Perkins School for the Blind
Which One is the Square?
Children who are blind need to constantly be engaged in building conceptual understandings of the world around them. This activity will help them grasp the concept of shape, identify shapes, and consider shapes as they are used to...
Perkins School for the Blind
Language Experience Stories
Here is a great way to bring core content to your special education classroom. Included is a set of instructional ideas intended to help learners increase their verbal and written expression through storytelling. Tape recorders, story...
Perkins School for the Blind
Beach Ball with Bell
Encourage your learners who are blind or visually impaired to participate in sports or recreational activities. This super simple idea uses a beach ball with a bell on it to help kids become comfortable with playing catch. The activity...
Perkins School for the Blind
Tug of War
Don't be fooled by how short this lesson is; it contains a good idea for adaptive PE. The activity is intended to help learners with visual impairments increase motor skills, muscle strength, and mobility. Two kids play a game of tug of...
Perkins School for the Blind
Bean Bag on My Head
The world is a very different place to those who are blind. That is why it is so important to have your kids with visual impairments explore the world in many different ways. For this activity, a bean bag is placed on the child's head,...
Curated OER
ASL Lesson 18
Have a discussion, review nouns, and practice speaking using ASL. Lesson 18 of 30+ extensive lessons on using American Sign Language covers classifiers, coded English, and asking questions. Each link embedded in the lesson provides a...
Perkins School for the Blind
Please Call Me Names!
Teaching students who are blind means teaching them skills a sighted person may take for granted. To practice calling people and objects by name, learners engage in a cueing activity. The child calls for an adult by name, and then uses a...
Curated OER
Adapted Physical Education: Softball
Review adaptive physical education suggestions and standards for coaching the fundamentals of softball: base running, throwing, fielding, and hitting (batting). This outline provides ideas and progressions for developing softball skills,...
Perkins School for the Blind
The Mystery Box - Making Observations and Collecting Data
Making observations and collecting qualitative and quantitative data is a vital skill all scientists need to practice. Help your scientists with partial and no sight learn how to use their other senses to make observations for...
Perkins School for the Blind
Telephone Skills
What kid doesn't love talking on the phone? Learners with visual and intellectual disabilities get comfortable using several types of telephones. They begin by examining the phone, dialing, answering the phone, and then they work into...
Perkins School for the Blind
Modified Kickball
Kickball is a classic recess game that everybody should play at least once. Included here is a wonderful set of instructions that describe how you can modify the game to make it accessible to children with low or no visual ability....
Curated OER
How Do I know That a Book Is Just Right for Me to Read?
Students choose a book for reading. In this language arts lesson, students take steps to evaluate a book for free reading. Students make a list of words found in the book that they are unfamiliar with.
Perkins School for the Blind
Mini Goalball Battleship
Here is a game that can be played by both sighted and unsighted children. Floor mats, blindfolds, and bowling pins are used to create a real-life battleship game where each team attempts to knock down the other team's pins.
Curated OER
Sing a Song of Indiana
After hearing John Mellencamp's song "Small Town," 4th graders are introduced to a brief biography/history of John Mellencamp. They will perform the entire song at the annual 4th grade program at the school.
Inclusive Technology
Finger Paint With Sounds
Finger painting is fun, but finger painting with sounds is really fun. Finger painting is important for many reasons, it can help children develop a sense of creativity, foster social skills and emotional skills, it helps develop large...
Curated OER
Words Can Hurt; Words Can Help
Help learners on the autism spectrum comprehend the social consequences of their actions by connecting kind and hurtful words to physical, tangible experiences. The worksheets in this resource prompt students to consider things they say...
Curated OER
Vocabulary/Reading Lesson for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities
Here is a great little reading and vocabulary development lesson plan created just for learners with special needs. The lesson plan is constructed with both core content and necessary adaptations in mind. The group will use PECS,...
Perkins School for the Blind
Warm-Up Exercise with Hula Hoop
To improve mobility, social skill development, and the concept of position, learners with physical disabilities work together to raise and lower a hula hoop over their heads. The activity is short and intended to be used as a warm-up.
Curated OER
Copy Cat
Students follow the directions as the "cat" guides them in moving creatively. In this observing and listening activity, students move their bodies while staying in their own spaces. Students then are allowed to move out of their space...
Curated OER
Native Cultures and Values
Students learn about Native American culture. In this history and diversity lesson, students use a website to create a timeline of significant events, contributions, growth and developments of Native American culture groups. Students...
Curated OER
First Rhythmic Composition
Students apply fractions to counting rhythm in music. For this algebra lesson, students interrelate the concept of math into music as they fill out a chart identifying the names and symbols of music notes and their equivalent values in...
Curated OER
Equivalent Fractions
Young scholars complete a worksheet. In this fractions lesson, students review their knowledge of fractions, define equivalent fractions, see examples of equivalent fractions and practice making equivalent fractions.
Curated OER
Spacemobiles
Aspiring astronauts construct a space vehicle using cylinders, cones, spheres, and rectangular prisms. This is an engaging method of learning about three-dimensional shapes. Note that the word cylinder is constantly misspelled in the...