Hineni! Shmuel’s First Prophecy

In this lesson, students study the story of Shmuel’s first prophecy and then express the storyline in drama/creative writing/art.

Introduction

This unit on Shmuel Aleph 3:1-0 utilizes the following intelligences: interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and visual-spatial.

After studying the text, students are grouped and either write a skit (interpersonal) OR draw a cartoon (visual-spatial) based on the text. For homework, students write a diary (intrapersonal/linguistic), exploring Shmuel’s feelings during the first prophecy.

Lesson objectives

The student will be able to:

1. Describe the prelude to Shmuel’s first prophecy (3:1-10).
2. Express the story in drama/writing/art.

Skills

The student will be able to:

1. Read Tanakh texts with understanding.
2. Study Tanakh commentaries independently.
3. Infer human feeling and emotion in Tanakh texts.

Values

The student will appreciate:

1. The magnitude of prophecy.
2. The importance of humility.
3. The importance of honoring one’s parents and teachers.

Resources & Equipment needed

• Copies of Shmuel Aleph for all students (or Sefaria link here)
• Wordlists for all students
• Rubrics for assessment

 

Procedure

1. Read Shmuel Aleph 3:1-10 slowly and emotively before the class, translating as you read.
2. Briefly discuss.
3. Tell students that they will be split into groups of two/three and have a choice of two assignments to complete. The assignments are as follows:
   1. Skit (work in groups of three – narrator, Shmuel, and Eli) – Write a skit based on the text. Use as many words of the text as possible, supplementing extra words when necessary.
   2. Comic (work independently or in groups of two): Draw a comic based on verses 1-10. Create a panel for each verse, depicting the storyline. Make sure that the dialogue as it appears in the text is included in the panels in conversation bubbles. Don’t forget to draw scenes for the verses that don’t have dialogue.

4. Explain that grades will be given according to the rubric criteria. Quickly go through them with the class.

5. Assign each student to a group OR allow students to choose their group on their own. Each group can choose the assignment they wish to complete. Distribute rubrics.

6. Tell the class to read and reread the text two more times in their groups, reading and translating, before they begin their assignments. Distribute the word list, and tell them to read Metzudat David and Metzudat Zion to help with comprehension.

7. If there is time, students should present their comics and skits to the class, using the guidelines in Lesson 2. If there is not enough time, presentations will kick off the next lesson.

Homework: Write a diary tracing Shmuel’s thoughts during the beginning of his first prophecy. Use these questions as guidelines:

1. Why does Shmuel say ‘Hineni?’ See Rashi on Bereshit 22:1.
2. What does Shmuel think when he finds out that Eli did not call him?
3. What does Shmuel think as he lies down again?
4. As Shmuel gets up repeatedly, each time thinking that Eli called him, what do you think Shmuel thought? Do his thoughts change? Give an alternate view of what Shmuel could be thinking.
5. How does Shmuel feel when Eli tells him that God is calling him?
6. Why does Shmuel ignore Eli’s instructions and leave out the word “God” when Shmuel speaks to Him?

Assessment: Rubrics help students become more thoughtful judges of the quality of their own and others’ work. If rubrics are used for self-and peer assessment, students become increasingly able to identify and solve problems in their own and one another’s work. This in turn increases students’ sense of responsibility for their own work.