How Students Think and Learn

1. How Students Think and Learn Korbon Pesach in Mitzrayim and its role in Yetzias Mitzrayim. Menachem Bornstein Shimon Feigenbaum Avki Klein May 14, 2012

2. What was our goal? To determine how children develop their knowledge within a specific domain. What was our domain? The role of the Korban Pesach in both the physical and spiritual emancipation of the Jewish People.

3. Subjects Meir Mordechai 1st Grade Age 6.5 years Zevi 4th Grade Age 10 years Both subjects attend the same Yeshiva and both have extensive background in the domain studied.

4. Environmental Factors: • Classroom setting • Morning • Subjects eager and enthusiastic • Technical difficulties caused delay • Second subject present during first subject’s interview • Different interviewers • Interviewers did not stick strictly to script • Follow up interview one week later took place in the afternoon at home • Subjects were tired, hungry and cranky • Card activity unavailable for follow up interview

5. General Topics Within the Domain: • The nature of the slavery in Egypt • The complexities of the master-slave relationship • The role of MakkasBechoros • The laws of Korban Pesach • The Exodus from Egypt Which brings us to our main focus…

6. The Main Focus: By performing the ritual of the Korban Pesach, the Jewish People separated themselves from idol worship, thereby earning the privilege of leaving Egypt.

7. Procedure • Initial interview • Activity • Lesson • Follow up interview • Follow up activity One week later • Follow up interview • Follow up activity

8. Card Activity • Achila • matzo • marror • shviras etzem • zman – chatzos • cow • sheep • Shechita • Dam • mashkof • mezuzah • eizov – hyssop • Tzliya - roasting • Hallel

9. Specific Analysis: Slave Schema Meir Mordechai Q: A slave doesn’t have much of a choice. Do you know what it means to be a slave? MM: To work for someone for like like like um um six years and then you have to let them go. Q: Um hmm. When the Yidden were in Mitzrayim did they get to go after the 6 years? MM: No. Q: Why not? MM: Because Hashem said at the bris bein habesarim that they’re going to be in Mitzrayim for (long pause) Zevi(Paraphrased) Q: OK, now explain exactly what does it means to be a slave. Z: Um, to work. Q: OK, so that means that if I work for a person and I get paid… Z: They don’t get paid. Q: Is it something that they’re happy to do? What type of work are they doing? Z: Something that they’re not happy to do? Q: How were they treated when they’re working as a slave? Is it any different than a regular worker? Z: Yeah. They had to do the same amount of bricks every single day, so if they made 600 they have to do 600. Q: OK, so across the street from me, there’s construction workers, they’re putting up a house so they’re working with bricks. Are those considered slaves? Z: It’s something different. Q: Why is that different from a regular slave? Z: Because they whip them.

10. Specific Analysis: Visual Learning Meir Mordechai Q: On which part of the doorpost did they put the blood? MM: The mezzuza over here and the mezzuza over here and somewhere else. I forgot. Q: Let’s say this is the doorpost. Where did they put the blood? MM: Here, here and on top. *********************** MM: Sheep Q: Do you know why they used a sheep? They could’ve used a cow. You’re right it was a sheep. We’ll talk about why a sheep. MM: I don’t know. (During lesson) Q: Whatever they wanted to worship they did. I’m gonna tell you now about a new avodazara that the mitzriyim worshipped. What do you see on the board there? MM: A sheep. I know about that avodazara. And when the yidden tied it to the bed the mizriyim were going to take a sword and chop off the yiddens heads Zevi Q:Tell me why you’re separating them in piles and why you’re putting one card with that. I: Brachos and hallel because you make a bracha on hallel. Q: OK, good. I: You make a bracha on matzah….and marror…and potatoes…and on wine. (Subject was comparing 1st card to 2nd, to 3rd,etc without considering the rest of the cards.)

11. Specific Analysis: Main Focus . Meir Mordechai Original impression: Q: What is the korbanpesach? MM: A korban you eat right before pesach. Q: What type of animal was used for korbanpesach? MM: Sheep Q: Do you know why they used a sheep? They could’ve used a cow. You’re right it was a sheep. We’ll talk about why a sheep. MM: I don’t know. One week later: Q: So what are they showing Hashem? MM: That they’re not doing avodahzarah, they’re killing it. Q: Excellent. So they’re showing Hashem that they’re not doing bowing down anymore. And what’s Hashem going to do? MM: Split the Yam suf

12. Specific Analysis : Main Focus . Zevi Original impression: Q: What are things that they could possibly worship as avodah zara? Z: Sheep. Q: What was the purpose of tying the sheep to the bedpost? Z: For them to show the Mitzriyim that look what we’re using your avodah zara for. Student understood connection between the sheep and separating from the avodah zara. (Student may have been influenced by his presence in the room during Meir Mordechai’s interview, age, and knowledge of Parshas Bo.)

13. Conclusion: Students with preexisting schemata on a particular domain can incorporate new data to develop a more advanced understanding of that topic.