Introducing The story
Ask students to describe what or who they love. Create a chart to document their ideas of what/who they love and how they show that love.
Take a Picture Walk through the book. What predictions can students make?
Reading The Story
Share the story, pausing to discuss student questions. Consider singing the song to the tune of Bob Marley’s song with the same name.
Ask the students to look for patterns, and at the conclusion of sharing it, ask students to describe what patterns emerged in the book.
Support the student’s understanding that “One Love, One Heart- Let’s get together and feel all right” repeats, explaining that this is often called a ‘chorus’ in the song. Pause and ask students to share the chorus of their favorite tunes.
Share the story a second time, asking children to join in the chorus and pausing to discuss the ways that love is demonstrated.
Discussion Questions Might Include:
- How does this character feel? What makes you say that?
- How do you think you feel in that situation?
Which of these tasks could you do today? One day soon?
After The Story
Now, let’s see if we can write and illustrate a new verse of our song about love, inspired by the melody of Bob Marley using the words and ideas we discussed (see Before activity) and exploring how Jewish people can love their neighbor as themselves. In small groups, students will write, in English, and illustrate new words to a song about love, describing the ways that people show love to themselves and to their neighbors. The verses will still end in “One Love, One Heart- Lets get together and feel allright”
The Torah states the mitzvah of “Love your neighbor as yourself” in the positive, “And you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself, ” whereas Hillel in talmud Shabbat 31a teaches the principle from a negative perspective, “Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to your friend.” What do you think Hillel is trying to teach? Do these statements say the same thing or are the messages different?
Create a chart that helps students recognize the myriad ways they can display and demonstrate love to each person/place/thing. Have students brainstorm all the ways they can think of (see examples) and then ask each student to select and illustrate one to add to a class mural, "One Love" (or “V’ahavtah L’Reiecha Kamocha - Love Your Neighbor As Yourself”
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Ways We Can Show Love
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To Another Child
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To Our Parents
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To Our Neighbors
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To Our Teachers
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To our Pets
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To Ourselves
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To the Earth
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Sharing favorite games or toys
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Showing Respect
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Bringing
Mishloach Manot
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Listening when they speak
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Feeding them before we eat
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Eating healthy foods
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Planting seeds
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V’ahavta
Explain to students that today, this class is going to look at a prayer called the V’ahavta. What do we know about this prayer already?
Facilitate discussion to activate background knowledge (if a student doesn’t suggest it, point out the familiar word ‘ahava’).
Today, we are going to take a closer look at the V’ahavta. Looking at the The v’ahavta can help us to understand the ways we can show our love to God.
Pass Out Text Sheet:
You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.
Impress them upon your children.
Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away,when you lie down and when you get up.
Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead;
Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Thus you shall remember to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God.
I am Adonai, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God:
I am Adonai your God
Please highlight every verb you can find, every action word.
Share: “In The V’ahvata, we can discover very real, do-able ways to show our love to G-d. Let;s read the words aloud, slowly, and I’d like you to say the words you highlighted, the action words, with a louder, more powerful tone of voice. Please don’t yell or scream, simply emphasize the ‘doing’ of love.”
Now, let’s check back with the list we brainstormed before we looked at the text. What needs to be added? Does anything need to be removed? Do you think that some of the ideas can be correct, even if this prayer text doesn’t mention them?
Facilitate discussion.
Now, let’s see if we can write and illustrate a new verse of our song about love, inspired by the melody of Bob Marley using the words and ideas found in our prayer.
In small groups, students will write, in English, and illustrate new words to a song about love, describing the ways that Jewish people show love to G-d.