Curated OER
Physical Differences
Students role play what it would be like to have a physical disability. In this lesson on acceptance, students listen to the book A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan. As a class, the students discuss similarities and differences in...
Museum of Disability
Zoom!
Turn your class' focus on how wheelchairs assist individuals with disabilities to become more independent with this disabilities lesson plan. Scholars listen to a read aloud of the book, Zoom! by Robert Munsch, answer questions about key...
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Youth Helping to Elevate Awareness
Eighth graders read a book whose main character has a physical disability, and complete various related activities. They listen to a guest speaker, simulate experiences at school as a disabled individual through the use of wheelchairs,...
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Religion and Ethics: Living with Special Needs
Students explore human behavior by exploring mental and physical disabilities. In this learning disability lesson, students identify the different disabilities students have which prevent them from working at the same pace as the rest of...
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Timeline
Students discover how people with disabilities have played a significant role in society throughout history. In this language arts and social studies lesson, students design a timeline that shows the inclusion of people with disabilities...
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Programs
Learners discuss programs designed for people with disabilities. In this language arts and social studies lesson, students discuss programs started by the Kennedy family and create posters in order to share their findings.
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Diversity
Students access prior knowledge of the five senses and relate to students with disabilities. In this people with disabilities lesson, students research and use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast famous people and their...
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Communities for All
Students explore potential community "barriers" that might prevent equal access for all people. In this disability awareness activity, students identify potential barriers in their community that prevent people with disabilities from...
Global Oneness Project
What Does it Mean to Be Resilient?
Imagine the determination it would take to build a helicopter out of scrap. Now imagine doing it while hindered by the effects of polio. Everything is Incredible, a short film by Tyler Bastian, introduces Agustin who has been working on...
Curated OER
Using Poetry in Teaching Reading to Special Education Students
A series of well-written activities, these lessons prompt middle schoolers reading below grade level (at a second, third, or fourth grade level) to use poetry to practice basic reading skills. They rhyme, build words, make inferences,...
Museum of Disability
Rolling Along
Kindness and empathy can be as important as reading comprehension skills, especially for younger learners. Reinforce both with a lesson based on Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair by Jamee Riggio Heelan. As...
Curated OER
Health Education: An Integrated Approach; A Day Without Sight
Fourth graders hypothesize about the difficulties they may encounter if they did not have their sense of sight, in order to establish a sense of empathy for the disabled. In this lesson on senses, 4th graders record all of the things...
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Hearing Handicap
Students examine the effects of hearing loss. In this lesson on physical disabilities, students survey five older adults on hearing impairments. Students pool their data and compare their results with the results from other studies about...
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Understanding and Supporting Our Peers with Cognitive Challenges
Students explore different federal laws promoting the education for the handicapped. In this literacy lesson, students brainstorm how they can help individual with Down syndrome. They read a fiction book related to the topic and discuss...
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Corporal Punishment
Nineteen states legally permit school officials to physically punish children. Scholars learn more about the topic as they use the website to prepare for a class debate or discussion. Pupils read background information and discover the...
Perkins School for the Blind
What Do I Hear?
Being able to give positive reinforcers to a child starts with knowing what the child likes. Intended for children with blindness, this instructional activity gives you a way to determine the types of music your learners like best. You...
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AccessABILITY
Students examine certain disabilities represented by children with disabling conditions in the class. In this generic differences and disabilities lesson plan, students design an art project depicting one word or phrase regarding...
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Yes We Can! Students with Autism & Down-Syndrome on the Drums!
To learn about various topics and improve their social skills, learners with special needs play along with music on drums and other sound objects. Teachers take digital pictures of the learners participation and use them to make bulletin...
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Teaching Others About Being Deaf
Students read two articles about how college students taught others about being blind or deaf. In their school, they interview students with a physical challenge and use the internet to research how to write about those with...
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Meet Your Neighbor: Action Verbs
Get your kids moving on the first day of school! This action verb activity doesn't have to be used as an ice breaker, but it sure will work as one. Simply place pairs of cards face-side down on the carpet, each with an action verb...
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Words of Deep Meaning
Students create their own poems to express a deep feeling or transformative experience, then write imaginary letters to people in the article, responding to their poetry and sharing their own creative process.
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Water Cycle
First graders research for information on the water cycle. They use a hot list to find pictures of the water cycle, and create a movie in Kid Pix about the water cycle.
They present Kid Pix movie to the class.
Perkins School for the Blind
Find the Objects/Beginning Sound Indentification
If you are just starting out as a teacher for children with visual impairments and want a fun way to teach braille and phonemic awareness, look no further. You'll fill 21 boxes with objects that start with specific letter sounds. You'll...
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First-Aid Newspaper
Eighth graders research, write, edit and publish a class newspaper focusing on topics related to first aid. They research how to care for injuries and write informative articles for the paper. Students compile the articles to produce a...