The Making of the State - Five Historical Decisions
Ben Gurion Centenary 1886-1986

Happy Families - Go Fish! Israel

Age: 8-11 years, in groups of 3 or 4

Time: includes preparation of cards - one hour

Aim: Teach the different types of settlement and geography of Israel through a game of luck which is then consolidated as a skills/knowledge contest.

Preparation (madrich)

Enough photocopies of cards and information to make a pack for three or four players (see below).

Heavier paper for backing cards: scissors, rulers, pencils, glue; contact lamination options

maps; blu-tack, thread and tape, pins.

Details for card preparation below.

Procedure

Split the group into threes and fours. Each group makes its own cards (below). Each group chooses a dealer who shuffles the pack and deals seven cards to each player; the surplus cards are left face down in the middle.

The player to the left of the dealer starts: if he already has a family of four cards of one type, he shows it to the group, then puts it aside and takes another card from the centre, without throwing one away. If he has no families, he just takes a card from the centre and discards one in a separate pile.

The player to the left continues, and the game goes on until one of the players has no more cards left or until the leader asks all groups to stop.

If the players come to the end of the pack without anyone finishing, they should shuffle the discards and continue. If there are no discards left, see who has the most families.

Now, when the card game is finished, each group sticks its map of Israel on the wall and all the players in that group attach their cards where they belong on the map. The group that finishes first wins, providing there are no mistakes.

Preparing the Cards

Games of Happy Families are usually played with seven families. We have provided 13 families (52 cards) so that you can choose to use all or 7 families twice over if you want to teach just one aspect of Israel (e.g., towns). Some names appear in two families.

You will need to make photocopies of the outline cards and then of the details to fill in - although the group can write in the details by hand. You will also need to make copies of the back of the card.

The group cuts up the cards, colours in the family side and may laminate the cards if desired (quite expensive).

Definitions:

• Kibbutzim - communal agricultural settlements

• Development towns - established to populate Israel more evenly

• Valleys - Hebrew "emek"

• Moshava - early settlements, some still agricultural today

• Moshav - agricultural village, either shitufi (communal) or ovdim (cooperative)

• Springs - Hebrew "Ma'ayanot"

Ports
Ashdod 40 km. SW of Tel Aviv. Founded 1956. Pop. 137,100	Haifa Ancient town of Carmel, refounded late 18th c. Pop. 255,300	Eilat Southernmost, hottest, driest town, 238 km S of Beersheva, founded 1952. Pop. 39,200	Tel Aviv-Yafo 1st Hebrew town founded 1909, named 1910. Pop. 353,100
Border Settlements
Metulla Settlement in Upper Galil founded 1896 on Lebanese border, northernmost pt in Israel. Pop. 2,000	Rosh Hanikra Northern borderpost with Lebanon, 43 km from Haifa on cliff above sea. Grottoes.	Misgav Am Kibbutz in "finger" of Galilee, founded 1945. Pop. 260	Hanita Kibbutz on Lebanese border, founded 1938. Pop. 590
Pioneering Outposts
Degania A Founded 1910 between Jordan Valley and Kineret on former swamps. Kibbutz Pop 550.	Kinneret Founded 1908. Early farm for agricultural training prior to creation of other kibbutzim. Pop. 760	Tel Hai Founded 1918, near modern Kiryat Shmona, town named for 8 who died in Trumpeldor's last stand 1920 at at outpost.	Sejera Founded 1899 between Afula and Tiberias, renamed Ilaniya at 1902. Ben Gurion&Ben Zvi worked here. Pop. 275
Kibbutzim Total Population: 122,500
Sde Boker Founded 1952 51 km from Beersheva on Eilat road. B.G. retired here. Pop. 365	Ein Harod Founded 1921, 1st kibbutz in Israel. Jezreel Valley. pop. 750	Kfar Etzion Founded 1936, Gush Etzion lost in War of Independence 1948 and resettled after Six Day War. Religious. Pop. 525	Yahel Founded 1976, 1st Reform movement kibbutz in Israel, 75 km. N of Eilat. Pop.145.
Towns
Jerusalem Ancient & modern capital of Israel, site of Temples 835 m. above sea level. Reunited 1967. Pop.602,100	Tel Aviv 1st Hebrew town, founded 1909, named 1910. Pop. 353,100	Haifa Ancient town on Carmel, refounded late 18th c. Pop. 255,300	Beersheva Desert oasis town settled by Abraham. Modern town 1901. Pop. 156,500
Ancient Towns
Jericho Oldest town in world; fell to Joshua. Oasis on edge of Jordan Valley.	Akko (Acre) Northern coast, former port & Crusader post. Pop.40,000 mixed	Caesarea (Or Akiva) Herodean, then Roman town & port, S of Haifa. Resort Pop. 527 (Or Akiva-15,700)	Tsfat (Safed) Mt.Canaan, Upper Galilee; Fortress against Romans and later home to 16th C. Kabballists. Pop. 23,800
Development Towns
Dimona Founded 1955 between Beersheva & Sdom, near ancient site. Industry, immigrants, science. Pop. 31,900	Bet Shean Ancient town at crossroads end of Jordan Valley, re- founded 1949. Pop.15,100	Yeruham One of small immigrant towns founded 1956 to popu- late Negev (north).	Kiryat Shmona Named for 8 who fell at Tel Hai nearby, founded 1949. Pop. 21,528
Mountains
Golan Heights Taken from Syria 1967 with strategic advantage over all N. Galil; Mt. Hermon, 807 m and skiing.	Har Metzada (Massada) Table mtn.fortress over Dead Sea, last stand of Jewish rebels vs Romans 72 CE, 430 m. above Dead Sea	Harei Yehuda Judean Hills, NW to SW of Jerusalem	Har Hacarmel Hill on which Haifa is built 500 m above sea level
Seas
Red Sea (Gulf of Eilat) crossed by Israelites with Moses during Exodus from Egypt. Resorts and marine life at Eilat.	Mediterranean Eastern reach of Mediter- ranean along Israel's west coast.	Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) N. of Israel, famous for Tiberias, old kibbutzim, fisdhing, resort, springs &Israeli water supply.	Dead Sea Saltiest sea in world, low in Jordan Rift. Valley with special healing baths and mineral industry.
Valleys ('Amakim)
Hefer Valley Between Hadera and Netanya	Jordan Rift Valley Between Dead Sea & Bet Shean won by Israel in 1967. Arid, below sea level, some agriculture; borders with Jordan.	Jezreel Valley Former swamps, very fertile, between Haifa & and Nazareth.	Bet Shean Valley Former swamps S of town, N. of Jordan Valley. Very low and humid. Prosperous kibbutzim
Moshava (pl. Moshavot)
Petah Tikva Founded 1878, 1st moshava now town. B.G. worked here as agricultural labourer. Pop.124,500	Nes Tziona Founded 1883 between Rishon leTzion & Rehovot. Town, pop. 22,300	Zikhron Yaakov Founded 1882 on S Carmel Today large village, pop. 9,500	Gedera Founded 1884 S of Rehovot then by Bilu settlers. Today large village. Pop. 6,600
Moshav (pl.Moshavim) Total population: 179,900
Nahalal 1st moshav founded 1921 Jezreel Valley. pop. 1,100	Kfar Haro'eh religious moshav founded 1934 on Sharon plain, nr. Hadera. pop. 1,300	Bet Yitzhak found 1940 nr Netanya, famous for jams.	B'rosh founded N.W. Negev 1953 pop. 300.
Water Sources
Tiberias shores of Kinneret (s). ancient site, hot springs. pop. 28,000	Ein Hemed springs and crusader stronghold, Jerusalem hills	Maayan Harod N. slope of Mt. Gilboa, nr. site of Gideon's battle with Midianites.