Candles the Hanukkah Cat: An Interactive Story Time for People Who Love Pets
What's included
1 live meeting
30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
This is a fun, creative and completely secular class. We start off with a chat about cats and other pets we love. Next I will share a funny story I have written and illustrated based on my experiences fostering many cats, my own cat's behavior around candles, and my family's tradition of giving to others on Hanukkah. The story has no set ending, so students will share ideas through conversation and drawing and we will collaborate to create a happy ending for Candles the cat and his family. Please note: I will not be discussing or explaining the history of Hanukkah in this class, and I will not include any religious aspects. It is a completely secular class and story, which reflects my own family's secular traditions around the holiday when I was growing up and cultural and family traditions I share with my own children and our friends from many backgrounds during the eight days of Hannukah. The story includes a family enjoying the glow of candles, giving gifts and choosing a community organization to support, eating latkes (potato pancakes), playing with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side) and singing a secular song about making a dreidel.
Learning Goals
Students will practice listening, collaborating and storytelling skills. Students will also learn about the tradition of lighting candles for eight nights and giving to others and helping others during Hanukkah. This course is completely secular.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This is a fun, creative and completely secular class. I am sharing a story I have written based on my own cat's behavior around candles and my own family's tradition of giving to others on Hanukkah. The story involves a family lighting candles, giving gifts, eating latkes (potato pancakes) and playing with a dreidel. I will not be discussing or explaining the meaning or history of Hanukkah in this class.
Supply List
Those who enjoy drawing and writing will want to have paper and writing/drawing supplies nearby, because they may want to draw their own ideas about Candles the Cat and a happy ending to his story.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
This class and the story I will tell are based on my own experiences as a child and with my own children, celebrating Hanukkah among family and a wide circle of friends of many backgrounds. I am Jewish, and Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, but you don't have to have prior knowlede of or connections to Hanukkah traditions to relate to and enjoy this story about a cat-loving, animal-loving family enjoying the warmth and glow of candles, time together and the joy of giving to others. This class and story are completely secular.
Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$9
per classMeets once
30 min
Completed by 58 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 4-8
2-6 learners per class