Unpublished

Sharing the Work (Private-Religious)
  1. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
      1. Benchmark E.3 Describe a benefit of group cooperation.
    2. Standard PCS 02. Diverse Cultures
      1. Benchmark E.4 Demonstrate listening skills.
    3. Standard PCS 05. Philanthropy and Government
      1. Benchmark E.8 Describe classroom behaviors that help the students learn.

This lesson emphasizes the importance of doing your share of the work. Students listen to a story that illustrates this point and contribute their effort in a cooperative baking project.

Duration: 
PrintOne to two forty minute periods
Objectives: 

The learner will:

  • listen to a book
  • understand the importance of lending a helping hand
  • listen to a song expressing the importance of sharing the work
  • participate in a cooperative project
Materials: 
  • Wheat (Available in craft store)
  • Flour
  • The Little Red Hen, by Paul Galdone (see Bibliographical References)
  • Bread recipe (See Bibliographical References for suggestion)
  • Ingredients for bread, Mixing bowl, Mixing spoon, Measuring cups, Measuring spoons, Knife, Cutting board, Loaf pans, Oven
  • Words and music to song (see Attachment One and Bibliographical References)
Home Connection: 

Instruct students to offer to help someone at home with their chores. Ask them to share their experiences.

Bibliography: 
Instructions: 
Print
  1. Anticipatory Set:

    Hold up wheat for class to see. Ask students if they know what it is and what it is used for. Explain that it is something that we eat very often, but we usually see it after it has been made to look differently. Hold up a cup of flour for class to see. Ask students if they know what it is and what it is used for. Explain that flour often comes from wheat that has been ground by a machine and it is used to make all sorts of foods, including bread. Tell them that you will be reading a story about the hard work it takes to turn the wheat into bread.

  2. Read The Little Red Hen, by Paul Galdone.

  3. Discuss the story with the class: What problem did the Little Red Hen have? How do you think it felt when her friends did not want to help her? Why do you think she decided to eat the bread by herself?

  4. Reread or retell the story. This time, assign some students to say the lines of the hen, and others to say the lines of the dog, cat, and duck. Students can act out the parts as well.

  5. Ask the students if they ever wanted help with a chore and no one offered to help them. Ask the students if anyone ever asked them to help with a chore and they didn’t want to. Discuss how they felt.

  6. Explain that we learn this lesson from our rabbis in a book called Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers). Read the Hebrew verse to the class "Lo alecha ham'lacha ligmor,V'lo atah ven chorin l'hibateil mi-menah." Explain that it means "It is not up to you to finish the job, but you must not say that you will not do it at all."

  7. Tell them that this verse was made into a song, and play the song for them.

  8. Tell the students that you would like to make some bread, and you were wondering who would help you. Tell them they can either answer "Not I," like the cat, dog, and duck did in the story, or they can say "I will help you make the bread," like the song teaches we should.

  9. Give students a chance to give their answers.

  10. Follow the recipe step by step, asking at every step "Who will help me _________?" and giving the students a chance to answer.

  11. While the bread is baking, teach the song to the class. If the words are too difficult for them, play the music and allow them to dance to the words instead.

  12. This would also be a good time to have classroom clean-up. Ask the class "Who will help me ____________?" and assign each an area to help clean.

  13. If this is done as a follow-up to Lesson One of this unit, be sure to recite the Bracha (blessing) over bread. If it was not taught in Lesson One, now is a good time to teach it.

  14. Enjoy your bread!

Assessment: 

Assess students based on their participation and willingness to help make the bread and clean up afterward.