Lesson Focus: Describe ways that people adapt to losing their sense of sight.
This lesson involved giving students an idea as to how when people adapt once they lose a sense. To start off he lesson I had a discussion with students about blind people. We talked about what happens when people lose their sense of sight. For instance, we discussed that some people are born without a sense of sight or they could lose it if they were in accident. I was surprised to see how these young six year olds could have such a serious conversation with me.
I then made the link between using our sense of sight to see but also read. At this point I had a student tell me how people who are blind can read. She told me that they read books with little bumps on them. In addition, she know what they name of the books with bumps were called. As a class we then discussed how the sense of touch can replace our sense of sight. Most students understood this link. As for the activity we then made our names in braille.
The night before I wrote each students name on an index card with a permanent marker, I also pre-cut tinfoil about the same size as the index cards. I explained to students that we had to place the index cards right face down with the foil underneath. Since their names were written on permeant marker when placed face down students would be able to see their names on the back of the index cards. I indicated that they then would have to pierce holes along the lines of their name drawn with permanent marker. What worked really well for them was having me model how the activity should be carried out. Since we were using push pins to make the holes we also had a serious conversation about how to act with the push pins.
As for the actual activity students worked very effectively to make a holes in their index cards and the foil under them. They worked quietly to finish the activity and start to read their own names. As most students finished their work and started to already read other names, I came up with the activity of pairing a girl and a boy together and switch names. This allowed students to work together with people that they normally would not work with.
I then made the link between using our sense of sight to see but also read. At this point I had a student tell me how people who are blind can read. She told me that they read books with little bumps on them. In addition, she know what they name of the books with bumps were called. As a class we then discussed how the sense of touch can replace our sense of sight. Most students understood this link. As for the activity we then made our names in braille.
The night before I wrote each students name on an index card with a permanent marker, I also pre-cut tinfoil about the same size as the index cards. I explained to students that we had to place the index cards right face down with the foil underneath. Since their names were written on permeant marker when placed face down students would be able to see their names on the back of the index cards. I indicated that they then would have to pierce holes along the lines of their name drawn with permanent marker. What worked really well for them was having me model how the activity should be carried out. Since we were using push pins to make the holes we also had a serious conversation about how to act with the push pins.
As for the actual activity students worked very effectively to make a holes in their index cards and the foil under them. They worked quietly to finish the activity and start to read their own names. As most students finished their work and started to already read other names, I came up with the activity of pairing a girl and a boy together and switch names. This allowed students to work together with people that they normally would not work with.