Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

 

LU Title:What If It Happened To Me? A Look At The Disabled in Society

Author(s):Kathy Smith

Grade Level: 9-12

School Address:801 West German St.

Subject Area:ELA

School Phone/Fax:866-1770/2234

 

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative

Procedural
  • Can list and explain the elements of fiction
  • Apply elements to literature and films selected for the class and individually
  • Can list ways a person may become disabled
  • Explain how specific disabilities affect a person's life
  • Knowledge of required reading and viewing
  • Participate in class discussions and write essays regarding the works read and viewed
  • Basic understanding of how to use community resources such the library and the Internet
  • Share resources discovered in form of class discussions, small group discussions, and Powerpoint presentations
  • Identify elements of an effective essay
  • Write essays in answer to tasks in reference to selected literature and films
  • List what defines a person as normal
  • Write an essay explaining why he/she is normal

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 

INITIATING ACTIVITY

 The Initiating Activity will vary according to availability of materials, age level of students, and class dynamics. Suggestions include the following.

  1. Conduct group discussions of what is normal and what is disabled
  2. Report out to the whole class
  3. Construct some generally agreed upon definitions of normal and not normal
  4. Discuss the connotations of using the word "handicapped" as opposed to using "disabled"
  5. Consider other terms such as "physically challenged", "crippled", and other suggested in class discussion
  6. Bring in current news article telling about someone who is disabled and how the disability was acquired: cogenital, environmental, accidental, disease, or injury
  7. Have students write about how their lives would be changed if they suddenly became disabled or became the caregiver of a disabled child or adult.
  8. Personal testimony from someone who is disabled or who works with the disabled would enhance initiating activity, but may not always be available
  9. Suggest the questions: How does art imitate life? How does life imitate art? Consider these questions as the reading, viewing, discussing, and researching are being done.

Note: An additional initiating activity should be considered, but that would be carried on throughout the unit is described below. The objective of this activity would be to informally assess the overall growth of compassion and understanding that students acquire during the course of the unit.

KWL--Have students take a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns: Know, Want to Know, Learned. At the beginning of the unit, have the students list (X number of things) in column 1, what they know about being disabled. In the second column, have them list X things they want to know, or perhaps for this exercise it should be things the students feel that they need to know. At the culmination of the unit, students would complete this exercise by listing the things they learned about being disabled.

 

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: ELA

Level: 9-12

Benchmarks: apply RWSL skills to compile information on disabilities and to read novels; organize information; gather information from different sources

 

Benchmarks: apply RWSL skills to novels, biographies/autobiographies; apply critical listening and viewing skills to a video; identify key elements of fiction; arite expository essays; compare and contrast characters in novels, and the lives of people from biographies/autobiographies

Standard: Language for Information and Understanding

 

Standard: Language for Literary Response and Expression

 

Unit Theme:What If It Happened To Me? --A look at the Disabled in Society

Standard: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

 

Standard: Language for Social Interaction

Benchmarks: use reading and writing skills to evaluate different points of view and the quality of sources; express opinions orally and in writing; prepare and evaluate personal writing

 

Benchmarks: use reading and listening skills to evaluate appropriate language for specific situations; use speaking skills to present in logical, coherent way; take notes from presentations given by peers

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should studentsbe in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

How the disabled are depicted in fiction

What challenges the disabled face in daily life

How to organize thoughts visually to be converted into an essay

How to use library and community resources

How to use the Internet

How to use a presentation package and/or a desktop publishing program

 Reading of 2 books regarding disabled characters

Researching a disability on the Internet, in the community, and the library

Viewing of a film related to a character with a disability

Group discussions about what normal is and what being disabled is

Writing in journals in response to their reading and to provide a plot summary of their reading

Presentation of research orally

Use technology to provide visuals and support for the presentation

 Class discussions group discussions writing journals in response to questions suggested in class and essential questions

Reading journals to go with the novels and video

Graphic organizers writing essays selecting optional work researching traditionally and technologically

 Introduction of theme of becoming disabled and the challenges inherent in being disabled

Have students do a 5-minute writing in their journals: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Share results of the writing in groups of 3-5

Group feedback about their strengths and weaknesses

5 minute writing about what is normal and what is disabled; do any of their weaknesses extend to being called a disability, is so, how

Class discussion in answer to: what is normal; what is disabled; when do weaknesses extend to being called handicaps

Teacher will introduce the novel; read a portion of it aloud to the class, followed by 5 minute writing of initial reaction to the material

Present other information about the unit requirements, purpose, deadlines

Present graphic organizer that summarized elements of fiction and give a template to students to fill in during class discussions; also more detailed organizer breaking down elements of fiction

Groups of 3-5: students will take names of major characters and write down qualities about that character to share; done in carousel fashion

In carousel, groups of 3-5: students brainstorm qualities of major characters, and compare qualities Carousel Activities are conducted by having students work in, for example, 5 teams of 3 people each. Each group has one marking pen of a distinctive color to use to respond to a question on a large sheet of paper. The groups go around the room at a cue from the teacher, and add to the responses. If they have nothing to add, then they put a + sign next to what they agree with and a - sign next to what they disagree with, as a group. When each group is back to its original station, the group looks over the responses and indicates which points the original group feels is the most important.

5-minute writing: predict outcomes for the novel, and for the video if viewing time allows this

 

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

 Recognize how the depiction of characters in fiction compares to how people respond and are treated in real life

Gain an understanding of how people become disabled

Gain an understanding of resources available to the disabled

 Journal writing

Independent reading

Listening

Research

Presentation of research

Expository writing

 Graphic organizers will be done in class for the novel being read together

Students will have to complete similar organizers for the book and videos they do independently

 

 

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

 How literature depicts real life situations

How research and resources can assist people in their daily lives

 Comparing

  • Classifying
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Deductive Reasoning

 Error Analysis

 Analyzing Perspectives

 Constructing Support

  • Abstracting
  • Other:

 Essay question topics include the following:

Students will respond to essay questions that require them to compare the life of someone who is disabled of that of someone who is not

What is wrong, or right, with the way that the disabled are treated in our society?

Compare the differing perspectives that may come into play in making decisions about the disabled. For example, there may be the family, the disabled person, and outside agencies to consider in every decision.

Based on your reading, viewing, and thinking about the disabled, discuss how you believe the disabled members of society should be cared for.

Based on your reading and viewing in class and independently, demonstrate an understanding of the daily challenges the disable experience every day as members of society. Include citations of the titles and authors, as well as specific character names and textual references to support your essay. (3 pages, double-spaces, word processing, 1 inch margins, 14 CPI)

People with disabilities frequently need the help of others to maintain themselves and function in society. Based on the print and film works done on this topic in class and independently, discuss the challenges faced by the people in the caregiver roles. Define the disabilities including functional limitations, role of the caretakers in general, and with the specific disability you researched. Include your judgements regarding the caretakers you mention. (3 pages, double-spaced, word processing, 1 inch margins, 14 CPI)

Compare and contrast any three characters from the two books and one video you are familiar with regarding the topic of the disabled. (3 pages, double-spaces, wordprocessing, 1 inch margins, 14 CPI)

 

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

Element #1

Element #2

Element #3

Element #4

Elements

Scale

 Planning

 ELA

 Organizations

 Knowledge

Weights

 

 

 

 

4

 Has met all deadlines

 Work conforms to conventions of standard written and spoken English

 Work is neatly presented in a coherent fashion;

 Topic is adequately covered; knowledge is demonstrated

3

 Has missed two deadlines

 Errors noticeable but meaning is not affected

 Some loss of meaning in presentation of the work;

 Holes in knowledge are noted

2

 Has missed all but two deadlines

 Errors are sufficient to begin to destroy meaning and coherence

 Organization is difficult to find; logic of work is missing

 Minimal knowledge is demonstrated

1

 Has met only one deadline

 Errors prevalent and meaning is lost; work cannot stand on its own merit and demonstrate meaning

 Presented in a random, illogical fashion; meaning is difficult to discern

 Little knowledge of the topic is demonstrated

 NOTE: Rubric or other performance asessment instruments may be used.

 

Constructing a Holistic
Scoring Tool
(Rubric or Activity Specific Key)

Key Questions:

* How many score points are needed to discriminate among the full range of different degrees of understanding, proficiency, or quality?

This response, product, or performance provides evidence of understanding of concept/principle/generalization or proficiency in skill/process/strategy.

Score Point 4

Score Point 3

[ ] Reading-Daily participation in class discussions; journal entries are complete; understanding is demonstrated throughout all activities; Above and Beyond

[ ] Reading-Limited daily participation; journal entries do not demonstrate full understanding of material; On The Mark

[ ]Writing-Work is generally free of errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar; Writing has a distinctive organization, and ideas are presented in a clear order and logical sequence with transitions made through the use of paragraphing, introductions, and/or conclusions; Engages the reader; Above and Beyond

[ ] Writing-Limited errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, but full meaning communicated; Some work needed in organization, and overall structure; Reader attention is maintained through coherence information presented; On The Mark

[ ]Speaking-Presentation is organized and planning is evident; Visuals are neat, meaningful, appropriate, and used effectively; Speech is coherent, and generally free of grammatical errors and delivery is smooth and polished; Word choices are appropriate for the audience; Above and Beyond

[ ] Speaking-Limited errors in organization visuals, and grammar; Meaning is communicated, though errors in planning are noted; Word choices not always appropriate for the audience; On The Mark

[ ]Listening-Notes are dated and reflect the topic being discussed; Notes are coherent and understandable; Evidence of listening to the video is demonstrated in written work and class discussions; Above and Beyond

[ ] Listening-Limited errors of coherence meaning in notes; Some dates and topics missing; Limited evidence of listening to the video as demonstrated in written work and class discussions; On The Mark

Score Point 2

Score Point 1

[ ] Reading-Rare participation in class discussions; Journal entries and Writing tasks lack coherence and do not demonstrate understanding; On The Edge

[ ] Reading-Knowledge of reading material not demonstrated in any activity; Journal is incomplete; Improve Your Aim

[ ] Writing-Numerous errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation; ideas are not presented in a clear, logical fashion; reader is beginning to struggle to understand; Work is needed in organization and overall structure; On The Edge

[ ] Writing-Mechanics interfere with reader ability to understand; Student should seek help preparing future materials and discuss doing corrections of work submitted; Improve Your Aim

[ ] Speaking-Numerous errors in organization and grammar; Visuals do not appear carefully created and are implemented inappropriately; Presentation's coherence is sometimes lost, and lack of planning is evident; On The Edge

[ ] Speaking-Errors in grammar, delivery, an organization are so numerous that meaning is sacrificed; presentation is disjointed and incoherent; vague and unclear language, or inappropriate for the audience; Improve Your Aim

[ ] Listening-Numerous errors in coherence and meaning in notes; Dates and topics frequently missing; Little evidence of listening to the video or class presentations as demonstrated in class and written work; On The Edge

[ ] Listening-Notes are incomplete and incoherent; Dates and topics missing to such extent that meaning is lost; Vague evidence of watching the video; learning is not demonstrated; Improve Your Aim

 

Have You Considered These Yet?

 

Learn to Learn Skills: The greatest learn-to-learn skills developed in this unit are through the research where students are required to use library resources, community resources, and Internet search engines to access information about a specific handicap.

Because of the broad application to lifelong learning and experiences with the arts, there may be a real value to returning to the following questions for discussion or writing purposes.

Does art imitate life? Does life imitate art? And further, how does art imitate life, and life imitate art? Do the portrayals of disabled citizens in print fiction and film, mirror the realities of a disabled life in contemporary society? If so, how, and if so, how can one expect to see print fiction and film reflect other conditions of life? If not, then where is fiction lacking or unrealistic in the portrayal of the life of a disabled person. The invitation can be given to students to have them reflect and write about other books they have read and/or films they have seen, in terms of how close the plots and themes came to their own personal experiences.

Assessment Modifications: By employing optional work from which students can select activities more suited to their own strengths, modifications seem to be written in. Use of auditory tapes and oral reading is suggested to modify instruction.

Unit Schedule/Time Plan: Approximately one month

Written Overview: This unit will allow students to reflect on what it means to be disabled or to become disabled, and to deal with the daily challenges of those with disabilities. Through the reading of two books, one done in class, the other independently, and discussion, presentation, and written work, students will have an opportunity to compare and contrast the lives of characters with disabilities as well as those who are their caregivers. In addition, students will research a disability in the library and on the Internet to learn how to access information about adaptive devices, treatments, forms of therapy, and support groups. Chapter-by-chapter, reading journals will be done by each student for the class novel and for the independent reading. Graphic organizers of ideas will be employed to help students draw comparisons, contrasts, conclusions, and make judgements on the information they receive. Culminating activities will be those listed previously as requires and others as chosen by the students from the optional list.

Other Titles of Interest:

Colt by Nancy Springer - main character has spina bifida

The Half-A-Moon Inn by Paul Fleischman - main character is mute

Just Call Me Stupid by Tom Birdseye - main character has a reading disability

Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille - blindness

Stranded by Ben Mikaelsen - main character with a physical disability helps a stranded mother whale and her baby

Tuck Triumphant by Theodore Taylor - physical disabilities and cross-cultural adoption

Tell Me How the Wind Sounds by Leslie D. Guccione - main character, Amanda, falls in love with the deaf son of a local fisherman in New England during summer vacation

The Story of Stevie Wonder by Jame Haskins - biography of the blind composer, pianist, and singer who was a child prodigy and went on to win nine Grammy Awards

See You Thursday by Jean Ure - Sixteen-year-old Marianne finds an unexpected friend in her mother's new lodger, Abe Shonfeld, a young piano teacher who has been blind since birth

Emily In Love - by Susan Goldman Rubin - a developmentally-disabled fourteen-year-old faces the challenges of her classes at a "regular" high school, a new job, and a budding romance

Emily Good as Gold by Susan Goldman Rubin - Emily Gold, a developmentally disabled thirteen-year0old, struggles to be independent from her overprotective parents

Secret in the Willows by Beverly Lewis - Merry must find a way to prove that her artistically talented friend, Elton, who is called retarded by many people, is not responsible for the damage done at the farm of her other Amish friend, Rachel

Are You Alone On Purpose? By Nancy Werlin - two lonely teenagers, one the son of a widower rabbi and the other the sister of an autistic twin, are drawn together by a tragic accident, they discover they have more in common than they guessed

Midget by Tim Bowler - subject to strange fits, physically abnormal, and psychologically disturbed from the constant torment and abuse of his older brother, Midget finds untapped mental powers when he gets his own sailboat

Because She's My Friend by Harriet Sirof - Valerie, who has one leg amputated from a freak accident, becomes friends with Teri, but their relationship is founded on mutual need and is intense and difficult

The Alfred Summer by Jan Slepian - Lester, who is disabled with cerebral palsy, joins with three other young misfits to build a getaway boat

Only Love by Susan Sallis - a spirited, physically disabled 16-year-old finds herself the object of a young man's affection, but now she realizes she may have to share her painful secret

The Crazy Horse Electric Game by Chris Crutcher - a high school athlete, frustrated at being disabled after an accident, runs away to California and is helped back to health in a special school

Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff - 16-year-old learning-disabled Nick struggles to endure a life with other kids making fun of his learning disability and the memory of a sister who drowned while he was watching

Just One Friend by Lynn Hall - 16-year-old learning-disabled Doreen is about to be mainstreamed when she loses her best friend and is then driven to a desperate act

Blue Star Rapture by James W. Bennett - TJ begins to rethink his motivations and actions in guiding his learning-disabled, but athletically gifted friend through the college receuitment process

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher - Marjan, a thirteen-year-old crippled girl, joins the Sultan's harem in ancient Persia, and gathers stories for Shahrazad that will save the queen's life.

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Coight - 15-year-old Izzy loses one leg from a car accident and has to rebuild her life as an amputee

The Weirdo by Thodore Taylor - 17-year-old Chip Clewt fights to dave the black bears in the Powhaten National Wildlife Refuge

Triangle by Jon Ripslinger - 18-year-old Jeremy begins a secret affair with Jay, the girlfriend of his paralyzed best friend

Wheels For Walking by Sandra Richmond - After a car accident severs her spinal cord, 18-year-old Sally faces a long and painful adjustment to life as a quadriplegic

Freak the Mighty by W.R. Philbrick - Learning-disabled Max and his new friend, Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that they combine to powerful team

The Monument by Gary Paulsen - A 13-year-old girl named Rocky, who is self-conscious about her leg braces, has her life changed by a remarkable artist who comes to her small Kansas town to design a war memorial.

Dead Water Zone by Kenneth Oppel - 16-year-old Paul tries to find his genetically stunted young brother, Sam, in the polluted ruins of a town where the water is supposed to alter the metabolism of thos who drick it.

Killing the Kudu by Carolyn Meyer - An 18-year-old paraplegic finds freedom, his first love, and a reconciliation with the cousin who accidentally shot and crippled him years ago.

My Life As A Body by Norma Klein - 18-year-old Augie thinks she'll never experience love or sex until she starts tutoring a boy suffering partial paralysis from an accident.

Hero of Lesser Causes by Julie Johnston - Set in 1946, 12-year-old Keely starts a campaign to reawaken her polio-stricken brother's interest in life.

A Flight of Dazzle Angels by William H. Hooks - In a southern town of 1908, Annie, afflicted with clubfoot and surrounded by a sick mother and brother, learns about herself and life through her relationship with a young Black woman and a new young man in town.

Lizard by Dennis Covington - Sent to live in a home for retarded boys, Lizard, a bright, deformed youngster, escapes with the help of a visiting actor and later performs a role in the "The Tempest".

Winning by Robin F. Brancato - A "superjock" finds himself the victim of a freak accident that leaves him completely paralyzed.

Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest, 1837-1838 by Joan W. Blos - A 14-year-old boy spends six months in the Michigan wilderness alone with a dying Native American woman who helps him survive and mature so that he can return to his family and frontier village.

Listen For The Singing by Jean Little - A young Canadian girl with impaired vision prepares to begin public high school against the backdrop of World War II.

The Falcon by Jackie French Koller - 17-year-old Luke runs to escapes painful memories of how he lost his eye and gets himself in a series of dangerous situations.

They Triumphed Over Their Handicaps by Joan Harries - profiles the lives and achievements of six severely handicapped people who triumphed over blindness, deafness, missing limbs, and brain damage to excel in sports, music, jobs, and living optimistically

Detours: biographies of physically disabled achievers by Charles Daniel Abernathy - information as indicated by the title

Winners Never Quit: Athletes Who Beat the Odds by Nathan Aaseng - brief biographies of 10 athletes who achieved greatness while overcoming a handicap or misfortune. Includes Bobby Clarke, Wes Unseld, Rocky Bleier, John Hiller, Kitty O'Neill

Louis Braille by Stephen Keeler - describes the life of Louis Braille, who was blind at age three, but went on to perfect a system of reading and writing for the blind

Short Stories:

"A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote - depicts the friendship of a young boy and an aging, retarded woman in the American South of the 1930's

"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes - precursor of the novel by the same name about a retarded man who undergoes surgery to become more intelligent

Additional Media (available at Oneida/Herkimer/Madison BOCES)

"Amy-On-The-Lips", video about how far we've come in our treatment of the disabled and how much further we have to go

"A Day in the Life of Bonnie Consolo", film about a woman who was born without arms, yet leads a normal and productive life

"Deaf Like Me", film about a young girl whose hearing is severely impaired; designed to help hearing students develop empathy for those who are deaf

"Follow My Leader", video about a teen boy blinded by a firecracker, who must overcome bitterness and hatred while learning to cope with his blindness

"American Women of Achievement: Helen Keller", video about Helen Keller who was left blind and deaf as an infant, but who refused to let the disabilities prevent her from leaving her mark on the world

"Jack's Story", video about a quadriplegic who became a nationally recognized for presentations to students about his auto accident as a teenager

"James Earl Jones: With a Strong Voice", video about the actor who has one of the most distinctive voices in the world, but who was virtually mute as a child and has been a stutterer all his life

"Why Can't I Learn", video about the early symptoms of learning disabilities and the various forms of specialized instruction needed to help learning disabled students.

Professional Resources - For lists of other books, films, and plays pertaining to the disabled, the following references are suggested.

Accept Me As I Am: Best Books of Juvenile Nonfiction on Impairment and Disabilities by Joan Brest Friedberg, June B. Mullins, and Adelaide Weir Sukiennik; 1985, R.R. Bowker Company, New York

Health, Illness, and Disability: A Guide to Books for Children and Young Adults by Pat Azarnoff; 1983, R.R. Bowker Company, New York

Notes From a Different Drummer by Barbara H. Baskin and Karen H. Harris; 1977, R.R. Bowker Company, New York

More Notes From A Different Drummer: A Guide to Juvenile Fiction Portraying the Disabled; by Barbara H. Baskin and Karen H. Harris 1984, R.R. Bowker Company, New York