on the Abarbanel chart! The
auditory​ ​learner​ gains from reading the meforshim aloud and discussing them in his
group. What he has learned is further drilled in when he repeats the idea over to his
new group after the jigsaw group switch-around, followed by class discussion and
wrap-up. The ​combination (kinesthetic/visual/auditory) learner​, of course, gains
from all different elements of this activity!

Assessment: Students receive some form of the original chart filled out in class, but with
missing pieces. The more advanced the learner, the less information provided for
assistance. Students can use the Gemara and Abarbanel texts and the weaker student
may have the aid of a few of the harder words, so long as the assessment before him is
challenging enough to take his initial learning in class to a new level. Perhaps, the
stronger students do not receive the key quotes, but were responsible to memorize
them and explain them. The weaker students may receive charts with key quotes
already printed and all they must do is summarize or explain. The weaker students may
have “fill-in-the-blank”s to prompt their answers for some of the more challenging boxes.
Students have to then choose whether they agree more with the Gemara’s ordering of
Sefer Yeshayahu or the Abarbanel’s and explain why they identify more with that
particular approach.