First, a brief Hebrew lesson: Let’s all say, “Patriots Mispar Echad!” (“Patriots Are Number One!”) Once more b’kol ram (loudly). “Patriots Mispar Echad!” Tov M’od! (Very Good!) And now, about the zoo… My husband and I just had a terrific visit with a friend who, though not a teacher by profession, is a natural, creative educator. He volunteers as a docent at the city zoo and presents outreach programs to school and youth groups throughout the state. We always enjoy demonstrations of his innovative teaching techniques which we can adapt to Jewish education. Today, our friend arrived with a large cloth bag labelled, “Food Bag.” As he spoke about animals and their different nutritional needs, he pulled out of the bag a contraption made of small colored wooden slats fastened together with nuts and bolts. A little yellow slat labeled “brain” was fastened to a green slat labeled “action,” which was fastened to a red slat labeled “body.” “Let’s say a snake eats a mouse,” our friend said, pulling a rubber mouse out of the bag. “A small part of this meal nourishes the snake’s rather small brain. (He points to the yellow slat.) A bit more of the mouse meal fuels the actions of the snake which are minimal as snakes spend alot of time lying quietly, waiting for prey to pass nearby. (He points to the green slat.) A snake being cold-blooded, doesn’t need much nourishment for bodily functions such as temperature regulation, either. (He points to the red slat.)” “Now,” our friend asks, pulling a picture of a hotdog out of the bag, “what about people?” Out comes another set of slats bolted together. This time, the yellow “brain” slat is nearly a foot long. The green “action” slat is also long, as is the red “body” slat. He points out that humans and other warm-blooded animals need much more food than a snake because they need nourishment for larger brains to control very active bodies and to regulate many bodily functions such as temperature. When our friend presents this lesson to groups of children, they’ll not only hear his explanation, they’ll see a structural representation of the concepts and have a chance to manipulate the wooden models. He made a complex idea much clearer through the use of visual cues and tactile stimuli. Plus, the “Food Bag” was a very effective way to arouse the children’s curiosity and to focus their attention. (“What’s coming out of the bag next?”) While animal nutrition is not one of my curricular topics, our friend’s presentation was a vivid reminder that creatively engaging multiple senses results in a memorable and exciting learning experience. In past visits, our friend has described how he poured dried beans from large bowls and tiny bowls to illustrate the difference in animals’ heart rates. He has also asked children to stand in groups to see how many first graders it takes to equal the weight of one crocodile! As I plan a Tu B’Shvat celebration for Kitah Gimel, I’m taking a cue from our friend, the zoo maven, and including a whole variety of things to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell!
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