The Shorashim learners have been consumed by interest in plants, flowers, and trees since the beginning of the school year. Our classroom birch tree mural has blossomed with carefully-colored leaves and been inhabited by bugs and birds. Eating Rosh Hashanah apples led to experiments in planting the seeds we found inside. The children also enjoy watering the small plants that live in the classroom and placing them in front of the classroom window to sunbathe. And we’ve already learned the Hebrew words for garden (gan גן ) and tree (etz עץ ).
Accordingly, we spent time today exploring Day Three of the Braysheet story, when God created (among other things) trees, flowers, and plants. Upon arriving, the kids gathered around a window box full of floral foam and a basket of artificial flowers and small trees. Placing the flowers in different configurations by size and color allowed them to practice sorting and small motor skills. While we “planted,” we reviewed the Hebrew names for all the colors of the flowers and trees in our gan hadash (new garden גן חדש). Morah Michelle and I also introduced the Hebrew words for plant ( צמח ) and flower ( פרח). We ended our gan activity for the day by discussing flowers we’ve seen in other settings and shared our ideas for how G-d may have created all the plants on the third day of creation
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