Curated OER
Relationships, Day 4: Friendships & Dating
It is so important to help special needs individuals know the difference between dating and friendship. They define friendship, differentiate between friends and strangers, role-play, practice greetings, then talk about dating. This...
Curated OER
Communication, Day 2: Assertiveness
Having social skills and being able to assert yourself in a positive way is so important. Students with mild to moderate disabilities engage in a series of activities to practice assertive communication and social skills. Perfect for a...
Curated OER
Exploitation, Day 2: Exploitation and Getting Help
Exploitation is a real issue for the disabled community. Secondary Special Education high schoolers learn what exploitation is, their personal rights, and how to say no. They focus on finding a trusted adult to get help if they have been...
Curated OER
HIV/AIDS & Other STDs, Day 1: Germs & Risk
Assist your secondary special education class for understanding risky behavior, hygiene, and STDs. The class discusses how germs spread, how people get sick, and what needs to be done to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. They...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Night to Life is Beautiful
After reading Elie Wiesel's Night, watching the movie Life is Beautiful, and researching World War II, class members write a comparison essay on the book and film. This includes a prior knowledge activity, discussion in whole and small...
Curated OER
Introductory Class
Secondary special education students are introduced to the topics covered in health class. This is the first in a series of lessons focused teaching developmentally appropriate life and sexual health related topics. Intended for mild to...
Curated OER
Home Living/ Daily Live: Fire Safety
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.
Curated OER
Non-Verbal Communication
Many developmentally disabled students struggle with accurately conveying messages and interpreting those of others around them, especially when they are non-verbal. This instructional activity contains fun activities and exercises, such...
Curated OER
Japanese Festivals and Holidays
Bring the excitement and beauty of Japanese festivals into your classroom. Kids with special needs create calendars that reflect special festivals and holidays common to Japanese culture. They start the project by creating a list of...
Curated OER
Exploitation, Day 1: Touching
Developmentally Disabled students need to know they types of touch, appropriate touching, and their personal rights. They brainstorm types of touch, go over their personal rights, and discuss social skills. Very appropriate lesson for...
King Country
Lesson 5: Relationships - Day 3: Families
As part of a series of lessons on Family Life and Sexual Health (FLASH), designed for special education classes, high schoolers describe the members of their family and the role these people play in their life.
Curated OER
Private & Public
Some disabled students have a difficulty understanding what is and what is not publicly appropriate behavior. Help them build healthy social skills by defining public and private behaviors, labeling public and private places, and...
Curated OER
Using a Cell Phone When Lost in the Community
We have all been lost at some point and for Special Needs individuals getting lost in the community can be a real issue. They prepare for a life of independence by memorizing their phone number and practicing what to do if they are lost....
Perkins School for the Blind
Mail Delivery
Teaching job skills to your learners with special needs before they enter the workforce is a great way to ensure that they will gain employment. For this lesson, your students will become the school's very own mail or delivery people....
Practical Money Skills
Budgeting Your Money
How do you make sure that your income doesn't disappear before you have a chance to save it? Use a creative budgeting activity to teach learners in both special education and mainstream classes how to keep track of their expenditures and...
Curated OER
Life on Earth and Beyond, Our Search for Answers
Students in a special education classroom are introduced to how the universe and solar system was formed. Using the internet, they research the characteristics of Earth that support human life. In groups, they compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Students work with younger students to collaborate to create a painting. In this lesson, students read Life Doesn't Frighten Me. High School students write and discuss fears with Kindergarten children, and then create an artwork showing...
Curated OER
We're Spending Too Much Money
Young scholars discuss the reasons for having a budget. They create their own personal budget and explain how the bartering system can work for some items today.
Pulitzer Center
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity, whether as a result of food scarcity or a lack of nutritious food, is a growing and serious problem in the world today. After discussing the concept of food insecurity, learners listen to an NPR radio broadcast on the...
King Country
Lesson 7: Relationships - Day 5: Acquaintances & Strangers
What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance? What about an acquaintance and a stranger? As part of a unit on Family Life and Sexual Health (FLASH), class members role play appropriate responses to situations involving...
King Country
Lesson 10: Communication - Day 3: Asking for What You Want
High schoolers practice appropriate verbal and non-verbal methods of asking for what they want in a lesson designed for the special education classroom.
Curated OER
STD & AIDS, Day 2: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Keep your secondary special education class informed and aware of STDs, HIV, and AIDS. They learn what STD stands for, how STDs are transmitted, and how to protect themselves. A case study, note to care provider, handouts, transparency,...
King Country
Lesson 4: Relationships - Day 2: Gender Identification
Gender roles and gender identity are the focus of a lesson designed for high school special education classes. Read the introduction to the packet carefully, as it contains advice about how to approach the subject with your classes.
King Country
Lesson 9: Communication - Day 2: Assertiveness
Appropriate assertive and non-verbal assertive communication is the focus of this lesson designed for the special education classroom. Using mirrors, class members practice assertive responses to a variety of situations.