I am learning to teach multilevel units in order to facilitate education in students with a variety of learning differences.

Spring

On Friday, I gave a test over poetic devices, which was a total bust.  This was a deliberate tactic.  For two weeks, I've tried to teach my students to read poetry and look for these things.  Fort two weeks, they have sat like lumps, looking at the matrices I provided, and asked, "So what do we write in the blank spaces?" 

New approach tomorrow: we will focus on just one device per day, looking at many poems to find examples. 

PERSONIFICATION:



Fall units, 2006

So far this year--our first week, we explored different food groups. 

This week, we did work involving cause and effect, character and motive, and different ways to categorize animals.

My students are much more literate in being able to spell the names of TV characters, movie stars, etc. than any other category.



Spring Unit:

"From My Son's Closet"

Sam is in college, and I'm going through his junk.  I've been taking crazy items to school in a pillowcase to show.  First, students must put their hands in and guess what the items are.  This extends the vocabulary of both ESL and learning disabled students.  It makes the experience multisensory.  They must make predictions about what they feel.

     Perhaps the biggest benefit of this hook is that it has provoked their interest in an ongoing way.  When I pull my pillowcase out, they smile and stop whatever they are doing (whether arguing or walking around the room) and pay attention.  They seem to remember the words well, also.

So far, I have brought in:

graduation gown

a broken watch

a hollow turtle shell

maracas

a plastic alligator

a baseball glove

artificial dog poop!

a rabbit skin

     Many of my students have ADD.  One has a TBI, some are ED.  Almost all are LD in some way, and many are additionally ESL.  If you understand all these labels, you are acquainted with special education students.

    When I choose a unit to teach students, I ask myself a lot of questions.  Will this interest my seniors taking Eng. III as well as those who read on a first grade level?  Is there a strong visual element to the task?  How can I break the information down with metacognitive maps? Can we cross-reference the ideas on the internet? Is there a rich vocabulary to teach students?

     This week, we'll study art across the ages.  I have 5 or 6 great full-color books about art in different time periods and of various cultures. 

     First, we'll learn art vocabulary.  I happen to have a lot of art supplies.  I'll remove items from my bag one at a time.  "What is this?  How do you spell it?" I'll ask.  They will write the words down on colorful notepad paper.

     I am blessed to have two computers hooked up to internet in my classroom.  My students will be encouraged to research art in their diverse countries of origin.  We will also make a timeline showing what kinds of art emerged when.   
   

    The actual lessons:

Yesterday, I found out that my students don't connect with art much at all.  They want to say, "that's ugly" and be done with it.  Today, I will have enough markers for each student to stand at the board and write sentences.  I'll dictate simple sentences such as, "The painter painted a face."

I also plan to play a game like "Pictionary" only with playdough.  They will need to mold an item from the vocabulary list.