Shmot

From JewishMontessori

Contents 1 Shmot 2 Vaera 3 Bo 4 Beshalach 5 Yitro 6 Mishpatim 7 Terumah 8 Tetzaveh 9 Ki Tisa 10 Vaykhel 11 Pekudei

Shmot

פרשת שמות

…Bnei Yisroel in Egypt

• The twelve Shevatim grow into a nation in Egypt. Emphasize how although we are starting a new book, Shemos is still a development of the story of the Jewish people which started in Bereishis.
• Build our own family tree, to visualize how a family grows. Ask the children to bring photos and share stories from their grandparents.

…Pharaoh oppresses the Jews

• Making bricks with mud
• Bring a large brick to feel it’s weight
• Discuss exile and slavery (galus) verses redemption and freedom (Galus)
• Introduce the Geometric solids

…Moshe in the Nile river

• Feel the texture of tar and clay, place on the nature table
• In the practical life area have a tray with a brush and two containers one holding tar (dried or something with the same texture) the other with clay. On the side of the tray have a stack of boxes for each child to take one. Allow the child build baby Moshe’s box. the inside with clay the outside with tar.
• Basket weaving
• Bring reeds into the classroom. Place the reeds by the nature table for children to feel and look through.
• Learn how things float. Sink and float exercise.
• Let the children work in the water table, show how baby Moshe floated in the water and was carried by a current.

Vaera

פרשת וארא

…Aharon’s stick turns into a snake.

• Pharaoh’s words and the snake in Gan Eden
• Learning about Reptiles

…Aharon stretched out his stick over the Nile river… The river and all the water in Egypt turns into blood.

The Plagues:

• “The plagues” small objects

Blood

• Practical life exercise: coloring water red with a dropper
• Demonstrate with a group of students at the water table
• the Nile River: The Egyptians depend on the River for water, they looked down to the Nile river worshiping it.
• Learn about irrigation, rivers, canals.
• Demonstrating Irrigation

Frogs

• Learning about Amphibians
• Frog Puzzle. Parts of a frog
• Parts of a frog “three part cards”
• Cycle of frogs, grow a frog in an aquarium watch it through the cycle.
• Hearing a frog’s loud croack

Lice

• insects

Wild Animals

• Mammals
• Pictures of wild animals
• Animal sorting

Bo

Beshalach

פרשת בשלח

…Hashem led Bnai Yisroel on a different and longer way around the land of the Pelishtim.

• Road map from Egypt

…Hashem send a cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire by night

• Three part cards - types of clouds
• Pillard of fire- “Hashem carried a lantern for the Jews”, Expound on G-d’s love

…Six clouds surrounded the Jews for protection- one in the East, one in the West, one in the north, one in the South.

• Learn about the compass. North, South, East, West.

…Pharaoh chases after Bnai Yisroel.. The Jews become trapped, in front of them the Yam Suf behind them Pharaoh’s army…

• Discuss the concept of feeling trapped

…Hashem splits the sea and Bnai Yisroel cross safely… Pharaoh’s army drown in the Yam Suf… Bnai Yisroel sing a song of thanks.

• Nachshon walked into the Yam Suf: taking the initiative, talk about the importance of “doing”
• Bnai Yisroel walked through the sea on dry land:
• show the difference between mud and dry land.
• Sea animal cards. life underwater.
• Re-enact the Yam Suf. Use two large sheets (could be tide dye to look like water) attach play fruits, play fish.. Be creative - make it a real experience. Allow the children walk in between the sheets. After the children finish going through, let the sheets down to form the Sea again. Sing a song, with instruments, to thank Hashem.
• Making tambourines- The women even under the servitude of Egypt prepared tambourines to take with them to rejoice when the redemption finally arrived.

…Hashem sweetens bitter water in Mara…

• Tasting bottles

…Hashem gives Bnai Yisroel mann…

• Life in the desert, where could they find food?
• Hashem nourishes us
• Our favorite food chart, bring a favorite food to share
• Each person collected an omer, about 5 lbs: Matter, Mass, and measurement
• Moshe teaches the Jews birkat hamazon.

…Dasan and Aviram saved mann.. the next morning it was full of worms.

• Having bitachon (faith)

…A double portion of mann for Shabbos.

• Shabbos the day of rest
• Double portion- counting and adding doubles.

Yitro

Mishpatim

Terumah

פרשת תרומה

Contributions and portions.

• Learn fractions and portions, using examples from the fractions in the mishkan.
• The decimal system.
• Study some of the contributed materials, place some of these materials at the nature table.
• Work with measuring cups.

Instructions on the Mishkan.

• Mishkan cards.
• Study three types of life included within the mishkan.
  • Animal - hides (the roof)
  • Plant - cedar wood (the walls)
  • Mineral - cooper (the bases)

Note: The order in which they where placed was from top to bottom - roof, walls, and base - animal, plant, and mineral. This illustrates how Hashem’s holiness moves through all levels of creation, from the most complex to the most simple. Just like the Mishkan. For as long as the Mishkan was set up in a certain place, that place was holy.

Note: The Beis Hamikdash was different - made completely out of stone (a mineral.) And like a rock, the Beis Hamikdash did not move. It remained where it was, made the ground holy forever, and will be rebuilt on that very spot.

Activities:

• Take children to the synagogue to identify the objects which relate to the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash.
• Make a special part of the Classroom, which will be called the little Beis Hamikdash. Put holy books, Charity Boxes, and other mitzvot there. Make sure to show how this is a very special part of the room - having this center will make the whole room better.
• Make a curtain for the classroom Torah.
• Children should familiarize themselves, through pictures and models, with the objects of the Mishkan.
• Get ready for parshas Vayakel and Pekudei when the Mishkan is actualized.

Tetzaveh

Ki Tisa

Vaykhel

Pekudei