Classroom Spotlight: Good Timing - Besha’ah Tova

 

In 6th grade, Hebrew students explore a unit focused on time and schedules. This unit builds their Hebrew vocabulary and grammar and offers a meaningful comparison between daily life in Israel and America. One key difference they examine is Israel’s use of the 24-hour clock system, learning to convert between the two formats. Additionally, students discuss how the Israeli work and school week begins on Sunday, with most students attending school for five and a half days.

 

Another interesting topic of discussion in Hebrew was teenagers' internal clocks and the pros and cons of different school start times. Students debated, in Hebrew, whether school should begin at 8:15 AM or later. Interestingly, many preferred the current Brandeis schedule, as it allows time for afterschool activities. Key Hebrew vocabulary for this unit included seder hashanah (weekly schedule), ma’adif/ma’adifa (prefer), mukdam (early), me’uchar (late), energiya (energy), and ayef/ayefa (tired).

 

For their culminating activity, students created a slide presentation of their weekly schedule, including their ideal schedule, if they could design it themselves. This exercise reinforced all four Hebrew language acquisition skills, speaking, listening, reading, and writing while encouraging students to reflect on how time shapes their daily routines.