Set Induction:
Joyfully pass the Torah around the circle singing “Torah Torah” (or other song familiar to your community).
Explain to children that today's learning is about the first story in the Torah -the story of creation . Activate background knowledge and discuss with children what they already know about the story of creation.
Note to teacher: Before beginning activity, consider reading one of the stories suggested below in the literature connections setting, depending upon how familiar your students might already by with the story of creation, and make the reading of the story part of the set induction for this lesson.
Lesson:
Note to teacher: This activity is written in a manner that encourages student collaboration on an art project to be displayed for community, but it can be easily modified so that each student independently creates a smaller poster that represents each day, so consider which approach would be most meaningful and appropriate for your students.
Address students:
“Today’s story is about how G-d made the world in six days and then rested on the seventh day. . Together, we’ll be creating posters that we can display to help us discover and then remember the order of creation.”
“The first story in the Torah teaches us that G-d made the world in six days, and G-d made a different thing each day. Visit each of the posters, explaining and exploring what was created:
Day One (Yom Rishon)-Light and Dark
Use a flashlight to give each child a turn to play with light and dark, making shadow puppets with their hands.
Day Two (Yom Shayni)- Water and Air
Use Cotton balls and glue to make clouds, affixed to the labeled poster. Discuss how clouds are collections of water and what happens when they get too big and heavy (it rains)
Day Three (Yom Shlishi)- Land and Plants
Set up a soil and sand table (if this is not available, a ‘field trip’ outside can replace it ) iso that children can touch and feel different types of land. Allow children to make a mark on the poster with their soily hands before washing them. If a trip outside is possible, encourage children to collect and add plants (NOT living ones that will be harmed by their removal from nature) to this poster.
Day Four (Yom Revi’i)- Sun, Moon and Stars.
Give each child adhesive stars OR glow-in-the-dark pens/markers so that they can add “light” through sun, moon and stars to their poster. Consider hanging the poster at a height that will require children to reach since they are creating what is typically above their heads.
Day Five (Yom Chamishi)- Fish and Birds
Display your sea creature and bird stickers and ask students if they can guess what G-d created on the Fifth day. Give each child the opportunity to choose and then affix the fish or bird of their choosing.
Day Six (Yom Shishi)- Land Animals and People
Invite students to peer at themselves using the mirrors on the poster.
Discussion Questions may include:
- What did G-d make on the sixth day (People and land animals)?
- Do you know anything about the people G-d made? (God made the people like G-d- b’tzelim elohim) Day Seven (Yom Shabbat)- G-d Rested
Day Seven (Yom Shabbat)- Rest
Explain to students that G-d stopped working in the seventh day, and rested instead, provide documentation of your community’s Shabbat celebration with which to decorate the poster, pictures, artwork or other artifacts.