Breeann MacGillivray

Example of finished project

Lesson Name: "My Place in the World"

Subject: Geography

Grade: Kindergarten

Original lesson plan: http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/1060/Investigating%20Our%20Place%20in%20the%20World.pdf

Exceptionalities: 

1 high functioning autistic student (part time EA)

1 low functioning autistic student (full time EA)

1 student with un diagnosed behavioral problems (full time EA)

OVERVIEW OF LESSON:

• This lesson will enrich children's sense of locality, and also develop their understanding of the larger world around them outside of their locality.
• Children will be asked to draw on 8 different circles, each circle bigger than the one previous. Each circle will be labeled with "my home," "my neighborhood," "my city," "my province," "my country," "my country," "my continent" and "my planet" and students will draw appropriate picture on each circle.

Prescribed learning outcomes:

• Children will develop awareness of locality and spatial sense of the world
• Children will be introduced to geographical terms: address, neighborhood, city, province, country, continent, planet.

Instructional objectives:

• Children will be required to identify where they live including their own address, neighborhood, city, province, country, continent and planet.

Prerequisite concepts/skills:

• No prerequisite skills are required for this lesson aside from the ability to draw.
• For some students this lesson will be a completely new concept but others are already familiar with geography.
• In my class there is a wide variety of prior knowledge when it comes to their spatial sense of the world as some students are immigrants and have lived in other countries (therefore will have a much more developed sense of geography) while other students have a very limited experience of their world around them as they have not been exposed to other areas aside from their local neighborhood.
• The students will work at specifically assigned heterogeneous table groups, the ones with more geographical knowledge will be grouped with the students with less experience.
• Regardless of prior knowledge this will still be an entertaining, educational and engaging activity for all students.

Materials:

• 8 circles, each labeled: my home, my neighborhood, my city, my province, my country, my country, my continent, my planet.
• Crayons/markers
• "My Place In The World" by Joan Sweeny

Activities:

Teacher	Student	Time
Read the picture book "Me on the Map" by Joan Sweeny to the class	Students listen, comments saved for after book is finished	10 minutes
Discuss where we live and introduce terms (address, neighborhood, city, province, country, continent, planet.)	Students participate in discussion	5 minutes
Explain instructions for project and show example of finished project	Students can ask questions	5 minutes
Assign students to work at specific table groups	Students will on their own project but sit in specific heterogeneous groups	1 minutes
Teacher supervises and may help students when necessary	Students complete their project	20 minutes

Rationale:

• I have re-designed this lesson universally so all my students can participate. A few major adaptions were necessary:
• Both of the autistic students in my class are able to hold a crayon and draw, but the lower functioning student would not be unable to understand what he needs to draw. Therefore, we will have a set of circles that have pre-drawn outlines of a house, the province shape, etc. that he can color in.
• Another important adaption I have made is having the children work at tables with a specific heterogenous group. This is most important for the student that suffers from behavioral problems: he will be assigned to sit at a table with students who have no trouble staying on task and will not aggravate him. Even with a personal EA with him at all times, if he is not grouped with the right student he will most likely be a disruption to the class and interrupt the activity.

UDL & DI ADAPTATIONS:

• Pre-drawn outlines on circles for low functioning autistic student
• Heterogenous groupings

Behavioral Management Strategies:

• Heterogenous table groups is the main behavioral management strategy I will use. Grouping the children heterogeneously will keep students on task that may normally have trouble staying focused.   and also give them

Assessment and Evaluation: To ensure prescribed learning outcomes have been completed, children should be able to recognize at least one "place" in which they live (ie they should be able to express that they live in Winnipeg.)