The chart below presents some sample questions that students can pose during a classroom discussion. Note how the three visual cueing prompts can be applied across the seven Judaic topic areas.
Judaic Topic | Think-Trix | Q-Matrix | 6 Types of Information |
TANACH (Bible) | Can you remember the names of the three sections of the Tanach? (recall/question) | Where did the Tanach come from? (past/situation question) | What is the Tanach? (factual question) |
TEFILAH (Prayer) | What is your favorite prayer, and why? (evaluation question) | What is the Kaddish prayer? (present/event question) | What is the purpose of prayer? (conceptual question) |
HISTORY | What are some causes for the creation of the modern state of Israel? (cause question); what are some of the effects of Israel’s location in the Middle East? (effect question) | What might have happened to the Jewish people if Hitler had been the victor in World War II? (imagination/event question) | Who is your favorite hero in all of Jewish history? (preference question) |
HEBREW | How is the Hebrew language similar to English? (similarity question) | How will the Hebrew language change in the future? (prediction/means question) | What does the Hebrew word shalom mean? (factual question) |
HOLIDAYS (Hagim) | How is Pesach different from Sukkot? (difference question) | Who can lead a seder? (possibility/person question) | Who would like to share a Jewish family experience that you treasure? (experience question) |
ISRAEL | Safed, Haifa, and Eilat are examples of what larger idea? (from example to idea question) | Would Israel ever use its nuclear weapons to defend itself? (probability/situation question) | What feelings did you have when you visited Israel for the first time? (feeling question) |
MIDDOT (Virtues) | The big idea is middot; can you give five examples of middot? (from idea to example question) | When might it be inappropriate to offer hospitality to a guest? (imagination/situation question) | Is it always right to rebuke others for their misbehavior? Explain. (informed opinion question) |
On the next post we will begin our discussion of the second student-engaged model of teaching, Cooperative Learning.
