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Chana’s Anguish and Triumph, Part 3

  • 40 minutes
  • Grades: 5-8
  • Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze the relationships and emotions in the Chana story by reenacting the scene in either skit or pantomime form.

Lesson objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Describe Elkana and his family (1:1-2).
  2. Outline the family’s yearly trip to Shilo, including Elkana’s and Penina’s behavior toward Chana (1:3-8).
  3. Relate the encounter between Eli and Chana (1:9-18).
  4. Describe the birth and naming of Shmuel (1:19-20).
  5. Describe the fulfillment of Chana’s promise (1:21-28).
  6. Describe Chana’s prayer of thanks to God (2:1-10).
  7. Describe Chana’s feelings throughout the story.

Skills

Students will be able to:

  1. Review the text in groups.
  2. Study selected commentaries in groups.
  3. Analyze the text for greater understanding.

Values

Students will appreciate:

  1. The importance of showing gratitude.
  2. The importance of prayer when in time of need.
  3. The importance of treating others with respect.
  4. The value of being persistent.
  5. The value of recognizing another person’s emotional needs and acting accordingly.

Procedure

  1. Divide the class into groups of three students each.
  2. Distribute selected verses and commentaries (see appendix) to each group.
  3. Each group should learn their assigned verses and commentaries in depth and prepare one of the following assignments, using the rubrics in lesson 4 to guide them.

Assignments:

  1. Pantomime (Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence) The group prepares a pantomime of an imaginary conversation between various characters in the text. Each pantomime should be given an appropriate title.
    For example:
    – Penina and Chana (Suffer and Sufferer: Penina’s Pain and Chana’s Anguish);
    – Chana and God, conversation 1 (The Anguished) and 2 (Tefilat Chana – The Triumph);
    – Eli and Chana – conversation 1 (Not Drunk, Just in Pain) and 2 (I Have Returned – With My Son)
  2. Drama (Interpersonal Intelligence) The group prepares a short skit on one of the topics below. Each skit should be given an appropriate title.
    For example:
    – Chana and Penina (Penina’s Pain)
    – Chana and Elkana (Why Doesn’t He Understand My Sorrow?)
    – Chana praying or crying alone (I Have No One Left to Turn to)

 

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO PART 2. 

Appendices