Sefaria 101, 201 and 301: A Differentiated Student Sefaria How-To Lesson

Note to teachers:

This lesson can be differentiated based on prior student knowledge. To that end, students can be placed in or self-select a particular group based on level and prior experience with Sefaria.

• Learning Targets (these cover the full gamut; targets for individual students will depend on the student's level entering the session)

  • TLW will learn how to create a Sefaria profile.

  • TLW learn how to effectively utilize the Sefaria library, including:

    • Browsing and locating texts.

      • Learning where key texts are found, and how they are organized.

      • Using previous texts that you’ve recently pulled up while logged into your profile.

    • Using the calendar function.

    • Effectively searching for, using, and creating source sheets (including tagging).

      • Understanding and properly utilizing the various options when creating sheets - Divine names, number sources, box sources, בס״ד, language, and layout.

      • Options once you’ve created a sheet - copy, export to Google drive, Embed, Tag, Print, visualize, highlight mode.

    • Using visualizations to see the correlations between biblical and rabbinic texts.

    • Using the “Authors” tab to learn more about the history of halakhah.

  • TLW learn to join and create groups to further learning.

  • TLW learn to harness social media to most effectively learn and teach Torah with Sefaria.

• Duration:
  • Depending on lesson design, can be anywhere from 40-80 minutes.

• Instructions:

  • On a scale of 1-10 (easily created in Google Forms), self-evaluate your own Sefaria skills in each of the above areas.

  • Based on that self-assessment, place yourself into one of the following three tracks:

    • Sefaria 101 - all but new to the platform

    • Surfing Sefaria (Sefaria 201) - have used it before, but feel like you still have plenty to learn

    • Sefaria Sophisticate (Sefaria 301) - highly literature in Sefaria, and would benefit from learning some advanced features and cool tricks

• Each group is tasked to create a video, animation, or other creative project demonstrating for others how to use Sefaria in accordance with the level of the group. In their presentations, the groups must include the following content:

  • Sefaria 101 -

    • How to create a profile

    • Text Study

      • Using the site in Hebrew vs. English

      • How to find sefarim in Tanakh

      • How to find commentaries on sefarim in Tanakh, Mishnah, Gemara, Rambam, Shulkhan Aruch

    • Calendar section

      • How to locate the Parshat hashavua

      • How to locate the week's Haftarah

    • Using the source sheets library

      • How to use Tags, Topics and Authors

    • Creating a source sheet

      • How to view your own source sheets

      • Walk through the basics of how to create a source sheet

  • Surfing Sefaria (Sefaria 201) -

    • Give background assumptions about what viewer is assumed to know (i.e., whatever was covered in the Sefaria 101 video). Then address the following:

    • Using the Library

      • How to bring up my recent texts

      • How to use Resources when clicking on right side of the page.

    • Source sheets -
      • How to choose particular lines from that text (e.g., Sanhedrin 89a:15-16)

      • How to including media on source sheets

      • Sharing Sefaria on social media

      • How to export to another format, e.g. PDF or Google Doc.

  • Sefaria Sophisticate (Sefaria 301) -

    • Give background assumptions about what viewer is assumed to know (i.e., whatever was covered in the Sefaria 101 and Surfing Sefaria videos). Then address the following:

    • Highlight some of the more fascinating works in the Sefaria library.
    • New 929 feature
    • Daily Mishnah and Rambam
    • Visualizations
    • How to track new content on Sefaria.
    • Adding your own code/content.

• As a culmination to the assignment, a special page can be created including:
  • Embedded videos created by students in each of the three groups.
  • Students can engage in a reflective exercise, addressing questions such as:
    • What new Sefaria tools did you learn through this assignment?
    • When do you think you'll be most likely to use those new skills?
    • How do you think learning from online sources such as Sefaria is different than learning from traditional printed texts? What are the advantages of online learning? What are the disadvantages? Are there times when learning from a hard-copy text is a better choice?
    • Do you think the nature of learning is transforming in the digital age? Explain your position.