Behrman House: About Us: Open Lion Fall 2002: Six Great Ways to Teach Hebrew Conversation With Ulpan Alef

About Us: Open Lion Fall 2002

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Fall 2002

Six Great Ways to Teach Hebrew Conversation With Ulpan Alef
By Scott Blumenthal

Those of you already using Ulpan Alef – our new four-page conversational Hebrew folders – know that it gives kids a taste of modern Hebrew vocabulary and sentence structure; helps them appreciate Hebrew as a living language; strengthens their reading, writing, and comprehension skills; and is bright and colorful.

We thought we'd share with you some of the interesting ways educators are using Ulpan Alef:

As a full class session. Set aside a full session to teach an Ulpan Alef folder in its entirety. Dramatize the cartoon story, take a virtual trip to Israel with the Welcome to Israel! feature, and explore the variety of reading, writing, and conversational activities each folder offers.
At special times of the year. Teach part of a folder in conjunction with a holiday, school program, or other special time of the year. For example, use "At School" on the first day of class, "Clothing" for Purim, and "At the Park" before a Lag B'Omer field day.
As a change of pace. Teach a slice of Ulpan Alef at the end of each session, or after completing a chapter in your prayer program. Have kids act out the cartoon story or play a conversation game from the teacher's guide.
To keep post-b'nai mitzvah students involved. Offer modern Hebrew to students who have become bar or bat mitzvah, and are ready for a different Hebrew experience.
For family time. Create a family education program providing families with a little Hebrew to speak at home. For example, use the "Shalom" folder to help families learn basic greetings, salutations, and fun ways to interact.
Ulpan Alef Interactive! Check out the Ulpan Alef Interactive website at www.behrmanhouse.com/ua, or give your students the CD-ROM, where they can hear and build Hebrew sentences, create Hebrew cartoons, and play more than a dozen Hebrew video games (including the famous skateboarding game that only people under the age of 15 can master).

If you have other great ways to use Ulpan Alef, email scott@behrmanhouse.com. The most creative answer will appear with your photograph in our next catalog!

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