4MAT Lesson Plan on Vayeshev
In this 4MAT lesson plan, students learn the story of Vayeshev 37: 5-7 and analyze it’s meaning.
Introduction
This lesson uses the 4MAT teaching model. 4MAT lessons involve a variety of activities which appeal to students with a variety of different learning styles. Aboutlearning.com writes that there are four main types of learning styles:
Type One—Imaginative Learning—feeling and watching, seeking personal associations, meaning, involvement. Making connections. Key Question: Why?
Type Two—Analytic Learning—Listening to and thinking about information; seeking facts, thinking through ideas; learning what the experts think. Formulating ideas. Key Question: What?
Type Three—Common Sense Learning—Thinking and doing, experimenting, building, creating usability, tinkering, applying ideas. Key Question: How?
Type Four—Dynamic Learning—Doing and feeling, seeking hidden possibilities, exploring, learning by trial and error, self-discovery. Creating original adaptations. Key Question: If?
4MAT also draws on our understanding of how the brain works. The left part of our brain works best with structure and sequence, while the right part works best with images, patterns and strives to synthesize.
Lesson objectives
Students will be able to describe the dream in Vayeshev 37: 5-7.
Students will be able to explain the symbolism of the dream.
Students will be able to provide an interpetation of the dream.
Resources & Equipment needed
copy of text (see appendix), popsicle sticks/skewers, rubber bands
Procedure
A Right- Let students handle bundles of wheat (can use popsicle sticks or skewers tied with a rubber band). Ask them to make the wheat lie down, stand up and bow. A Left- Discuss symbolism of the items. What do bundles of wheat bring to mind? What is bowing for? B Right- Teacher acts out Joseph’s dream using the bundles. Then, the teacher guides the students in working the bundles to act out the dream. B Left- Teacher reads the passage (Vayeshev 37: 5-7) in Hebrew, using the bundles to demonstrate meaning. May also explain in English. C Right- The class reads the passage together several times, using the bundles to act out meaning. C Left- Students pair up to read passage to each other. Students record on paper items and events of dream from passage. D Left- Students brainstorm for possible meanings of the dream, based on symbols, and write them down. D Right- Students share suggested meanings of the dream with the rest of the class.