Perkins School for the Blind
Creating a 3-D Model of a Plant Life
Instructing blind or visually impaired learners means you need to make symbolic tactile representations of various processes to provide as much input as possible. But wouldn't it be even better to have your learners make the models...
Perkins School for the Blind
Integrated Skills - Laundry
I hate doing laundry, even if it is an independent living skill that requires me to count money, follow a sequence, and sort clothing by color. Learners with multiple disabilities discuss what laundry is, why they need to do it, and how...
Perkins School for the Blind
Timeline for Anne
It is key to the learning process to make everything a child with visual impairments does as tactile as possible. After reading Anne of Green Gables, the class discusses her life events in order to make a tactile time line. They choose...
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...
Perkins School for the Blind
Accessible Labels
When you're blind it is extremely important to be able to navigate your environment in as independent a way as possible. This idea isn't a lesson, but it is a great way to foster independent mobility and literacy skills while making the...
Perkins School for the Blind
Tactile quilts that tell a story
Learners with multiple disabilities need to engage in projects that push them to know their full potential. They need to be able to express themselves in a variety of ways, and this very thoughtful lesson does just that. They make a...
Perkins School for the Blind
Making Choices
Here is an excellent and well-developed lesson intended to promote choice-making skills for learners with visual impairment and intellectual disabilities. It fosters choice-making skills through a soft version of discrete trial training,...
Curated OER
Teaching Life Skills to Students with Special Needs
Ideas for instilling essential life skills in learners with special needs.
Curated OER
Conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment
This is an excellent guideline for an observer to use when conducting an assessment for a student who has a chronic behavior problem. The chart has 3 categories--antecedent, behavior, consequences--and clear examples to guide you.
Curated OER
Autism - What Is It?
High schoolers investigate the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, and compare expected child development with development that may indicate a diagnosis of these disorders. The final project for the activity is the creation of posters...
Curated OER
iPad Apps for Your Special Education Class
Swing into technology with these special education apps that are perfect for your learners.
Curated OER
Bringing Attention to Autism Awareness Month
A short description of Autism Awareness Month and a few fun activities to engage your autistic learners.
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Mittens, Socks, Mittens, Socks, Mittens!
Mittens and socks, two of my favorite clothing items! Young learners with special needs, explore clothing appropriate for cold weather. They identify both socks and mittens, discuss weather appropriate clothing, and listen to the story,...
Curated OER
What's Really True? Discovering the Fact and Fiction of Autism
Youngsters investigate autism and autism spectrum disorders. They access a variety of websites which present information on ASD's, and assess how accurate the information they've read actually is. They work in groups and utilize...
Curated OER
ASL 1: Lesson 1
Experience lesson one of an extensive American Sign Language series! Whether you are teaching ASL or learning it as a communication tool to use in your special education class, this lesson is great! Foundational signs, such as finger...
Curated OER
Fitness Walking Class
The Fitness Walking Class unit is well-organized, and you could use the skeleton of this unit to organize your own Fitness Walking Class. Use pedometers to keep track of steps, write in journals, and get other people to walk with you....
Curated OER
ASL Lesson 8
Another awesome ASL lesson! Teach ASL to a special ed class, hearing impaired child, or for your own enrichment. This lesson provides comprehensible ASL language development. Each highlighted blue area links to a video, printable image,...
Curated OER
Learning ASL: Lesson 9
Here is lesson 9 in an extensive series on teaching and learning ASL. Discuss code switching, numerical incorporation, and noun based vocabulary. Then, click on the blue links to view ASL in action. Each link takes you to a printable...
Curated OER
Opening a Special Ed Class
This is not just a lesson plan, it's a life saver! Here are 10 separate documents intended to assist a new Special Ed teacher. There are 4 different games, instructional tips, ways to handle documentation, behavioral modification...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Caution: Thin Ice!
Sixth graders listen to a story titled "Thin Ice!" then partake in a whole-class discussion asking and answering questions about what was read. Scholars brainstorm risky behaviors in preparation for a game of RISKO—a game similar to...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Dealing with Peer Influence: What Are Bullying and Harassment?
Scholars examine examples of peer pressure and discuss how specific actions negatively affect one's well-being. Learners gather in small groups to write two scenarios in which peer pressure is used. They reference the STAR method in how...
Missouri Department of Elementary
How Much Does Smoking Really Cost?
Following a brief survey about tobacco, scholars examine a fact sheet to answer questions about the substance. A practice page challenges the class to determine the cost of the habit using money math. Pupils discuss their findings...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Color Your Destiny
Class groups bring feeling words alive by creating a poster that illustrates with images and colors, but not words, the feeling conjured by the word. The posters are then combined into a mural for the classroom wall.
Missouri Department of Elementary
The Quest for Magic Minutes
A "Magic Minute" activity asks class groups to develop a commercial to advertise a way to turn a time-waster into a time-saver. Ad groups begin by brainstorming time-wasters and then problem-solve was to turn them into time-savers. After...