Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Dinosaurs Before Dark
Young readers travel back to the time of the dinosaurs in this literature unit based on the story Dinosaurs Before Dark. Intended for use with upper-elementary special education young scholars, this resource provides reading...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Learners work with younger students to collaborate to create a painting. In this lesson, learners read Life Doesn't Frighten Me. High School students write and discuss fears with Kindergarten children, and then create an artwork showing...
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Colonial Life in Virginia
Fourth graders compare and contrast life in England with plantation life in America. They study the dependencies or mini-industries that could be found on plantations.
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Dear Miss Florence: Writing Letters To the Boardinghouse for Artists
Imagine being one of the painters in 1910 at the Lyme Art Colony in Connecticut. Using the Florence Griswold Museum's on-line resources to gather information about the daily life of artists at the boardinghouse, learners write a letter...
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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.
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Introduction to Cause and Effect
Teach your special education students about cause and effect with this SMART board activity. After analyzing real-life examples of cause and effect -'What happens when you eat too much? What happens when you don't get enough sleep?"-...
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News-2 You Weekly Activities
Learners complete activities from a special education newspaper. In this News-2 instructional activity, students read the paper, play games, and complete worksheets. Subscription to newspaper is required.
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Learning Through Autobiographical Situations
A special education classroom examines a variety of literature from Latin American authors. In groups, they read excerpts from many autobiographies and compare them with their own life. After writing their own autobiographies, they...
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Building Background Knowledge: The Internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, Part 1
It is all in the details. Scholars read The Life of Miné Okubo and pay special attention to details that reveal Okubo's character. Completing their Understanding Miné: Character Traits graphic organizers and recalling the descriptions...
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The Dangers of Illiteracy
Students consider a fictional situation in which literacy could spell the difference between life and death. They apply their knowledge of how reading empowers people by creating a literacy program that addresses the special needs of a...
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The Giving Tree Gives
Young scholars study both poetry and science in this language arts activity for early elementary, Special Education, and LEP students. They listen to Shel Silverstein's, The Giving Tree, and discuss its contents. They graph apple types,...
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Transition Needs
Special Education students practice setting a goal and following through with it. They learn skills needed for transitioning into a different part of their life.
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Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe
Before reading Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" in your class, walk learners through this scavenger hunt that teaches them about Poe's life and works. Though the lesson is designed for 15:1 special education class, it could work in any...
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Dolphins
Students explore sea life. In this cross curriculum fine arts, science, and P.E. "dolphins" lesson, students sing songs and play games about dolphins, perform water experiments, create mosaics, and use their five senses to explore sand...
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Making Inferences - An Introduction
Help your learners identify the inferences they make every day with this SMART board activity. With a comic strip in the first presentation slide, they make inferences about the situation. A discussion addresses what type of prior...
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Special Place
Students observe and describe a "special place" chosen along a nature trail. In this habitat observational skills and writing lesson, students take a walk on a nature trail and choose a spot to sit and meditate. Students complete a...
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The Game is Afoot - A Study of Sherlock Holmes
Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre. Based on what they...
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Pizza Biography
A biography writing lesson with a tasty twist! Kids create a "visual biography" in which each pizza slice represents a paragraph, and toppings represent supporting details. They learn research techniques, note-taking skills, and how to...
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Truly Amazing Mammals
Explore the world of amazing mammals with your kids with special needs. Each child identifies one mammal from a previous lesson and writes a short paragraph on that mammal. This lesson states that it is intended for all levels, but not...
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Brog-Cube-the Spam
A Middle school special ed class uses the acronym SPAM to learn the 4 parts of writing. They employ 4 different colors to help them visually distinguish each part of writing in a given prompt. This instructional activity is vague and...
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Bits of Braille
Intended to build an understanding of Braille in a general education classroom. They read the book Helen Keller then write their names using a braille website. Many interesting web links are included. Could be used for a general or...