Educational Unit Plan for Inclusive Classrooms

Group 3 HBSE 4005 Educational Unit Plan

Group 3:

Grade Level: Grade 2

Class Setting: Inclusive Classroom Setting

Number of Students: 25 students in total

Students Diagnosed with Disabilities: 5

Unit Topic: Our Family’s Holiday Traditions

Unit Goal: The students will explore and learn about the history and cultural traditions behind holidays celebrated around the world, focusing on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Las Posadas.

NYS Common Core Learning Standards: ELA, Social Studies, Math, Science

For our unit plan “Our Family’s Holiday Traditions” various foods/cultural celebrations will be studied as well as typical foods from that culture celebrated at this time of year in December. The math lesson will focus on measurements and fractions and the ELA/SS lesson will focus on the different cultures that celebrate particular holidays. The science lesson will focus on various traditional foods or activities practiced by people celebrated for each particular holiday; students will work in groups to carry out the tradition. The unit plan was put together as a collaboration amongst group members working towards co-teaching interventions for students with disabilities. However, we worked individually on each lesson plan.

Lesson 1: (ELA/SS Lesson),

NYSCCLS (please add them here and in your lesson plan)

Lesson 2: (Math),

NYSCCLS (please add them here and in your lesson plan)

Lesson 3: (Science), What Do People Eat Around the World?

English Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening)

(2.RI.1) Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate an understanding of key details in a text.

(2.RI.3) Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

(2.RL.2) Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

(2.W.8) Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

(2.W.11) Create and present a poem, dramatization, artwork, or personal response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with support as needed.

(2.SL.1) Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Math (Measurement and Data)

(2.OA.1) Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.

(2.MD.5) Use appropriate tools strategically.

(2.MD.2) Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l).1 Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.

Science (Matter and Its Interactions)

(2-PS1-4) Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Inclusive Classroom in General

Strengths:

· Mostly a sociable and collaborative group

· Enjoy classroom discussions

· At or above grade level in most subjects

· Especially enjoy math, mostly

· Positive and encouraging

· Willingness to learn and desire to excel

Weaknesses:

· Struggle with enjoying reading

· Abstract concepts are difficult

· Get off-task during small groups

· Some kids get left out during physical activities, esp. students with educational disabilities

· High energy makes classroom management difficult

· Wide range of abilities may leave some students behind and others bored

Strengths and Weaknesses of Students without Disabilities

Carmen:

Strengths:

· Performs at grade level in all areas

· Enjoys math

· Extremely social

· Determination to do well in class

· Participates in class discussions

· Loves tactile activities

Weaknesses:

· Does not enjoy reading

· Often talking to her peers in the classroom

· Easily distracted

· Struggles with reading comprehension

· Often gets off-task during small group lessons

· Hard time with abstract concepts

Billy:

Strengths:

· Performs at grade level in writing

· Performs above grade level in reading comprehension and fluency

· Very social and is friends with many of the boys in the class

· A great leader

· Enjoys helping others in subjects in which he is proficient

· Exemplary vocabulary

Weaknesses:

· Performs below grade level in math

· Becomes extremely frustrated when doing math

· Abstract concepts are difficult to grasp

· Refuses to learn math skills due to frustration

· Talkative during quite lessons

· Shows signs of acute sexism towards female students and demeans their intelligence

Logan:

Strengths:

· Very compliant and follows directions

· Above grade level in math and ELA

· Loves reading

· Very large vocabulary

· Enjoys writing, keeps a daily journal

· Encourages students to enjoy reading and writing, helping kids sound out words and generate ideas for topics to expand on for writing

Weaknesses:

· Extremely quiet and does not participate in classroom discussion

· Does not socialize with peers much outside of instructional activities

· Struggles with group projects

· Independent learning habits make classroom instruction behind capabilities

· Absence of Gifted and Talented program to foster intelligence

· Socially out-casted by peers, does not report bullying

Strengths and Weaknesses of 5 Students with Disabilities

Steve:

Strengths:

· Has great oral skills; very communicative in discussions

· Enthusiastic about topics of interest

· Acute knowledge of innate grammar and formal language

· Fluent reader

· Determination to do well in class

· His mild ASD does not completely isolate him socially

Weaknesses:

· Narrow interest; difficulties learning material outside of these activities

· Brings up interests at inappropriate times

· Hard time comprehending comical notions, figurative language devices, and abstract concepts

· Trouble with organizational skills and project completion

· Struggles with comprehension

· ASD does make it difficult for Steve to interpret social interactions, as classmates get annoyed with Steve’s off-topic comments

Ella:

Strengths:

· Highly Sociable

· Works well with classmates

· Great with visual aids

· Enjoys social studies and science

· Performs best when technology is incorporated into instruction

· Able to participate in physical lessons

Weaknesses:

· Struggles with basic concepts

· Requires high repetition to acquire skills before mastery

· Frustrated and discouraged when dealing with reading and math

· Difficulties with fine motor skills debilitates her writing capabilities

· Below grade level in reading and math

· Need for repetition puts her behind of class learning curve. The potential risk of missing key concepts increases, affecting scaffolding learning later.

Sarah:

Strengths:

· Grade-level cognitive abilities

· Desire to be an active member of the class

· Engages in activities despite her handicap and SGD

· Willingness to work with her adversities and overcome obstacles created from her cerebral palsy.

· Easily uses a wheelchair to navigate her environment

· Able to communicate orally with or with aide from SGD

Weaknesses:

· Updating SGD is difficult; adults disagree on responsibilities of updates

· Performing below grade level in all subject areas despite average intellectual functioning

· Finding accommodations for Sarah to express herself is difficult for the teacher

· Being an active member of the class has been difficult so far

· Struggles to use speech when trying to form long sentences

· Unable to participate in kinesthetic and some tactile learning activities

Trevor:

Strengths:

· Responds well to visual aids to help

· Enjoys reading and playing math games

· Technologically savvy

· Very well versed in PECS book

· Works well independently

· Good at following a schedule with aides

Weaknesses:

· PECS book is in disrepair due to high activity level

· Struggles to find correct pictures to express himself

· Hard time following multi-step directions

· Functioning below grade level in all academic areas

· Non -verbal

· Struggles without his visual aides

Michael:

Strengths:

· Highly sociable

· Strong verbal skills

· Musically inclined

· Great long-term memory

· Talented pianist

· Strong aural learning capabilities

Weaknesses:

· Misses social cues from classmates

· Misses school due to cardiovascular problems

· Struggles with abstract ideas and special relations, making math difficult

· Easily distracted

· Becomes frustrated when doing math

· Spatial relations are hard to comprehend

References:

Achieve, Inc. (2013). New York State Next Generation Science Standards. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.nextgenscience.org/new-york.

Dynavox Mayer-Johnson. (2013). Boardmaker. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker-software.

New York State Education Department. (2013). New York State Common Core Learning Standards. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/. N2Y. (3013, December). Unique Learning System. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from https://www.n2y.com/products/unique/.

SMART Technologies. (2013). SMART Notebook Collaborative Learning Software. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://smarttech.com/notebook.