Nails can get really dirty really fast. Prepare your special education class for life on their own by introducing them to a regular nail care routine. They discuss why it is important to care for your nails and practice washing,...

What did you have for lunch? Did it contain all four food groups? Help your special education class make good food choices and recognize foods in each of the four food groups. They look at images and discuss the foods on the food pyramid...

Staying clean is a big part of staying healthy and looking good in the community. Personal hygiene and napkin use are the focus of this activity. Your class will eat a messy food, look in a mirror to see if their face is messy, then...

Don't forget to brush! Help your special education class excel at taking care of their wonderful smiles. They'll discuss proper brushing and flossing techniques, watch a video on dental hygiene, and then brush their teeth. 

Prepare your secondary special ed class for a life of independence. Part of independent living is knowing how to ask for help and where to go. They review the times they need help, the type of community resources available, and practice...

Ideal for secondary moderately disabled special ed students, this instructional activity focuses on personal hygiene and self-care. They discuss a case study and role-play to introduce the importance of good hygiene then discuss current...

Learners with special needs discuss the importance of fire safety. They visit smokey.com, discuss where fires commonly occur, and how to prevent them. They then practice responding to a fire-related emergency.

Everyone gets minor cuts and scrapes now and then. Provide your special education class with the skills they needs to clean and bandage a small wound. Use read marker (fake blood) on your arm and show your class how to wash and dress it....

Who doesn't love a good snack? Provide practice with basic snack preparation skill for your special education class. They follow each step-by-step procedure to make and serve a hot drink and a sandwich. These skills are taught using...

Staying safe at home is as important a skill as staying safe out in the community. Your special ed class can practice what to do in a dangerous kitchen situation. They use gloves, dust pans, brooms, and paper towels to practice...

What to wear? Help your special needs class make independent choices about what they should wear during various weather conditions. They'll discuss weather-appropriate clothing, dress dolls for the weather outside, and even put on a...

Prescription drugs may start out with legitimate usage, but lately they are finding their way to high school and college party life. Have a discussion with the teenagers in your class on prescription drug abuse with a PowerPoint...

Two activities teach middle schoolers about asthma and how it can affect people's lives. After reading a series of articles and watching two videos that provide background information about asthma, pupils design an interactive game that...

The teenage years find adolescents yearning for independence—and often isolating their parents from their everyday lives. Educate parents on the warning signs of marijuana use, including its effects on the brain and the likelihood of...

Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a instructional activity that encourages...

Students explore the human body by completing a graphic organizer. In this living cells lesson, students analyze a human body cell's chart and discuss the parts of a cell and what they do for our bodies. Students complete a graphic...

Students examine the relationship between anger, aggression and teenagers. As a class, they share a difficult situation in their own lives and review the techniques to properly deal with it. In groups, they discuss how they feel about...

Students discover the causes of pedestrian trauma concerning students.  In this child safety instructional activity, students investigate the facts behind childhood trauma and discover why children are so often harmed in pedestrian...

Students view a PBS "In the Mix" video about the challenges teens face when their parents divorce and/or remarry. They participate in a class discussion about the video, role-play related situations and explore media depictions of...

Third graders participate in a simulation in which they experience problems elderly people face on a daily basis.

Students explore ways to prevent texting while driving. In this driving safety lesson, students research information about texting and driving. Students identify an audience to present the information to in the three given formats....

Students examine conflicts in schools and ways to reduce school violence. In this school violence lesson plan, students research the types of violence in schools. Students discuss ways to prevent and  report the violence. Students...

Students plan and carryout a family game night to build family relationships. In this family building lesson, students identify games their families enjoy and use the FCCLA planning process to plan a family game night.

Students identify poor eating habits and create a plan to overcome them. In this eating habits lesson, students identify four eating habits they have and research the implications of poor eating habits. Students find healthy alternatives...