Before/ Set Induction:
Ask students about times they have lost something important to them, or FOUND something someone else lost. Use their stories to ask questions about what they think our responsibility is for found items: For example, “Should we keep or use items we find? “Is it ever acceptable to keep things we find? If so, under what circumstances? “ “Do we have responsibility to try to find the owner?” etc.
During/ Learning Activities:
1) Distribute Deuteronomy Text(Lost And Found Appendix A)
a Torah verse regarding lost items. Guide the discussion, focusing on what we learned and what questions we have from this Torah portion. List questions on board.
Questions may include:
What does it mean to turn a blind eye?
How should I take care of the lost item while I have it?
At what point does it become “mine”?
2) Explain that Jews have always had questions about our texts. One way that we have attempted to answer these questions is through commentary, and discussion. Rabbis and students would discuss their questions. Provide the adapted
Rashi's Commentary(Lost And Found Appendix B). Ask them which question Rashi is answering. What is his answer?
3) Explain that another way Jews have traditionally answered these questions is with
midrash (
learn more about midrash). Define
midrash, or ask students to define it if they have learned it in the past)
Read
One Little Chicken - move students to circle space, ask them to sit on the floor, or something else to change their position.
4) Ask students how the story relates to our text from Deuteronomy (Appendix B). What is it teaching us about how to treat other people’s possessions while we hold them? Which questions about the Torah does it answer?
5) Ask students to look at the midrash in
The Book Of Legends(Lost And Found Appendix C)
. Again ask them which questions about the Torah this is answering.
6)Create your own
Midrash – In small groups of 3-4 create a short (1-2 minute) skit about finding a lost item that answers some of our questions about this text. (Suggested scenarios – you find a gold ring/ipod on the ground at school, you find lost dog, etc)
7) Presentation of skit. With each skit ask students again which of the questions are being answered by their
midrash.
Concluding Activites:
Ask students to practice being commentators like Rashi. Choose questions that have been unanswered by any of the sources or skits and ask students to tell us what they think the answers would be.
Possible Areas for Differentiated Instruction:
Students can be allowed to choose between a skit, a written story, a poem, or a song to tell their
midrash. They can choose to work individually or in groups.
Adapted texts can be presented in Hebrew for students who can handle read and understand the Hebrew.