Activities for Special Education

Sustainable Development Learning
Submitted by: Julie
June 22nd, 2010

Categories: 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | ESL | History | Language Arts | Math | Reading & Writing | Science | Special Education
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Description: I've used this with children in 3rd grade all the way up to adults at Parent Association meetings held at the school. The most important principle of sustainable development is integrating environmental, social equity, and economic considerations ("planet, people and profits"). So when we have a decision to make as a class or a school, this is a way to bring sustainable development to life.

Question Summary Parking Lot
Submitted by: Donna
June 10th, 2010

Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | History | Language Arts | Math | Music | Reading & Writing | Science | Special Education
Estimated Time: 0-10 minutes
Description: During class, students jot down questions on Post-it® Notes that I don't answer or don't answer well enough. At the end of class, all students place a Post-it note on the "Parking Lot" on the board. If a student does not have a question, they write "no question" on their note. I collect these notes and answer all questions during my lesson summary. High school students are very self-conscious about asking questions in front of their peers. Since everyone puts a note on the board, no one knows who had questions and who did not.

Genres of a Different Color
Submitted by: Carrie
June 8th, 2010

Categories: 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | ESL | Language Arts | Reading & Writing | Special Education
Estimated Time: 60+ minutes
Description: It is important for students to learn about the different genres of literature. Using the 6 colors from each assorted colored Post-it® Note, I make a chart with the students to place up on the wall of the classroom. It would look like this: Pastels Oceanside Drama Bashful Fable Butter Fairy Tale Citrene Fantasy Glacier Fiction Heather Fiction in Verse Brights Lipstick Folklore Lime Historical Fiction Cosmic Horror Sunshine Humor Lucky Legend Nantucket Mystery Jewel Tones Cheeky Mythology Crimson Poetry Golden Realistic Fiction Evergreen Science Fiction Cobalt Short Story Majestic Tall Tale Earth Tones Jungle Biography/Autobiography White Essay Cream Narrative Nonfiction Sand Nonfiction Cocoa A play This activity involves categorizing each book that is in the classroom or that comes into the classroom. When a teacher introduces a book that she is going to read, or when a student selects a library book, or even for a larger activity of going through a self of books in the room----the students will try to guess the genre that the book is and when it is correctly identified a Post-it Note will be placed in the book. Take a Post-it Note (select the correct color for the genre from the chart in the room) and place it on the inside of the book cover with only 1/2 inch showing above the pages. Select a student to write the correct genre on the Post-it note and leave it in the book. Eventually all of your in classroom library books will be categorized and by the end of the school year---guaranteed---each student should have an excellent grasp of the different genres of literature. The students may want to Post-it label their own books at home. The students enjoy being "genre detectives" as they try to figure out the genres for each book. Some books may have more than one genre. This activity can be used in all of the grades as well as in Special Education and Title 1 Reading rooms. You will be amazed at how quickly they will catch on to the different genres of literature.

KID’S SPELL
Submitted by: Bonnie
June 2nd, 2010

Categories: 4th Grade | Special Education
Estimated Time: 10-20 minutes
Description: GIVE EACH STUDENT A LETTER ON A POST-IT® NOTE TO WEAR OF SOME OF THEIR SPELLING WORDS. THE STUDENTS FIND EACH OTHER TO CORRECTLY SPELL THEIR ASSIGNED WORDS.

Gettin’ to know ya!
Submitted by: Amber
June 2nd, 2010

Categories: 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Art | Classroom Management | ESL | History | Language Arts | Math | Music | Reading & Writing | Science | Special Education
Estimated Time: 30-40 minutes
Description: Each student uses a Post-it® Note to write 5 interesting facts about himself or herself. They then post it to the board, randomly. I select the notes and see if I can match the note to the student. I then make up 4 Post-it® Notes about me, 3 with facts that are false or only partly true and one that is completely true. They then have to guess which is correct. Great ice breaker activity!




