NEW Hebrew Calendar Lapbook: Around the Jewish Year!!!

My newest lapbook project is DONE at last!  Here’s a general description:

You may think the current year is 2012, but did you know that on the Jewish calendar, it's actually the year 5772?  Did you know Judaism has not one, but four, special "New Years Days"?  Did you know the Torah doesn't actually name the months, but only refers to them by number?

The Hebrew calendar is fascinating and meaningful for homeschoolers of any faith who are studying the origins of Hebrew civilization, the beginnings of the Jewish Bible or the modern State of Israel and Jewish People.

This lapbook is perfect for a short unit study on the Hebrew calendar.  Rather than focus on a single feast or holiday, though they are mentioned, it helps reinforce the CONTEXT of the holidays within the broader Jewish culture of yesterday and today.  You'll also find out your own Hebrew birthday, explore the phases of the moon, and much more!

You will probably need your own Jewish calendar resources, either books or online, but this lapbook does include a 5-page guide with tips and hints for "Teaching Around the Jewish Year", along with web links I have found helpful in my own studies.

This lapbook lets you work with your children - using texts and websites of your choice - within authentic traditions, creating a project you can both be proud to show off!

I haven’t blogged about it much, but I think the calendar is one of the most fascinating features of Judaism.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

1. Months of the Year Mini-Matchbooks – this is the core of the project; 12 cute little matchbooks, one for each month, with 2 “pages” of information inside about that month.
2. Months of the Year Puzzle Pocket
3. What Month is it Now? – wheel
4. What Month is it Now? – fold-out mini-calendar
5. Seasons of Celebration Mini-Book – how the 12 months fit into the four seasons, and which holidays are celebrated in each
6. My Hebrew Birthday! – accordion shape book
7. Phases of the Moon – find out how the Hebrew date corresponds to the current moon phase!
8. The Number of the Year – this year is 5772… starting from…?  (hint: it’s the birthday of the world!)
9. Months in the Torah – four “month references” to specific events directly quoted from the Torah
10. Welcoming a New Month – three-part flap book illustrating the three ways we herald the new month
11. Leap Year Fold-Out – or, in Hebrew, a “pregnant” year / שָׁנָׁה מְעֻבֶּרֶּת!
12. Four New Years – did you know that the Mishnah describes not one but FOUR “Jewish New Years”?  These days, we only observe 2; what are the others?
13. Special Years Three-Flap Circle – Shemittah, Yovel, and the very rare Birkat HaChamah year…
14. Rosh Chodesh Long Ago Mini-Book – how was the new month observed in ancient times?
15. One World, Many Calendars – find out about other cultures and their calendars!
16. Special Dates Mini-Book – special dates from the Torah, Jewish tradition, and lots of room to write in your own.

I’m tempted to say “all this and MORE,” but really, that is all you get.  Well, okay, since you insist, there’s also a nifty 5-page “Overview and Teaching Tips” guide to the Jewish Year Lapbook that should offer some guidance, web links, along with my delightfully witty banter.  There are also detailed step-by-step instructions for putting the components together.

Why teach the Jewish Year?  And why now?

• Great unit study to fill the gap between holiday seasons!
• Great for anyone, Jewish or not, religious or not, because it’s mostly cultural, with little prescriptive or religious content!
• Kids coming out of Chanukah have a strong sense of Jewish identity (separateness, uniqueness, for better or for worse) – use that momentum while it’s strong to embrace a NEW Jewish subject!
• The calendar is a perfect subject for kids who are interested in math and numbers, but there are tie-ins to other subjects, like history, language, even astronomy! 
• Oh – and don’t forget art, as you decorate your lapbook and make it utterly unique and fantastic!

Buy it right here at CurrClick!

p.s. I am gradually shifting away from my Pay-What-You-Can model, but I know all too well how scary-expensive homeschooling can be.  If you see something you want but can’t pay full price, please contact me (remove the X’s first!).