Teach Your Students About Chanukah

The holidays are a god time to do something different than your regular lesson plan. Kids appreciate the change of a routine from the regular lesson plan.

This year Chanukah falls on Friday, December 15th 2006, so here are a few last minute Chanukah ideas for those of you who are still looking for something to do with your students. Chanukah is my favorite time of the new year.

Chanukah is typically known as the Festival of Lights and in my school, it falls right at the time that they get their report cards. If you're like me, you can adapt the light theme and ask your students in which areas have they been able to see the 'light' or improve in a skill or an area of study?

Here is a selection of various activities that do not require much planning or extra materials with your class. I usually keep a general word list handy and use it appropriately.

1. Brainstorm with your class all the associations they know about Chanukah. Here are some words you can add to the class word list:
Day, joy, light, Maccabee, dark, toy, bright, fun, round, spin, top, night, turn, way, glee, burn, stop, jar, story, song, fine, long, white, glory, small, say, fall, destroy, all, torch, fight, glittering, porch, flickering
Ask the students to find the rhyming words from the list and then make up their own Chanukah poem.

2. Kids like crossword puzzles. Make up your own or create your own using puzzlemaker.

3. Secret Words. Students work in groups of three or four. They decide upon a word. Each group then presents its word for the other players of another group to guess by saying the letters with new words. The initial letter of each new word will spell out the secret word.
Example: the group has chosen the word "T-O-P". Three playes give words each saying one: Toy, Open, Pen.
The second group tries to guess the secret word.

4. Small Words from a big one. Write one fairly long word on the blackboard. Example: "Doughnut". Give the group a time limit in which to see who can make the longest list of words using the letters in the word you have written. Make a list on the blackboard. The student with the longest list can then lead the game.

5. You can print these coloring pages and have kids color them in.

6. Play bingo using the words above or student generated lists.

7. If you have a computer room, kids can send a virtual greeting card.

8. Also at the computer room, kids can answer a trivia quiz on Chanukah.

9. check out also the Chanukah basics if you need to brush up on your knowledge.

10. Chanukah is an important time to remember the important eight day Miracle. Take a look at this lesson plan on teaching miracles through poetry.

Whatever you decide to do with your class, help your students to learn more about this special holiday and join the discussion on Chanukah ideas and activities. Have a happy Chanukah!