Teaching Skills Lesson Plan​ ​- Leora Balk

Focusing on Hebrew question words & positions skills and body vocabulary
4th Grade Coed Classroom

Skill #1:
Hebrew Question Words
who mi ‫מי‬
what ma ‫מה‬
when ma-tai ‫מתי‬
where ei​-fo ‫איפה‬
why la​-ma ‫למה‬
(.which (m ei​-ze ‫איזה‬
(.which (f ei​-zo ‫איזו‬
(.which (p ei​-lu ‫אילו‬
how eikh ‫איך‬
how much/many ka​-ma ‫כמה‬

EXplain:​ Explain that the different hebrew question words are going to come up all of the time
in Chumash, Navi, Gemara, modern hebrew reading… one cannot go through life without
knowing these down pat and the sooner, the better! Read through the different hebrew
questions, translating each and giving a sentence example for each, stressing the question
word as I read.
EXplore: ​Fill-in-the-Blank sentences on the SmartBoard. Students have word list with
translations on worksheet on their desks to use as a word bank. Students are called up one by
one to fill in different sentences with the appropriate hebrew question word.
EXperiment:​ Headbands game- half of the class receives hebrew question words, the other
half receives their translations - all terms written on a headband they wear around their head but
do not know who they are. Goal of game is for students to help each person find their match.
They cannot see what they have, but can help others. When each student is matched to his
either hebrew word or corresponding translation, he and his partner run to my desk where I will
hand them a list of different examples in Chumash pshat where these question words are used.
Together as a pair, they must state what kind of question is being asked and explain the
question given the context (I will provide examples with very basic hebrew words and mostly
examples we have already learned or discussed in Chumash class! They can otherwise, of
course, ask me for help translating and understanding the larger context if need be).
EXtend/Assessment: ​Homework: Students should interview a family member or friend (who
will understand their hebrew) using five of the hebrew question words learned in class. The
interview can either be typed up or recorded as an audio file for submission to our class Google
Doc. (A few days later, for review, the homework will be to read or listen to a fellow classmate’s
interview and comment on it.)

Skill #2:
Positions
Left: Smol ‫שמול‬
Right: Yamin ‫ימין‬
Above: Al ‫על‬
Below: Tachat ‫תחת‬
Between: Bein ‫בין‬
There: Sham ‫שם‬

EXplain:​ Choral reading of each term and its translation - X2.

EXplore: ​When I read a term, students have to act out its meaning. Students can partner or
group up to depict words like “‫ “על‬,”‫”בין‬, or “‫ ”תחת‬if they so choose. I will give the thumbs up to
whoever depicts the term accurately.
EXperiment:​ Pesukim utilizing these words on SmartBoard. Student goes up and picks a
pasuk, translates and explains to rest of class how use of hebrew position term fits in. Student
then calls on fellow classmate to come up and choose another pasuk and term to explain.
Students run this activity all on their own, just with the teacher watching from the side to guide
where necessary. Students can check their answers all on their own by pulling out their word
guides, so students sitting “in the audience” as a fellow classmate goes up to “teach the class”
are responsible for also providing him constructive, honest (but respectful!) feedback.
EXtend/Assessment: ​Homework: Take photographs or sketches around the house
demonstrating each of these positions, either with your own body, others, or with objects. Write
a brief caption or explanation how the subject of each picture depicts each new term.

Vocabulary Words:
Body
Stomach: Beten ‫בטן‬
Ear : Ozen ‫אוזן‬
Eye: Ayin ‫עין‬
Foot/Leg: Regel ‫רגל‬
Hand/Arm: Yad ‫יד‬
Head: Rosh ‫ראש‬
Mouth: Peh ‫פה‬
Nails: Tzipornayim ‫ציפורנים‬
Nose: Af ‫אף‬
Tooth: Shein ‫שן‬

EXplain:​ Introduce each word by saying the hebrew and pointing to that part of your own body.
Do it again and again and have the children start filling in the right hebrew word for you, just
pointing as they identify. Vocabulary words are written on strips hanging on board next to you so
students have a word bank from which to choose.
EXplore: ​Take out poster board with picture of person on it and velcro by each body part. Call
up different students to place vocabulary strips in right places. Next, mix up the different words
on the body and have students come up and fix what’s wrong.
EXperiment:​ Divide students in groups to perform same activity I did with them to introduce
topic… but on their own. Students test each other! Take out poster boards that match the one
with person and spaces for velcro vocabulary strips to each group with the terms all mixed up in
the wrong places and have them set the terms straight to their corresponding body parts. Allow
groups to “pair and share” upon completion to check their answers and, finally, check on a
master answer key I have at my desk, only after they have first performed the aforementioned
steps. I am in classroom walking around to help or answer questions along the way.
EXtend/Assessment:​ For homework: read story and have to underline and write english above
every body part vocabulary word they come across along the way.

Assessment Scores:

Student Skill #1Skill #2Vocab Words

1 97% 98% 98%
2 90% 95% 98%
3 82% 85% 96%
4 63% 71% 45%
5 90% 90% 92%
6 93% 89% 96%
7 100% 100% 100%
8 40% 56% 50%
9 90% 83% 87%
10 91% 50% 89%
11 97% 96% 90%
12 100% 100% 100%
13 100% 98% 92%
14 95% 98% 100%
15 100% 100% 100%
Post-Assessment Plan of Action:
The majority of the students in the class succeeded with flying colors on their Chumash skills
and vocabulary assessments. Still, every single student who got even just one question wrong
can benefit from seeing that mistake pointed out to him on his paper and having the opportunity
to go back and correct it. I allow all students to take home their work, review it, and re-do it for
partial credit given back. Any student who finishes what he is doing in class early can use that
time to go over his work handed back to him and come up to me with any questions. Since
those who will need the most re-explaining likely also are not first to finish their work, I am also
available during recess or in the evening via email or phone.Because students 4 and 8 seem
significantly behind the rest of the class in their understanding of these lessons, they really need
to re-learn the lesson altogether. Either I will conduct a private learning session with them and
give over the material in a different way for them, assessing as I go, or they can be pulled out
for the learning center to go through these concepts again and correct their work with a helping
hand beside them.