Curated OER
Myths and Misconceptions
Students examine and discuss common myths and misconceptions about persons with disabilities and with a partner plan an outing for a community activity. They read and complete the handout "Developmental Disabilities: Truth or Myth?" and...
Curated OER
8th Grade Special Needs P.E. Project
Eighth graders without a disability are encouraged to gain a new perspective about what it is like to have a physical disability. They experience various examples (blindfolding, soundproof ear protection, wheelchair, etc.) to begin to...
Curated OER
What If It Happened To Me? A Look At The Disabled in Society
Students examine what it would be like to be disabled. They read literature with characters who have disabilities and discuss how society treats people with disabilities. They write an essay explaining why they are "normal."
Curated OER
Seeing the World Through A Different Lens
Students participate in activities in which they model different disabilities. They discuss their experiences as a class. They work together in groups to discuss how to improve an adaptive device.
Curated OER
How Can Understanding and Helping Others Build Our Own Community?
Students examine the different cultures and disabilities people face in their community. They discuss how they can become better citizens. They answer discussion questions to finish the lesson plan.
Museum of Disability
The Right Dog for the Job
Here, dog lovers can enjoy an educational lesson about the ways puppies are trained to become service and guide dogs. Based on The Right Dog for the Job by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, the lesson provides discussion questions for learners...
Curated OER
The ADA, the Supreme Court, and Self-Advocacy
Students study the role the Supreme Court plays in laws and decisions that affect individuals with disabilities and examine the policies of the American with Disabilities Act. They draw parallels between policies enacted by the ADA and...
Curated OER
Acceptance of Learning Disabilities
Students explore methods to assist them in dealing with their personal learning disabilities. Students meet individually with the teacher to develop a learning plan. They identify the strengths and weaknesses. Strategies are discussed...
Curated OER
Understanding to Read and Describe It
Second graders, with hearing disability, practice vocabulary building strategies. In this vocabulary strategy lesson, a student practices sight words using word cards. The student verbalizes a sentence with the new words while the...
Curated OER
A Differentiated Art Lesson Plan Based on the Work of Andy Warhol
While this lesson plan isn't incredibly extensive, it does provide a base on which one can build a differentiated learning experience. Video, discussion, and visuals are used to assist learners in understanding the elements of art and...
Perkins School for the Blind
Beginning Map Skills
Maps can be so much fun, they help you understand spatial relationships, distance between objects, and can foster direction skills. Budding cartographers with visual impairments use the Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit to create their...
Curated OER
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Disorders Extending Beyond the "Norm"
Learners develop an understanding of autism by engaging in an inquiry-based discussion. Pupils are exposed to the vast array of defining characteristics of autism spectrum disorders. They create posters about the developmental...
Perkins School for the Blind
The Function of Villi in the Small Intestine
Ever wonder what the villi in the small intestine do? I bet your class would love to find out. Mesh netting is used to represent small blood vessels on the outside of the intestine, and a chenille bath mat is used to represent the villi...
Curated OER
Wonder Wheels
Learners discover ways that they all are alkie as well as different from each other. They write down three ways that students who cannot walk might be able to move around. Learners complete a graphic organizer to analyze the immediate...
Developing a Global Perspective for Educators
Imagine Being Me
The design of this two-day instructional activity eloquently exposes learners to the topic of social justice for people with disabilities. The plan is built off the reading of Are You Alone on Purpose? by Nancy Werlin. The activity...
Curated OER
Walking in Their Shoes
Students explore the challenges of those who have "learning disabilities." They develop a storyboard and create a video which depicts learning disabled students coping with life. Special effects are added to the video scenes, as well as...
Perkins School for the Blind
Personal Information
"Hi, how are you? My name is___." Seems simple enough but it's not always that easy to recall and relate factual information about yourself. Learners with multiple disabilities practice memorizing and relaying personal information about...
Perkins School for the Blind
Telephone Skills
What kid doesn't love talking on the phone? Learners with visual and intellectual disabilities get comfortable using several types of telephones. They begin by examining the phone, dialing, answering the phone, and then they work into...
Perkins School for the Blind
Learning to Identify Sounds Made by the Body
Sneeze, snap, tap, and whistle; Did I do that? Explore the parts and sounds of the human body with your learners with visual impairments. First you'll name the parts of the body, make a sound with each part, and then have the class guess...
Perkins School for the Blind
Bagging Groceries
Bagging groceries is a skill that can help learners with visual impairments understand organizing, problem solving, and weight discrimination. In addition, it is also a wonderful job skill. Help learners as they determine how to bag...
Curated OER
Autism And The Brain
Help your class understand Autism. They conduct research into how the brain is effected by the disorder of autism. Then they write a letter to the Center For Disease Control about their findings and forward some of the new research to them.
Perkins School for the Blind
One-to-One Correspondence
Here is an interesting way to build concept understanding regarding one-to-one correspondence. Learners with visual impairments will use an array of everyday objects in context to foster an understanding of what one-to-one correspondence...
Perkins School for the Blind
Volume, Mass, and Density Boxes
Mass and density are difficult topics for kids to understand, and even more difficult when you have visual impairments or blindness. Learners will make boxes and fill them with cotton, sand, or crushed paper. They will feel the density...
Perkins School for the Blind
Cooking and Kitchen Tools
Independent living skills and skills that can be used to gain employment are very important for any learner. Teens with visual impairments explore the kitchen to understand what everything is and what it all does. The lesson includes a...