A Reader-Friendly Hebrew Lesson for Tu B'Shvat

Every Monday afternoon I hold an English story hour for 8/9 year olds at the Kfar Saba Children's Library. Since none of the kids are native English speakers I've decided to do bi-lingual readings of favorite books that are not too childish in content for this age level. This past Monday I read The Giving Tree, or as they say in Hebrew, עץ הנדיב, followed by a discussion and a DIY story project about a tree.

With a ninth grade volunteer by my side, the book was read page-by-page, first in Hebrew then in English, bringing the "audience" up to speed with the meaning of each page's words. The children loved it, smiling and joining in. When I saw their reaction, it hit me that this could be a great tie-in lesson for Tu B'Shvat. You read in the reverse order that I did, and then take advantage of this Hebrew quizlet that relates to the book. With this quizlet in hand, I'm sure you'll branch out with numerous creative ideas.

Am I barking up the right tree? I hope so. While you probably have The Giving Tree in your library, the Hebrew edition can be easily purchased through Amazon.

Tu B'shvat is less than a month away. Hope this helps you with your lesson plans.