Jewcology » Owner of Teva

Brit Adamah for Tu Bishvat–Family

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:31:40 +0000

We commit to this Brit Adamah in honor of Tu B’Shvat, the holiday of the trees. Use this blank Brit Adamah for families, as they commit to saving trees, conserving resources, and protecting the land, in honor of Tu B'Shvat.

Jewish-Environmental Quotes for Shabbat

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:30:31 +0000

Use this collection of thought-provoking quotes to spark discussion about the wisdom of Shabbat, our ultimate Jewish environmental holiday!

Brit Adamah for Tu Bishvat–Individual

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:26:37 +0000

I commit to this Brit Adamah–Covenant with the Earth–in honor of Tu Bishvat, the holiday of the trees. Use this blank Brit Adamah card for students of all ages, as part of a discussion about Tu Bishvat, and their role in protecting trees, conserving resources and caring for the land.

18 Things You Can Easily Do in a Jewish Home to Heal the Earth

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:12:57 +0000

Here are 18 easy things the Teva Learning Center suggests you can do in your daily life to live the value of Bal Taschit–do not waste.

Synagogue Energy Audit Scavenger Hunt

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:48:07 +0000

The goal of this activity is to learn practical solutions to energy reduction, to begin analyzing the energy use practices of the synagogue, and to discuss and develop a class-led project to help the synagogue reduce its
environmental impact/footprint.

Measuring Our Community’s Impact: Energy Audit

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:36:18 +0000

Perform a Synagogue Environmental Audit:
· In small groups, please answers the questions outlined in the audit sheet(s) attached.
· Your results will be used to help the synagogue measure its current environmental impact
(“footprint”) and to identify effective ways your community can make change!

Build A City

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:30:12 +0000

The Goals of this activity are:
· To learn the need for compromise and teamwork
· To learn Jewish values related to urban planning
· To learn to apply responsibilities and values in the “real” world

Re-Used Paper Making

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:29:35 +0000

This resource’s content is attached.

Hanukah Energy Scavenger Hunt

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:27:43 +0000

This resource’s content is attached.

Pizza Box Solar Oven

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:25:11 +0000

Solar Oven progam

The goal of solar ovens is for all students to walk away understanding how solar ovens use the greenhouse effect, (which they just learned about in the intro), to use the heat of the sun to heat their food.

Set up a solar oven in advance, with something cooking in it. Have the kids try to guess what the outside temperature is and then point out the temperature on the thermometer of the solar oven.
Have the kids try to figure out all the different components of the solar oven based on what they learned earlier about the greenhouse effect.
Show the kids the resources that they have to work with- depending on the age group, give more or less information. With high school kids, just give them the resources and tell them they are in a design contest to design the most efficient oven- lets in and traps the most sunlight. A good clue is to remind them that the pizza boxes are insulated, so they should use that feature. With younger kids, I show them the example box that I already made and have them mimic it.
Cut a square hole into the top of the box, but leave 1 of the sides attached, so that you have a flap. Cover the flap with tin foil. Cover the window with the plastic binder sheet. Tape a piece of black construction paper to the inside bottom of the pizza box. Tada!
Have the kids set up the oven and make smores or mini pizza’s.

Some Jewish themes you can hit on:

Bal tashchit: The sun gives us abundant energy every day. So much in fact, that if we were to capture all of the energy that the sun gives us in one hour, it would provide the energy needs of the entire planet for one year. We simply do not have the technology to harness all of that energy. Instead, we use fossil fuels and other sources of energy. Our tradition encourages us to avoid wasting.
Chessed: The sefira of Chessed is about abundant giving. We must orient ourselves to be able to receive the blessings.

Pokeiach Ivrim

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:25:08 +0000

The name of this exercise is taken from Birchot HaShachar, a morning prayer in which we thank God
for the restoration of our senses upon waking. These senses include bodily mobility as we wake,
stretch, dress and begin our day. One bracha (blessing) ends in, Pokeiach Ivrim, which means, who
opens our eyes, thanking God for the gift of sight.

Build your own Solar Oven (out of an old cooler)

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:20:49 +0000

Here is an easy and fun way to make a solar oven out of re-used materials. This one actually works!!!

Solar Oven program

Set up the “cooler” solar oven in advance, with something cooking in it. Have the kids try to guess what the outside temperature is and then point out the temperature on the thermometer of the solar oven.
Have the kids try to figure out all the different components of the solar oven based on what they learned earlier about the greenhouse effect.
Show the kids the resources that they have to work with- depending on the age group, give more or less information. With high school kids, just give them the resources and tell them they are in a design contest to design the most efficient oven- lets in and traps the most sunlight. A good clue is to remind them that the pizza boxes are insulated, so they should use that feature. With younger kids, I show them the example box that I already made and have them mimic it.
Cut a square hole into the top of the box, but leave 1 of the sides attached, so that you have a flap. Cover the flap with tin foil. Cover the window with the plastic binder sheet. Tape a piece of black construction paper to the inside bottom of the pizza box. Tada!
Have the kids set up the oven and make smores or mini pizza’s.

Some Jewish themes you can hit on:

Bal tashchit: The sun gives us abundant energy every day. So much in fact, that if we were to capture all of the energy that the sun gives us in one hour, it would provide the energy needs of the entire planet for one year. We simply do not have the technology to harness all of that energy. Instead, we use fossil fuels and other sources of energy. Our tradition encourages us to avoid wasting.
Chessed: The sefira of Chessed is about abundant giving. We must orient ourselves to be able to receive the blessings.

Have Fun!!!!!!!!!! Give Thanks!!

Jonathan Dubinsky jonathandubinsky@gmail.com

Shema Sound Map

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:19:39 +0000

A Shema-based listening awareness activity for all ages.

Name That Critter

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:11:04 +0000

This activity explores the power of naming something. Often when we
think of the language of Breishit – dominion and ruling over Creation
and stewardship – we imagine physical acts or resource use. But it is
possible to enact dominion through more subtle intellectual pursuits as
well, such as naming. This activity highlights our ability and propensity
for putting ourselves above the rest of Creation through naming, the
positive and negative aspects of that ability, and the responsibility that
comes with it.

Build A Tree

Owner of Teva — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:01:14 +0000

This game has a magical power to create joyous camaraderie, as well as teach tree biology.
It's amazingly effective for drawing a group together. Players act out the various parts of a tree: the taproot,
lateral roots, heartwood, sapwood, phloem/cambium, and bark. In large groups, more than one player can
take each role.