Science and Judaic Studies Come Together for Second Graders as They Celebrate Tu B’Shvat

In preparation for Tu B’Shvat next week, second graders are learning about the importance of the holiday from both a Judaic studies and a science perspective. Dubbed the “new year of the trees,” Tu B’Shvat  is celebrated by Jews around the world as an ecological awareness day. “Tree are so important not only for Israel, but for the whole world,” says teacher Orit Solomon. “Students are learning why trees are so important, what trees give us, and what we make out of different parts of a tree.” To bring their learning to life, students engage in a variety of activities that reach all learners. On Wednesday, students read a book together as a class, titled Big Tree, Small Tree, sang and danced to a Hebrew song, and cycled through four activities designed to bring awareness about the holiday and its significance: drawing posters about what trees give us; drawing what we make out of trees; matching parts of the tree on a board; and Tu B’Shvat vocabulary match cards.

 

This type of learning follows the Tal AM curriculum used in the first and second grade, which is based on the notion that the best learning environment for children is one in which knowledge is acquired through a variety of activities, using each of the five senses. In addition, says Ms. Solomon, “the TaL AM curriculum enables us to integrate the Hebrew language and Judaica together, so students expand their knowledge while also learning Hebrew.” MORE PHOTOS