תולדותתולדותDifferentiated InstructionDifferentiated Instruction

Coaching Session #2Coaching Session #2

I would love to learn where and how to find opportunities for DIin the Madrich. Especially when teaching this curriculum the first time, it is hard to come up with your own ideas.

Big Idea

Learner Outcomes

Assessment

I. The narrativeA. Concepts in the narrative1. There is divine intervention at the birth of Esav and Ya’akov. 2. Biblical names can reflect a situation at the time of birth. There can be a relationship between the meaning of a name and its bearer.3. God can overrule any law. Contrary to the rule of primogeniture, God

foretells that the younger brother will rule over the older.

STEP ONE: THE OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT

Curricular ChoicesThis parashah is rich in essential themes and value concepts. Some of these arereformulations of themes that appeared in earlier parshiyot. We have chosen to focus on the following:• Origins• B’rachah• Sibling conflict, with the younger being more dominant than the older• Repercussions caused by parents visibly favoring one child over another• Consequences of siblings mistreating one another• God can overrule any law, in this case, the rule of primogeniture.

WHAT ARE THE BIG IDEAS IN THIS UNIT?

C. Ideas that can be inferred from the narrative1. Problems abound when parents visibly favor one child over another and siblings are neither polite nor hospitable to one another.2. A difficult pregnancy or barrenness are often related to the birth of a special person.3. The first significant event in Ya’akov's life occurs when Esav sells him the birthright.

II. Continuing Themes in this unitA. Genealogy origins of the people of IsraelB. Sibling conflict, with the younger being more dominant than theolder

STEP ONE: THE OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT

WHAT ARE THE BIG IDEAS IN THIS UNIT?

VIII. ObjectivesA. Students will view this section as an important link in the chain of our own history, of early Israelite history and in the continuation of God's covenant with Avraham.B. Students will recognize that the usage of parallel phrases and of poetry add another dimension to our understanding of Biblical verses.C. Students will begin to compare and contrast the personalities of Ya’akov and Esav.D. Students will examine the family relationships of Rivkah, Yitzhak and their sons.E. Students will reflect on their own behaviors, based on the behaviors of Ya’akov and Esav.F. Students will strengthen access skills:• Students will reinforce their ability to recognize and understand the suffixes“ah,” “cha,” “iv,” and “oh.”• Students will recognize and understand additional words with the root y.l.d.• Students will recognize and understand the roots m.ch.r. and sh.v.’, and theword b’rachah.• Students will identify parallel phrases in Biblical verses.• Students will explain how parallel structure can help to emphasize differences.• Students will recognize that in Biblical Hebrew actions that took place in thepast frequently begin with va-.

WHAT ARE THE DESIRED LEARNER OUTCOMES?STEP 2: THE OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT

Narrowing the big idea and learner outcomes: A look at the Lesson Overview

I. The narrative in context:A. Narrative elementsThe opening verses of Toldot paint a picture of a family that is far from perfect.The brothers, who have previously been presented as rivals, interact with oneanother in verses 29–34. Here, we see how the brothers, now grown up, treateach other and speak to each other.These verses are loaded with both dialogue and action. Students will have thechance to act out the bartering between the brothers. They will also reflect onthe actions recorded in these verses as a springboard for thoughtful discussionregarding behavior. Students will discuss whether they think each brotheracted properly and how the other brother may have felt in response to eachaction. Part of the discussions will focus on how this episode will affect thebrothers’ feelings for each other in the future. This episode is a perfect time fora lesson on our own behavior, our way of speaking to others, our way oftreating others, and how our behavior today can make a difference in thefuture. This discussion will be most effective if the students have the majorrole in looking into the actions and feelings of the Biblical personae, and intotheir own situations, and if the teacher plays the role of facilitator.The theme of the younger sibling gaining power over the older continues inthese verses.

II. Objectives:Students will be able to:1. Identify verbs and the actions that took place in these verses.2. Evaluate the actions and manner of speaking between the brothers.3. Suggest how these actions might impact on the brothers’ feeling for oneanother in both the near and distant future.4. Make connections regarding their own behavior, based on the behaviorsof Ya’akov and Esav.

Access skills:5. Identify the d’muyot “on stage” in verses 29-34.6. Recognize and understand the roots m.ch.r. and sh.v.’, and theword b’rachah.7. Recognize that in Biblical Hebrew actions that took place in the past frequentlybegin with “va-.”8. Show “plot mastery” by filling in the blanks in a Hebrew summary of thesection.

Narrowing the big idea and learner outcomes: A look at the Lesson Overview

12. Examining Brothers’ Interactions (Frontal; Evaluation/Synthesis; Studentsdiscuss the relationship between Esav and Ya’akov.) Engage students in adiscussion that evaluates how Esav and Ya’akov treated one another in verses29–34. Questions you may wish to pose include:• What were Esav and Ya’akov each doing 1/2 hour prior to the events of25:29–34? (Esav was in the field hunting; Ya’akov was in the tent area cooking.)• How do you think they were each feeling a minute before they met eachother that day? (Esav was most likely exhausted and hungry; Ya’akov wasmore rested and comfortable.)• Why is it important for us to keep this in mind?• What do you think of how the brothers treated each other in these verses?

Consider creating a chart on large chart paper in which you list the verse and the d’mut. You may wish to have students complete this in Hebrew. Students describe the action, make an evaluation of the action, and speculate how the action might have made the other brother feel. The following is a sample chart of the opening verses:

As a class, discuss the implications of Esav’s and Ya’akov’s actions and words. Invite students to reflect on how the selling of the birthright will affect the brothers’ feelings about one another in the future. Lead students to discuss possible anger, distrust, etc. between the brothers. Encourage them to use adjectives they have not used before, by referring to an English/Hebrew dictionary or a chart of “aich atah margish hayom?”

Big Idea? Learner Outcomes? Tiered Activities?

13. Personalizing the Text (Frontal or pairs or small groups; Evaluation / Synthesis; Students apply lessons learned from the behavior of Esav and Ya’akov to their own lives.) Students discuss how examining Esav’s and Ya’akov’s behavior helps them to understand the importance of treating one another in a proper manner. You may wish to have students complete sentences such as, “I hope that I won’tbecome like ... because...” or “I hope that I won’t behave like ... because...”

Consider your learner profiles. How can you design the lesson - working toward the desired learner outcomes – to better meet the needs of your learners?

How do we create a new activity that addresses the same learner outcome?

What will the room look like?

On what basis will you determine the group composition?

How will the students know their group?

What written directions will students be given?

To prepare for our final Webinar

1. Continue to gather learner profiles.

2. Taking your students’ profiles into consideration, design and implement two tiered activities that are geared to the same learner outcome(s). Write a brief description of: • the learner outcome(s)• the activities• how the students were grouped• what worked• what didn’t work• the challengesPlease site the section(s) of the Teacher’s Guide for which the activities are designed.

Send #2 to .