We are continuing our tradition of the past two years of open lessons and invite you to participate, either by giving lessons or by coming to watch lessons given by others. Details of the time and place of these open lessons will be sent to schools in the near future.  

Those of you teaching in the high schools are well aware of the (many) changes in the Bagrut. Meetings outlining the new writing scales for the four and five point Bagrut were held in Haifa and in Hadera and follow up meetings will be held in the near future. Please look out for invitations which will be sent to schools and to the homes of the coordinators. If you have comments / suggestions about the bagrut, please write to The Grapevine so that others can share your views.  

This issue includes many authentic samples of pupils' writing. The mistakes have been left in on purpose. We hope these examples will encourage you to do more free writing activities with your classes. Hoping to get contributions from you and your pupils for the next issue of The Grapevine,  

Yours,  

Miriam.  

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The activities in the book are built to incorporate effective learning in heterogeneous classes and also provide many activities for weaker pupils. Teachers will find this publication to be a very useful resource for building activities for heterogeneous classes in general. The ideas in the book can be adopted for any subject and used in conjunction with the class text book.  

The book supports whole language activities and includes stories, songs, background information, puzzles, quizzes, games, listening activities, creative drama and instructions for the teacher.  

The book will be sent out to the schools and notification will also be sent to all English coordinators informing them that the book has been sent.  

You can browse the whole book and download files of the pages you would like.  

Landmarks is also be available on diskette. If you would like a copy, send a sealed new box of 10 formatted 1.44mb diskettes to the office. Be sure to include your name and return address.  

In the meantime - some short extracts from the book………  

Creative Writing.  

Bring pictures of prominent Zionists/Israelis to class, people who have made the news and students know who they are.  

Place the pictures up front so that all the students can see them. Arrange the students in pairs. Each pair chooses two characters (one per person) to use as the basis for a dialogue.  

Give the students time to write down what they think the two people in the picture may be saying to each other. Ask the pairs to read or act out their dialogues, each partner taking one role.  

Guess Who?  

Procedure:  

One player goes out of the classroom, while the name of a famous person in modern Israel history is chosen. The player re-enters and must guess the name chosen through the answers to the questions put before his/her classmates (as he/she proceeds from one to the other in order). Replies must be either "yes" or "no". The number of questions should be limited to the amount of pupils in the class - one question per pupil.  

Story Telling.  

Procedure:  

Pick a familiar story connected to the history of Israel. One of the pupils begins to tell the story. After a few opening sentences, the teacher gives a sign and the storyteller stops immediately, even in the middle of the sentence, and the pupil on his/her right hand side continues till stopped.  

Picture Studying.  

Equipment:  

Pictures of Israel as handouts; pre-prepared questions of different levels.  

Procedure:  

Divide the class into equal heterogeneous groups. The teacher gives the group a picture of Israel (modern or historic). The group has five minutes to study and discuss their picture. The teacher asks each member of the group a pre-prepared question (keeping in mind the level of the student). For each correctly answered question the group gets a point.  

Correcting The Mistakes.  

Divide the class into equal heterogeneous groups. Each group writes out a story that is relevant to the subject (Zionism/Israel). Three mistakes are purposely planted into the story. When the story is related to the class, the other groups have to listen and decide what the mistakes are. The first group that has the correct answer gets 3 points. Back to contents 

I opened my class five lesson by displaying an enlarged copy of the words for Ehud Manor's song 'Ein Lee Eretz Aheret' and we sang this very moving song in Hebrew. I asked the class to translate the first line into English…. "I have no other country….". We talked about the feelings in the song and the message that even though Israel is changing and has ups and downs in the process, we all love our country and feel that it is very special.  

I asked the pupils, "If you could make a wish, what would you wish for Israel on its fiftieth birthday?" What would you like to change or improve? I wrote 'My Wish for My Country' in the center of the blackboard and I gave the pupils 5 minutes to think before I brainstormed all the sentences on the blackboard.  

The wishes came fast and furious and I helped on with vocabulary on a need to know basis. The pupils found it easy to use the pattern: I want to stop road accidents … I want more people to come to Israel.  

I gave each pupil a piece of paper and they could either choose their wish from the blackboard or they could ask me for help with any other variations. What was effective was that weaker learners had heard the wishes and had them displayed on the blackboard so they were free to either choose one from the board or come up with their own wish. Many pupils illustrated their wishes.  

Surprisingly, the next day, when I asked the pupils who could remember their wish, many pupils just rolled them off their tongues, difficult words and all.  

At Beit Yehoshua School, Nesher, the English teacher, Ayelet took her pupils to the computer room and they designed the most beautifully illustrated messages using PowerPoint. To view their work - click here. Dee Stein - Kibbutz Yagur. Back to contents 

My country has a jubilee year  
so lets go out to the streets and chear  
I can give my country a big kiss  
and wish her a lot of peace  
israel is 50 years old  
and that's why I wish her all the happyness in the world  
I wish her 50 years more of happyness  
and not even one second of sadness  
May it be 50 years of rest  
and shortlly- I wish Israel: all the best!  
              Meital Protas.  
  

For my country I wish  
Hope, patience, love and peace  
Just good things more and more  
And not one war  
Always sun and blue sky  
That's it, now bye bye...  
       By- Roni Lapidot

I have a dream that one day  
there will be peace in the middle east.  
I have a dream of a world of justice  
and peace a world like no other world  
our world...  
         Ben Schroeder

I wish to my country a lot of  
successful and peace with another countries.  
I hope that won't be wars  
any more and everybody  
respect everybody and will live with peace with his friends.  
            Shany Graif  
  

I wish to my on its jubilee year a lot of success in economics and business.I wish that there will be peace with Syria even if we have to give up the golan higts. Peace with Syria can solv problams and fix the situation in Lebanon were so many sodiers are wounded and killed. I wish for the country peace but it must be with security.  
         Aram Zilberwasser  
  
  

I wish to my country for the 50 jubilee  
peace, love, success, no more wars  
and that the next 50 years will be better  
than the last 50 years  
        Avichay Shushan

     Dana Amir Back to contents 

ETNI -  has many links and resources.  

Landmarks is available on line on the Internet.  

More links to resources for the Jubilee year.   

The "Mercaz Hahasbara" in Migdal Haneviim has pictures of a number of famous Israeli personalities and other resources. The materials are for sale at a nominal fee. For details call: 862 2361/2. Back to contents 

We were presented with some exciting and interesting material and found the day very worthwhile.  

Among the many ideas presented to us were some activities for Israel's Jubilee year. These activities were prepared by Netti Susman and she kindly agreed for us to present them to you all in the Grapevine.  

City Names.  

Pupils are provided with list of names of cities in Israel. Teacher reads the names and pupils have to write the Hebrew equivalent.  
  
  
 

Caesaria	Nablus	Jerusalem	Hebron	Eilat
Jaffa	Safed	Acre	Tiberias	Beer Sheba

  

Group Activity.  

Change the name of the city you live in - Explain why you chose that name. Design a sign and symbol for "your city" (teacher provides a kit of different symbols for different cities).  

Homework: Find out where the symbols appear in the city. When they are used (e.g. letters, maps). Bring in examples if possible.  

Names and The 50 Years in Israel.  

• Pupils are given a chart with dates and have to find out (at home) what the dates signify, and who were the leaders at that time : 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1991. In groups choose 1 date and present to the class - Facts about war and the leader. Homework: Pupils are provided with a chart which they fill in with the appropriate names, by interviewing family and friends. Pupils can tape the interviews.

COMMON NAMES:

Counselors:   Zehavit Linn (Tel: 8375665)  
                      Ruth Silverman (Tel: 8758295)  

Re'ut JHS will dedicate their next issue of the Re'ut Newsletter to Israel's Jubilee year.

Zehavit Linn  
 

For instructions on how to produce a newsletter using word - click here. Back to contents 

You are invited to have your pupils make up suggestions for trivia cards which you can then send to the office.  

Any school that submits cards, will receive a complete set of all the contributions. Please send your contributions to the office by February 15^th. Please be sure to include your name and the schools name with your contributions.  

The category for the trivia cards is 'Israel's Jubilee' and each card should include a question with 4 possible answers. The correct answer should be highlighted or marked.  

Suggested procedure:  

Write 'Israel' on the board and brainstorm pupils for different aspects of Israel, eg. Nature, History, Geography, Society, Art, Music etc.  

Divide the class into groups and have each group write one question for at least 4 of the categories listed on the board. Each group should prepare at least 4 questions.  

Pupils should take care not to make the choices too easy and to mark the correct answer for each question. Once the pupils have completed their sets of questions, they should be passed over to another group for feedback, verification and correction.  

Pupils can then re-work their cards and present you with the finished product which you can then submit to the office. It is important that these cards reflect authentic pupils' work, please don't over correct or change them. Back to contents 

I Wech.  

On its 50th anniversary I wish Israel a lot of peace and no more wars. I wish Israel a god lieders and no more pour peoples no more lost soldiers just good things  
            Ron Sweed  
  

Israels' 50^th Anniversary.  
 

          Yeal Shiloni  

Congratulations for your 50^th birthday! I want to wish you will become a better place to live in, with peace among the citizens of Israel.  

I hope that our children will grow up in a very safe place, cause they are our hope for the future.  

Maybe some day the people of Israel will be united, and the wars will stop forever.  

Best wishes:

  
50^th JUBILEE YEAR!  

My lovely country,  
50 years old  
My dearest country  
Every song and hope  
All our love is to you  
Songs and prayers we wish to you  
We love you Israel  
We love you best of all  
Your people keep growing  
As fast as they know  
Happy birthday my country  
Happy birthday my dear  

Michal Jakoubovitz

Dear preisdent,  

Hello my friend, How are you, I write to you because I have to thank you for the gigantic and lovly surprise party that you did to me for my 50^th Jubilee year, I never be so happy and now I have some wishes that I must write to you becouse you can help me. I am 50 years old now, I had many events in my past; some of them were happy and some were sad. I must tell you, I don't love the tragic ones I don't love to see my children hurt and sufer, I don't like the people who came and think that I am their country, They hurt my children I don't want that they come into my house, just for paly with my children but not to hurt them, I want to ask from you a favor please, protect my children and keep them safe.  
  

love always,  
your friend  
Israel.  
Rachel Shitirt.
  
Israel.  

50 years for Israel  
our country that we love.  
A lot of people say:  
This country is like aleaf of alive  
In the mouth of the dove.  
Israel is aword full of meaning  
Meaning of trees, birds and flowers  
You are bea- Israel  
And you are only ours.  
      Shira Kats.

  

DEAR COUNTRY  

First of all I want to congratulate you for your 50^th jubilee year birthday, and I want to tell you that I admier you so much because I know that you have been through in all those years! Yes, you are such a small contery but still many people all over the world want to live here and build their houses and families in this place. I understand them because everybody knows what a special contry you are and beauty as well! So, goodbay in the next 50 years….  

Love, yours  
Confidential-resident!!!!  
                Chen Elad  
  

Happy Jubilee.  

Who thought that we built a jewish  
Country, a free country with our  
Government who though we will have  
Our army? But .. as we know all this  
Dreams became realty and we have  
this land, we pey for this country  
By our soldiers by our people  
But with the years we are  
Respected by other countries!!  
                         Gili Gibly.  

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