Dreidel Card Holder

1. Chanukah is an 8-day Jewish festival. During this time children play with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top called a s'vivon in Hebrew. The names of the letters on dreidels stand for the phrase, "Ness Gadol Hayah Sham--a great miracle happened there." Dreidels are traditionally used to play a lively Chanukah game. Here’s one way to use the dreidel theme to make a holder for Chanukah cards. It makes a lovely gift!
2. Use Crayola® Scissors to cut off the top and most of two opposite sides of a square tissue box. Leave enough of the sides so the box stands upright. The box will look a bit like a napkin holder.
3. Use a Crayola Erasable Colored Pencil to trace around one side of the box twice on construction paper. Draw a large dreidel on each section. Color the dreidels with Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils.
4. Using the eraser, rub away color to form one of the four Hebrew letters found on a dreidel. Fill in the letters with another color and add a decorative border.
5. Outline the letters and enhance the border using Crayola Glitter Glue. Air-dry.
6. Cut out the dreidel pieces. Glue them on each end of the tissue box.

LA: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.

SS: Give examples of and explain group and institutional influences such as religious beliefs, laws, and peer pressure, on people, events, and elements of culture.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Possible classroom resources include: The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmmel; Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel; Hanukkah Moon by Deborah Da Costa; Moishe's Miracle: A Hanukkah Story by Laura Krauss Melmed

Students research the symbols of the dreidel. To organize the symbols, student can design a chart illustrating the symbol and its meaning. Provide a place in the classroom to post the student chart.

Provide students the opportunity to create similar card holders for any holiday. Encourage them to decorate the card holders with symbols of the occasion.