Middle School-=
Special
Education &nbs=
p; =
Biography Project
Social Studies,
Language
Brief descrip= tion: Students will compose a biography of an elderly relative or friend.
Objectives: <= /b> Students will investigate and use Standard English to communicate ideas effectively. Students will explore the changes that have occurred in everyday life and culture over the last sever= al decades. Students will employ technology in the communication of their findings.
Prerequisite = skills: Students should be skilled in using Standard English and Microsoft Word. Th= ey should also be familiar with the use of a scanner.
Materials:
&nbs= p; Computer
&nbs= p; Microsoft Word
&nbs= p; Scanner
&nbs= p; Plastic Report Cover and Binding
&nbs= p; Photos of biographical subject (taken at various stages of subject’s life)
&nbs= p; Disk (floppy or CD) on which to save finished product
&nbs= p; Completed sample
&nbs=
p; List
of suggested questions to ask subject (List
should include typical biographical questions as well as questions on the
similarities and differences between the adolescent life of the interviewee=
and
that of the student.)
&nbs= p;
Procedure:
(Note: Th= ese projects can become family treasures and should be stored on floppy disk or CD’s. I did this project yearly with my students in LA before Katrina= and only produced the hard copies. Several parents have expressed regret over losing those photos and recorded memories. Remember, an electronic copy will usually outlive the hard copy.)
Middle School-= Special Education &nbs= p; = Unit on World War II- D-Day/Iwo Jima<= /b>
Social Studies=
Description:<= /b>
When studying WWII in the history text, students will =
use supplemental
print and video material to better grasp the reality of what occurred at
Students can only retain so many facts that are summar= ized and skimmed over in a text book. Especially with my special education class= es, I have found that students get so much more out of the instructional materi= al when it is personalized in some way. By reading to my class the teen book Flags of Our Father: Heroes of Iwo Jim= a, I present the facts in a narrative format that engages the students’ attention. I have also started showing the newsreels from the national arch= ives that are now accessible through video google. These supplemental materials really get the students thinking and greatly increase their depth of knowle= dge.
Materials:
&= nbsp; World History Text Book
&nbs= p; Computer (or electronic white board)
&nbs= p; Access to www.videogoogle.com/nar= a.html
Flags
of Our Fathers: Heroes of
&nbs= p;
&nbs= p;
Procedure:
Mathematics
Brief descrip= tion:
It is helpful, particularly in special education math classes, to divide children into separate groups. Because these students require so much one-on-one instruction and always outnumber the teacher and assistant, it is helpful to provide them with alternate instructional activities. This allows the teacher to provide more individualized instruct= ion. Each group will spend approximately 20 minutes on one activity and then swi= tch to the next until all students have participated in all three activities. <= /p>
Objectives: <= o:p>
Students will learn to complete the steps to multiplic= ation problems using 2-digit multipliers.
Materials:
Dry erase board and markers=
&nbs= p; FLY Pentop Computers (Leapfrog product-available at www.toysrus.com)
&nbs= p; FLYware: FLY Through Math: Multi/Divi (Leapfrog product-available at
Computers
Internet access (access to = free educational games at www.funbrain.com<= /a> )
Procedure:
Divide class into three groups and have them alternate between the following.
Group A-
Teacher provides small group instruction on multiplica= tion using dry erase board. Provide practice problems and walk around group, monitoring the students’ progress.
Group B-
Students use FLY Pentop Computers and math FLYware to = practice multiplication problems. With this Leapfrog product, a student writes a multiplication problem and the Pentop Computer helps him solve the problem step-by-step.
Group C- =
Students access the free multiplication games in the m= ath arcade at www.funbrain.com and hav= e fun while practicing multiplication.
Middle School<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>
= ; &n= bsp;Geography
Geography-Overview of a Country
Brief descrip=
tion:
This activity is great for introducing a unit on a new= country. Not only does it provide a great deal of foundational information on the co= untry, but it also gets the students to practice researching information on the internet.
Materials:
&nbs=
p; Teacher
generated list of questions to be answered*
&nbs=
p; Teacher
generated list of websites in which to search for answers**
Computer with internet acce= ss
Preparation:<= o:p>
*Teacher may want to inclu= de questions about the land formations (deserts, major rivers, mountain ranges, etc), bordering countries and bodies of water, major cities, major industri= es and exports, form of government, GNP, etc.
**Teacher should “google” the country ahead of time and generate a list of appropriate websites in which to find the required information. (www.nationalgeographic.com = and http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Home<= /a> are always excellent sources to which students may refer during this activity.)=
Procedure:
Teacher places students into groups of two. Each group= is provided a list a questions and a list of websites to be used in the search= for answers to those questions.
&=
nbsp; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Writing
to an Elected Official about a Current Issue
Middle School,=
High
School
Language, Soci=
al
Studies
Description:<= o:p>
Students will research one of three optional current political issues using print and electronic material. They will write lette= rs to an elected official in which they argue their side of the issue.
Objectives:
Students will investigate current events and the role = of governmental bodies.
Students will apply Standard English to communicate id= eas through persuasive writing.
Students will compose a communication in business-lett= er format.
Materials:
&nbs= p; Current newspapers and news magazines
&nbs= p; Computers with internet access
&nbs= p; Microsoft Word
&nbs= p; Envelopes
&nbs= p; Stamps
Procedure:
Students will be given a list of three current politic= ally controversial issues. They will choose one and research it. They will then = be divided into discussion groups based on their chosen topics. They should be encouraged to examine both sides of their chosen issues.
Each student must choose an elected official (or governmental agency) that could be influential in determining the outcome of the controversy or in effecting change relative to the chosen issue. The student will use internet research to obtain a mailing address for the offi= cial or agency.
He must then write a persuasive letter in which he out= lines and defends his position on the issue. The student will also prepare the envelope for mailing. Both the envelope and the letter will be turned into = the teacher who will mail them after they are reviewed.