The goal of any teacher is to find what curriculum and delivery method best serves the population of the students he or she is working with. To meet this goal, a special education teacher must first understand the needs of individual students. Looking at sample lesson plans for students with disabilities can give a teacher a better understanding of how these components work together in the best interest of the students.
A disabled student lesson plan, unlike a regular lesson plan, should always include a needs assessment, modifications and accommodations if applicable. A needs assessment looks at a student's psychological, educational and sociological background. A student's history is essential in Special Education as it helps the teacher determine a student's current level of performance. Modifications like extending the time a disabled student will take for a test, and accommodations like read aloud are elements that should always be included in a disabled students lesson plans . Here is a sample needs assessment, modification and accommodations that might be used by a special educator.
Course: US/History
Period :1st block
Grade Level : 7
Date: May, 01 2010
Lesson : Civil Rights Movement
Student Needs and Background
Milton
Milton is a student who has been diagnosed as having learning disabilities. He has problems with comprehension , inferences, attention to detail and completion of assignments. He has some good ideas once he gets started and can really go with it. He needs help editing his work and concentration on task at hand. He is receiving ESOL instruction through itinerant services. He tends to talk and socialize with neighbors and this prevents him from listening and understanding instructions.
Needs
He needs extended time to allow him to catch up since he tends to lose focus. He needs preferential seating to ensure he is keeping up with the rest of his classmates, he needs reading in English of instructions and directions, reduced language level and reading level, he needs to work in small groups, and he needs shortened instructions.
Shayquan
Shayquan has been diagnosed as having learning disabilities. He has a difficult time sitting quiet in class while the teacher is talking. He will sing and hum and talk to the other students. He tends to ask questions not relevant to the topic. He has a difficult time completing tasks. He is not afraid to participate in class and is curious about the world around him. He tends to engage adults in conversation. He has difficulty decoding words and comprehending words and passages.
Needs
Shayquan needs extended time to allow for time lost not paying attention, he needs preferential seating to allow him to pay attention, teachers need to simplify and clarify directions, directions and assignments need to be read to him, he needs to work in small groups, and clearly defined limits should be expressed to him so he doesn’t continue distracting the rest of his classmates.
Objectives
SWBAT experience discrimination by participating in a skit and be able to brainstorm 5 ways to help society end discrimination.
SWBAT identify the events and people that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by recalling at least two events they had just seen while taking a museum walk.
SWBAT examine the struggle for desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement and recognize how the Civil Rights Movement changed U.S. Policy toward African Americans by getting in teams and writing at least two ways the Civil Rights movement changed U.S. Policy.
Teaching Methods
- Discussion
- Effective questioning
- Video Lesson (modification)
- Mini-Lecture
Materials/Resources
- 2 decks of cards-each deck a different color,
- bag of chocolates
- marking pen
- worksheets
- overhead projector
- pencils
- construction paper
- glue sticks
- scissors
- tv monitor
- Internet access
- highlighter (accommodation)
