Project Display Boards - a P.L.U.S.

Shavuah Tov! Many of my recent posts have described display models which can make you classroom walls an asset to every lesson. There is another type of display which is quite versatile - the project display board or tri-fold board. When opened up, these corrugated boards can stand alone on a table top or on the floor. (They're a staple of student science fairs.) Project display boards (let's call them "pdb's") can be purchased at office supply stores and teacher's stores.

How are pdb's a P.L.U.S. in the classroom? Read on...

PORTABLE - Pdb's are sturdy, easy to carry, and easy to store. A pdb can even be carried by a student from class to class, so that one pdb can serve as a focus for lessons in several classes on the same day.
Stand the pdb on any flat surface and it's ready to go.

LONG LASTING - Pdb's last for years as long as they're kept dry. Once you've created one, you have a display that you can use over and over. I have some pdb's that I've used for ten years and they've held up very well.
Label and date the outside of each pdb,so that you can easily flip through a stack of them to find the one you want.

UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES - Practically any Judaic Studies or Hebrew topic can be presented on a pdb. Some pdb's that I've used present topics that include Mitzvot, Torah Study Basics, Illuminated Hebrew Manuscripts (a class project), Religious School Lesson Planning, Hebrew Language Elements, and Modern Israel (a pdb made by a group of teachers at a workshop I coordinated).

STIMULATING - Pdb's provide a creative means of introducing a new unit of study, reviewing topics previously studied, and summarizing information at the conclusion of a unit.
A pdb can serve as a backdrop for a learning center. Books, activity sheets, and artifacts can be arranged on a table in front of the pdb.
Student groups can gather around a pdb to discuss images and information displayed on the board.
It's possible to glue or tape all kinds of materials to the board. Even three-dimensional objects can be attached by tying a string around the object, threading the string through a hole near the edge of the board and knotting the string around the edge. Items may also be attached with velcro.

In short - wall displays + project display boards = plenty to see and plenty to learn