Did God Create the Dinosaurs?

November 7, 2008

by Joel Lurie Grishaver
[cross-posted to the Gris Mill]

I was doing a workshop on “teaching God” to about sixty San Diego teachers. We get to the point in the conversation where I ask them to bring into our discussion questions about God that their students have asked them. And the winner was, a third grade teacher who had a student ask, “Did God Create the Dinosaurs?” Teachers frequently bring up this question when I do God workshops. They get asked it all the time (especially by precocious eight-year-olds), and they’re not sure that they know the right answer to give.

It is not as simple a question as it might seem. What it represents is a testing of two information sources. For an eight-year-old, dinosaurs are the heart of scientific reality. It is what they buy at science museums and read about in science books. Dinosaurs are a symbol of history that has been reconstructed from bones and fossils and clues. They are the end result of the scientific method, the C.S.I. of history. On the other hand, the Bible (Torah) is God’s truth. In the reality experienced by most eight-year-olds, the Torah is not yet a metaphor. It is literal. The distinction between it being a book of truth rather than a book of history (science) is not yet comprehensible.

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News2Use: Elections, Mashups, and the Economy

November 6, 2008

by Adrian A. Durlester

What Jewish Problem? Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reports that, according to exit polls, Barack Obama received 77% of the “Jewish Vote.” Jeremy Ben-Ami of the J-Street lobby (a dovish pro-Israel pro-Peace organization supporting more direct and insistent U.S. involvement in bringing about peace and a two-state solution) told Ha’aretz that “American Jews resoundingly rejected the two-year, multi-million dollar campaign of baseless smears and fears waged against [Obama] by the right wing of our community…We can only hope that these results put to rest for good the myth that fear and smear campaigns – particularly around Israel – can be an effective political weapon in the Jewish community.”

Your students are going to want to talk about the election whether you want to or not. Might as well look for some Jewish angles. Lot’s more to use on Ha’aretz’s U.S Elections web page, http://tinyurl.com/6lzsbf.

Now It’s Israel’s Turn For a Big Election. In case you missed it during the whirlwind of the Jewish holidays and the U.S. Presidential election, Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, is facing an ever-growing corruption scandal and tendered his resignation back in late September. Israeli President Shimon Peres asked the Kadima party’s Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, to form a new government. After a month or so of trying to put together a coalition, Livni told Peres that the political compromises she would have to make, particularly to right-wing parties, were more than she could accept, even to become Prime Minister. So Israel is headed for elections some time in February, 2009. Livni’s likely challenger is none other than Benjamin Netanyahu. On a simplistic level, it’s right-wing hawks versus centrist and leftist doves. This article from Ha’aretz (http://tinyurl.com/5by2d3), among others, uses Israeli reaction to Obama’s victory as a lens through which to view Israel’s upcoming political choice.

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News2Use: Green Shofars, Tzipi, Baseball, and Honey

September 25, 2008

This week, we’re debuting a new feature in TAPBB. It’s called News2Use, and it’s by Adrian Durlester. Each week, Adrian (who used to edit C.Ha and Bim Bam) will pick a few stories in the news, talk about their “Jewish angles” and recommend ideas for bringing them into your classroom.

by Adrian A. Durlester

The Shofar — A Rhapsody In Green? This High Holidays Feature article written for the JTA by author and toy designer Edmon J. Rodman (perhaps best known for his YouTube video where he builds a pyramid of matzah) asks:

“Is green the theme of the shofar this Rosh Hashanah season? In a year of sustainability and carbon footprints, high gas and hybrids, the shofar is the simplest, most eco-friendly method of reaching the Jewish community with a vital message. The shofar, if you pause to think about it, is a rhapsody in green…A totally natural product, its availability is a byproduct of an already ongoing ancient enterprise — sheep herding. Powered by one human, and empowered by a congregation, the shofar requires no batteries, power cord or transformer. When we hear it, we are the ones who become transformed.”

A discussion suitable for almost any grade: What do you hear in the call of the shofar? How does it call us to take care of our planet? Find the complete article at: http://tinyurl.com/greenshofar.

Tzipi, you’re in. Ehud, you’re out. If Israel is your topic of interest, one of this week’s hottest stories is, of course, the resignation of Ehud Olmert and the potential rise to power of Tzipi Livni. Lots of articles all over the web. A nice place to start is with this article from Time Magazine: http://tinyurl.com/timesep22olmert.

For grades 5 and up: How might the resignation of Olmert and the new government to be formed by Tzipi Livni affect the situation in Israel?

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Invitation and Obligation (or “What I Learned on My Summer Vacation”)

August 22, 2008

(cross posted to TAPBB)

by Joel Lurie Grishaver

I am getting old. I learned that at the CAJE conference. We were out to dinner with a number of young educators and I got into an argument. It took a few days to realize that I was wrong (and that is sad). Sad not cause I can’t handle being wrong, but sad because more of the world I believe in is disappearing.

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Lets Meet Up at CAJE!

August 7, 2008

We’re on our way to CAJE33 in Burlington, VT. Will we see you there?

Come see our latest materials and meet our authors at the Torah Aura Productions booth, #54 (as well as 55, 60, and 61… it’s more like a “mega-booth”). Also, check out these great sessions from Torah Aura:

After Israel at 60: Imagineering Israel in the Congregational School
Ira Wise and Josh Barkin
Sunday, Aug. 10 • 6:30pm-7:45pm• Kalkin 001

Going Beyond Kovah Tembel and the Western Wall: Teaching the Real Israel in the Supplementary School
Josh Barkin
Monday, Aug. 11 • 10:15am-11:30am• Davis Center Williams Family (403)

Rethinking Teaching Israel
Joel Grishaver
Monday, Aug. 11 • 2:15pm-3:30pm• Lafayette Hall 108

Jewish Education as a Conserving Activity: The Problem With Too Much Innovation
Joel Grishaver and Josh Barkin
Monday, Aug. 11 • 4:15pm-5:30pm• Lafayette Hall 108

Siddur Teaching that Creates People Who Pray
Ellen Dreskin and Joel Grishaver
Tuesday, Aug. 12 • 2:15pm-3:30pm• Lafayette Hall, 108

Teaching Jewishly
Joel Grishaver
Tuesday, Aug. 12 • 4:15-5:30• Kalkin 004

Drops of Honey: Enriching the Jewish Experiences of Families With Young Children
Idie Benjamin and Dale Cooperman
Wednesday, Aug, 13 • 11:45am-1:00pm• Rowell, 111

Teaching the Jewish Lifecycle in the Supplementary School
Josh Barkin
Wednesday, Aug. 13 • 12:30pm-1:45pm• Kalkin 110

The Annual 5 Things Extravaganza
Carol Oseran Starin, Idie Benjamin, Dale Cooperman, Adrian A. Durlester, Sharon Halper, Judy Kaskel, Fran Pearlman, Ira Wise
Wednesday, Aug. 13 • 2:15pm-5:00pm• Lafayette Hall, 108

The Pieces of the Puzzle
Joel Grishaver, Macy Hart, Rabbi Jan Katzew, Jo Kay, Rob Weinberg
Wednesday, Aug. 13 • 2:15pm-5:00pm• Royall Tyler Theatre, Theatre (210)

You Don’t Need to be Creative!
Laurie Bellet
Wednesday, Aug. 13 • 2:15pm-5:00pm• Living/Learning Bldg. B, B132

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Let Me Count the Ways: Finale

August 7, 2008


Since the fall of 1996 we have had the privilege of including Carol Oseran Starin’s column Let Me Count the Ways as part of the Torah Aura Bulletin Board. The Let Me Count the Ways column has offered teachers and educations a vast array of ideas for everything from teaching Torah to dealing with parents; from building a professional library to planning for the school year. Twelve years of Carol’s columns have spawned two Let Me Count the Ways — Practical Innovations for Jewish Teachers volumes, four years of Jewish Classroom Planners, many years of CAJE sessions and thousands of ideas. We could not be more proud of the work that Carol and her crew have done.

This is Carol’s last column for the Torah Aura Bulletin Board. She thinks she is out of ideas, but we think we will hear from her in the future. To Carol we offer a heartfelt Todah Rabbah. We are very proud of you and all you have given us.

- Jane, Joel, Alan, and Josh

by Carol Oseran Starin

Let Me Count the Ways was a small idea that began as a casual conversation — and grew into a 10 year commitment. I’ve always been the kind of teacher that looks at a paper towel tubes and asks and wonders how to turn them into hannukiyot. So the idea of sharing teaching ideas with colleagues throughout the country was very appealing.

The 5 Things column quickly attracted a network of contributors – teachers, colleagues, friends – that morphed into “the 5 things advisory group.” The mega lesson I have learned is that we don’t have to be the holders of all knowledge – the answers lie with our colleagues. We need only ask. I learned that I didn’t need to be responsible for knowing all the answers to the questions I posed each week. My colleagues contributed topics, ideas, solutions, advice, resources, and humor. I think that’s my “5 things take-away.” We teachers walk into our classrooms, close the door the behind us and think we need to have all the answers. I’ve learned to leave the door open, walk across the hall, ask a colleague for a suggestion. The answers are close by. You might even use the 5 things model at teacher meetings: Given a problem, issue, or challenge, what are 5 ways to tackle it?

For this last column I’ve chosen, from the 200 columns, 5 of my favorite solutions – a story, a strategy, a resource, a project, and an insight.

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Israel and Family Education

August 4, 2008

In honor of Israel’s 60th birthday (and the upcoming publication of Artzeinu: An Israel Encounter) we’re going to be taking some space in the TAPBB to talk about some real Israel issues. This is the sixth in a series of essays about how Israel fits into the school curriculum.

by Joel Lurie Grishaver
(cross posted to The Gris Mill)

My understanding of the relationship between Israel education and family education starts with two working assumptions. (1) The most important out come of any Israel education is to get students to visit Israel in the future. We’ve talked in previous postings about the research that says the only significant way to influence student’s connection to Israel is to visit Israel. Also, we know from a study of family education in Boston that (2) parental attitudes towards the importance of visiting Israel have a lot to do with whether students will visit Israel (that’s obvious) and (more importantly) those attitudes are hard to change.

One not-so-secret truth is that family education is all about getting parental buy-in. While we do have objectives about building the communications and healthiness of family, and we are interested in Jewish growth within the family, most of this happens through changes in parental attitudes. We get Shabbat celebrated in the family more because parents become willing than because students ask for it. The same is true of Israel.

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Beyond Distancing: Lessons About Our Success at Teaching Israel

June 5, 2008

In honor of Israel’s 60th birthday (and the upcoming publication of Artzeinu: An Israel Encounter) we’re going to be taking some space in the TAPBB to talk about some real Israel issues. This is the fifth in a series of essays about how Israel fits into the school curriculum.

by Joel Lurie Grishaver
(cross posted to The Gris Mill)

Beyond Distancing: Young Adult American Jews and their Alienation from Israel is a new study by Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman (you can find it by clicking here). The study looks at the connection 21-35 year olds have to Israel.

I read the study a few weeks ago, and have since spoken to both authors. I’m now convinced more than ever that their findings have important implications for Jewish education. We need to rethink the way we teach about Israel.

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A Textbook is a Collection of Programs

May 13, 2008

In honor of Israel’s 60th birthday (and the upcoming publication of Artzeinu: An Israel Encounter) we’re going to be taking some space in the TAPBB to talk about some real Israel issues. This is the fourth in a series of essays about how Israel fits into the school curriculum.

by Joel Lurie Grishaver

Who wants to teach Israel from a textbook?

Israel is an exciting, real place full of interesting people and cool things to do and see. If our goal is to get our students excited about Israel, then what teacher in their right mind would pull out a textbook to teach Israel?

Textbooks sometimes get a bad wrap. Some educators are afraid of them because they think that teacher will have their students read them out loud. Some teachers don’t like them because they are afraid it takes away their freedom and flexibility. All of those can be valid concerns. But we make textbooks because we believe in them. This essay is designed to explain how we imagine our textbooks being used, and to illustrate how textbooks can be part of engaging, interesting, and exciting experiential learning.

Textbooks, good text books, offer a lot of advantages in today’s congregational school environment. Read the rest of this entry »

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Questions and Answers About Jewish Art

May 8, 2008

by Laurie Bellet

I’ve been writing this column — ideas on art projects and how to integrate quality arts education into your curriculum — for a few years now. One thing about being a Jewish arts expert is that you get lots of questions from people. This is a column of questions and answers. The questions (five of them, in true Carol Starin style!) are those I am asked most frequently:

  • “Do you have a project for _____?”

  • “How do you get your ideas?”
  • “Where do you shop?”
  • “How do you balance process and product?”
  • “Does your administration support the arts?”

So, without further ado, here are the answers to my most frequently asked questions.

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