Name _Asher Lindenbaum_____Grade _7_Subject_Gemara Unit Pesachim 104a (Shiur 7)__

Lesson Plan Outline

Behavioral Objective Students will know the shakla vtarya of the very well, and will think
critically and creatively about the various parts of the .

Materials binder, 3 separate worksheets, paper plates

Element of
Instruction
Description
Timing
(approx)
Objective (what
you will tell
your students)
Today were going to become experts on the shakla vtarya, by
approaching it from different perspectives, using some
activities that are different than what youre used to but I think
will be a lot of fun.
1 min
Purpose - Develop analytical skills toward
- Prepare the students adequately to remember the
and understand the interplay between different steps

Instructions - We will now divide into 3 activity groups. Im going to
explain what each group will do and where it will meet.
After Im done explaining all 3, you can choose which
one youll start with.
- Each activity should take about 8-10 minutes. This way
there will be time for everyone to do at least 2 of these
activities by the end of the lesson.
- If you have a question once you begin, ask someone
else at your table or raise your hand.
- Keep the noise level to a minimum so everyone will be
able to learn well.
- Go through each centers instructions (quickly)

Input/
Activities
Students will choose to do 2 of the following 3 activities.

1. Chart & Tanach Study
Students will fill out a chart from the , organizing
the s ideas in a clear way.

2. Shakla Vtarya Ping Pong
Students will divide the shakla vtarya into a back and
forth, and spend time memorizing as much from 1 side
as their chavrusa memorizes the other. They will then
play ping pong with plates while saying each line to
each other. Whoever can go longest wins.
The goal here is for them to memorize the steps of the
in order (as much as they can) and to think about
how works as a back-and-forth conversation.

3. RAFT
Students will write 3 RAFT assignments from

different perspectives in the .
The objective here is to allow them to express
creativity through their knowledge of the .
Check for
Understanding

- Who can explain to me what the 3 options will be?
- What will you do if you have questions?

Guided
Practice
In RAFT group (this did NOT happen on camera):
- Explain more clearly what a RAFT is, go through the
example, guide through their first one.
In Ping Pong group (also off camera)
- Explain how the challenge works, help them through
first few lines
- Emphasize that ping pong game should not start till
theyre finished memorizing

Transition Announce 1 minute before switch, and then switch.


Assessment - Poll class on if they feel they understand the better
since doing this (did not have time to do this during
class, would do this the next day)
- Looked over their charts, RAFTs, and watched their
ping pong games looking if they had followed
instructions and if they had accomplished learning
goals




B) Rationale

I divided the groups so that particular skills could be worked on and based on preference.
Group 1: The chart group was meant for students who would prefer to visualize the in chart
form, and to reorganize what they had learn (I believe graphic organizers are so helpful in ).
Additionally, this is a that contained 6 different people saying similar opinions so this
specific topic lent itself nicely to chart building.

Group 2: The ping pong group was a fun way to encourage memorization of the steps of .
This was somewhat of a weak point this year in this class they are an incredibly talented
group, but while the teacher often wants them to do their tests closed book, he doesnt
necessarily teach in a way that encourages them to achieve complete knowledge of the material
without an open text.
Admittedly, the particular style of memorization, the ping pong game, is best when there are 2
opinions that are going back and forth in a , so the mashal of ping pong (the literal back and
forth) is more applicable to the material itself. This was not the case in the we learned in
class, but I still think that the students appreciated it as a learning tool.

Group 3: The RAFT group was for the most abstract thinkers, and allowed the students to
apply their knowledge of the gemara using humor and creativity.

I wanted the groups to be divided by choice because (as Ive mentioned before) I believe
students are more likely to enjoy and engage in learning that they themselves have volunteered to take
part in. Additionally, I dont feel like I know their particular learning strengths well enough to split
them up in a way that might play to their strengths better than they know themselves.

C) Reflection

What worked the best:
Groups were fun and engaging. The students had a good time and were able really gain mastery
of the material through their learning.
Students were actively engaged throughout the lesson.
I believe I circulated well, keeping an eye on all three groups and making sure everyone was on
task and participating.

What needed work/I would do differently:
Both the RAFT and Ping Pong groups instructions were not very clear. They both needed to be
re-explained once the group began.
As I was giving over the instructions, I had to run across the room to give over each groups
instruction. I was also generally shifty, running through the instructions a bit too quickly, and
not engaging directly with the students the entire time.
My in-group instruction was not particularly strong or well-planned. I only gave over what was
necessary for the students to take part in the groups.
Because I tried to put together all the materials very late in the game, I made a couple mistakes
in the actual material (misquotes from the ). Luckily, these students caught them and I made
the necessary corrections, but the best instruction in the world can fail if the teacher doesnt
know the material as well as he/she should.
Transition was a bit sloppy some students wanted to finish their project completely before
they moved on. However, to some degree I see this as a strength students ended each group
on a high and really enjoyed what they were doing.