CU2-8

2:8 **Title:** Hebrew Calendar - Relation of Moon phases to Holidays 1.  **Gain the attention of the learner.** Locate the moon phases for a three-month period from the Internet. [|**http://www.googol.com/moon/**] Enlarge the pictures or make enough for students to share and view. List observations on the chalkboard. Why do you think the month starts with the new moon instead of the full moon (It is easier to determine when the moon is new than when it is full) 2.  **Review relevant past learning.** Students will review the phases of the moon and name the months of the Hebrew Calendar. 3.  **Present new material.** Farming holidays originally floated. The Feast of Ingathering (which later became Sukkot), for example, took place whenever the harvest happened to be in (Deut.16:13). Later, however, when the year came to be determined on an astronomical basis, the Feast Of Ingathering was made to begin either at the autumnal equinox (Exodus 34:22) or at the full moon in the appropriate lunar month. The latter system is the one which has prevailed in Jewish practice. (Chapter 6 in Festivals of the Jewish Year by Gaster). 4.  **Provide guided practice.** The teacher will create a table on the board. The first column beginning with the second row, will list the names of the events (holidays, etc) on the cards on the solar calendar. The first row beginning to the right of the list of names will be the numbers from 1 to 30 for the days of the lunar month. The teacher will draw the major phases of the moon over the appropriate number for the day of the month. 5.  **Provide independent practice.** Students will one at a time (or in pairs for large classes) remove the event cards from the Solar Calendar. They will determine the Hebrew month and day from a Solar/Lunar conversion calendar for the current year. They will place an X where the Holiday row and Day column meet in the table on the board. They will place the card on the Lunar calendar in the appropriate place.
 * Goals:** Students will learn where Jewish holidays fall in relation to phases of the moon.
 * Materials:** Solar calendar scroll with attached holidays, etc. Lunar scroll calendar. 15 cycles of moon phases to be attached to the lunar calendar. Hebrew calendar dates of secular Jewish holidays for current and next year.
 * Close the lesson. **Students will determine which events appear to be related to a phase of the moon and discuss how the brighter light from the full moon might be better for evening celebrations.