Before we begin to teach a Holiday Unit, as educators- we always ask ourselves: How can our students appreciate and understand the story in a DAP (Developmentally appropriate) way?
With Chanukah approaching, we examined the story at our own level- and tried to put ourselves into the minds of a 2, 3 or 4 year old. We also ask ourselves how can the children walk away with a practical lesson that is relevant to them at their stage in life?
With these questions in mind, we decided to take a step back before presenting the children with the story of King Antiochus and the Chanukah miracle of oil.
We realized, that the only way the children would truly appreciate the great miracles and the sequence of events in the Chanuka story (Beit Hamikdash being taken away/oil miraculously burning for 8 days), would be to set the stage for the children by educating them about what life was like PRIOR to the struggles of the Chanukah story!
Life for the Jewish people in Israel was peaceful as well as magnificent with the holy Beit Hamikdash (Temple).
As a starting point (to arouse the children's excitement and understanding)- we chose to explore HOMES- something near and dear to each of the children. (something familiar, that they can relate to and feel comfortable with!)
Each child received a picture of their house. (Thank you for putting up with our nudging you for pics! You helped us truly bring this message to life!) After talking about what they like about their homes, our goal was to connect this feeling to Hashem's Home.
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| Chani looking at her home. |
After looking at their pictures, each child had a chance to come up and draw something under their home (pic) of what is special about their home or what's in it that they wanted to share.
Levi: "my toys"
Shua: "mommy tatty"
Yitzi: "cars"
Ellah: "my doll"
To enhance this idea...
During the morning centers time...
We created an addition to our dramatic play center!
We took a large box, covered it with some soft material and simply placed it alongside the kitchen!!! We did not tell the children what it is and with their own creativity some pretended it was their bed, some their house. This brought up conversations of their own homes and cozy places like their bed or living room.
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| Noach checking up on Ilani in his bed. |
The box we used for the cozy area was from a printer, and in it were these Styrofoam structures. In a preschool classroom EVERYTHING is a treasure! :)
We just placed them on the carpet and let the kids decide what it might be used for!
Chani and Shua decided it was a house with cows!
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| With the Styrofoam piece tilted, was amazing to watch shua and chani working hard BALANCING the cows. |
Bringing out the idea in another way...
Using their own home pictures again, we used a shower curtain and taped it on and drew roads for the children to role play using cars and little people visiting all their friends.
A picture of the Beit Hamikdash was added to the floorplan as a transition for the children to make the connection that the Beit Hamikdash is G-d's special home!
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| As we are waiting for the third Beis hamikdash, this also made it real what it WILL BE LIKE! We will actually go from our homes to visit G-ds home! |
One morning we put out different play houses with pictures of their own home taped to the table for inspiration.
While thinking about their own homes they placed different furniture and other objects that they have in their house.
Yitzi made a great observation!
He found a big tree to put in front of his house just like his real home has a lot of trees in front!
Bridging home & School, Making more connections:
On Wednesday, each child brought in for Show & Tell something special from their home!
With all our discussion using their photo of their personal houses- we wanted to bring home the message that it is not just the actual HOUSE but the special people and things we love that are IN IT!
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| Aron brought a Torah that he sleeps with. |
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| Chani brought her Shabbos shoes.:) |
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| Ellah with her special necklace "My ima loves when I wear it all the time" |
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| Levi, a frog. |
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| Levi showed us his mommy's nursing shawl. (notice Ellah still thinking about her special necklace:) |
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| Perel proud of her Torah and ball. |
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| Yitzi let us feel his ball Velcro game. |
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| Shua with his sunglasses. |
We asked the children, Does Hashem have a house??
Those cute little eyes showed us they wanted to know more..
Hashem is everywhere, but He also wants a special 'home' with special things inside for people to come and connect to Him.
We took a little trip at the end of our circle time to our new center in the classroom: Hashem's home!
THE BEIT HAMIKDASH!
For the next week we will all get to know what the Beit Hamkidash is and role play the different jobs that the Holy priests would do.
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| We found Ellah still holding onto her own home in the Beit Hamikdash |
With all this house talk, Levi and Aron spent so much time creating a really detailed house with wooden blocks outside.
After a while of them building some of the older children decided to join and help them out!
So beautiful to see team work!
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