Classroom Ideas - 2 Writing Activities Reading Tasks Using Speech Projects and Research Pair and Group Work Art and Music Multimedia Games Send us your ideas Projects and Research Conduct a survey among family and friends to reveal attitudes towards Sukkot. Compile a list of about 6 questions to ask your family and friends. Present the information in chart form and analyze the results. Here are some examples of questions: What do we celebrate on Sukkot? Do you build a Sukkah for Sukkot? Do you/your family eat/sleep in the Sukkah on Sukkot? Do you/your family have arba minim? Do you make a blessing on them daily? What is your favorite aspect of the holiday? Working in groups of 3-4, find out where Sukkot, sechach, decorations and arba minim can be purchased locally. Create a pamphlet/flyer to circulate around the school containing all the info you need for Sukkot preparations. Pair and Groupwork This activity can be used either as a review or to present new material. Choose 5 aspects of Sukkot e.g.: Arba Minim The laws (halachot) of sukkah Ushpizin Prayer Chol Hamoed Divide students into 5 groups and ask them to prepare skits, games, poems or songs on their assigned topic to present to the class. This idea can be adapted for cross-age tutoring - students can teach their topic to other classes. This idea has been kindly sent in by Chaya Riva Hanovitch, Jewish Studies Co-ordinator at Yeshivah College Primary School, Melbourne, Australia Conduct an imaginary interview between a Jew and a gentile in which the Jew explains the significance of the various holiday customs. This can be in writing, orally, recorded in audio or video Train your students' powers of perception! Prepare "spot the difference" pictures of kosher and non kosher Sukkot and Arba Minim. Students decide in pairs which are kosher and which are not and tell the class why. Or, one group of students produces the Sukkah pics while the second produces Arba Minim ones. Students swap pics, write comments on the ones they have been given, after which the other group checks their comments. The class gets together for feedback. Help your students develop a Sukkot charity project in which Sukkot, sechach and decorations are sold for charity. As a Sukkot review, working in small groups, students compile a list of query questions that they have about the festival. A spokesperson from each works together to compile one class list of questions (to avoid repetition). Email the list to "Ask the Rabbi" at http://www.ohr.org.il/ask/page/askrabbi.htm. Get students to make a class newspaper for Sukkot. Include local news stories, school news, ads for Sukkot products, recipes, Sukkot notices for parties, synagogue times, Simchat Bet Ha'shoeva and articles on the meaning of the holiday. Students organize a Simchat Bet Ha'shoeva for their class, school or even a local old age home. Delegate tasks to small groups based on students' talents and interests. Groups could include: catering, advertising via flyers, emails, posters and invitations, music, entertainment, games etc. Art and Music Sukkot is a fabulous festival to exploit your students' artistic talents. Check out Virtual Jerusalem's Decorating your Sukkah page at http://vjholidays.com/sukkot/decor.htm for fun and easy-to-make decorations. A great idea for any age is to organize a Sukkah competition. Students have to produce anything creative on the theme of Sukkot. This can be a 3D model of a Sukkah, a technical drawing of its design, a piece of music or a poem! Ask your students to design their dream, ideal kosher Sukkah. Encourage them to have fun with it by including all sorts of mod cons and luxuries - or they could choose a more authentic and traditional desert theme! Click to Virtual Jerusalem's Make your own Sukkah page at http://vjholidays.com/sukkot/make.htm and set your students to work! Younger children will enjoy making their own model Arba Minim or Sefer Torah for Simchat Torah. Design a poster for your Sukkah on any of the following themes: Eruv Tavshillin The bracha for the Arba Minim Ushpizin The bracha for sitting in the Sukkah Candle lighting in the Sukkah with the festival brachot An apt quote from a Sukkot text Create a Chol Hamoed guide book. How you can make it special because it's not quite a festival? Teach your students festival songs Ask your students to put a festival quote to music Make a Sukkot class mosaic to decorate the wall of your classroom Ever tried making a patchwork quilt? Create a quilt made up of segments depicting the Sukkot customs and themes. Create Sukkot greeting cards and send them to students in the class. If they can be printed the best could be sold for charity around the school. Set a Sukkot prayer to music. Create a Sukkot/Simchat Torah calendar including candle lighting times and features of each day. Multimedia Allow your students to do online holiday research using Virtual Jerusalem's Sukkot site CLICK HERE. Exploiting the Internet in the classroom demands the total participation of your students and serves as an unparalleled student motivator. If your school has the facilities, let your students design and send e-cards for Sukkot greetings. Record/video an advert for Arba Minim. Include a jingle as well as convincing reasons why your products are the most convenient to obtain, the best value and the most kosher. The class should listen to/watch all the ads and vote for the best one. Games However old your students are, a quick, fun game or quiz will always rouse an apathetic class and win their attention. Get hold of a good games book or brainstorm with other teachers but don't neglect this powerful pedagogic tool!