Name: Lindsay Lee

Lesson Plan: Introduction to ASL Parameters

Level: Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL I)
Lesson Goals

Objectives

This lesson focuses on the

five parameters of ASL:
handshape, location,
movement, palm
orientation, and NMMs.
Students will gain a basic
understanding of
parameter rules and their
grammatical importance.

Materials

Students learn about Power Point

ASL parameters through
Presentation
a grammar lecture given
by the instructor.
Parameter practice
on paper
Students collaborate
with one another to
Answer Key (for
distinguish parameter
teachers use)
errors and differences.
In-class quiz
Students individually
identify parameter errors
demonstrated by the
instructor.
-

Students are
prepared for an
assessment at the end of
class.

Lecture/Discussion (approx. 20 minutes)

Using a power point presentation as an aide, the teacher introduces students to

the five ASL parameters: handshape, location, movement, palm orientation, and nonmanual markers and gives a thorough explanation of each and why theyre
important.
Teacher can compare parameter errors with English errors (misspelling a word,
missing punctuation, dangling modifiers.)
-

The teacher lists pairs of signs with similar parameters and begins a
collaborative discussion with students about which parameters are different.
EXAMPLES: SCHOOL/PAPER, HOME/YESTERDAY, TUESDAY/SATURDAY,
WRITE/PEN, MORNING/AFTERNOON

Activities (approx. 30 minutes)

1.) Students sit in pairs to work through additional examples without teachers direct
guidance. Instructor walks around and makes sure students complete the task
correctly. ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES: BUSY/MOVIE, READ/MEAN, SPORTS/WHICH,
NIGHT/CHURCH
Examples can be listed on a power point or printed on a sheet of paper for
students personal use.
2.) Students take out a blank sheet of paper and number it 1-10. The instructor signs
ten examples of ASL signs, each having one incorrect parameter. The students write
down which parameter is incorrect. Afterwards, the teacher reviews the correct
answers.
Students are encouraged to ask questions if needed.
Example signs: HUNGRY (incorrect movement) AGAIN (incorrect pal
orientation) HEARING (incorrect location) LAST (incorrect palm orientation) CANT
(incorrect nnms) SLOW (incorrect movement) SICK (incorrect handshape) TODAY
(incorrect palm orientation) YES (incorrect handshape) LIKE (incorrect location)
Lesson Plan Includes Aspects of:

Cooperative Learning
Task Based Language Teaching
Community Language Learning
Competency Based Language Teaching
Interaction Hypothesis
Corrective feedback

This lesson plan relies heavily on group interaction and cooperative learning. Studies
show that students retain information best when they are involved, this is why
cooperative learning and task-based teaching have been incorporated. The students
are encouraged to ask questions and get help from the teacher, so they are able to get
assistance when needed. This lesson plan covers many learning styles and at the end
of the lesson tests their competency to see what theyve learned.
Similarly, this lesson plan follows the sociocultural perspective. Students receive
comprehensible input and conversational interaction from both teachers and other
students. This lesson links itself to the lets talk teaching approach because of the
heavy emphasis on group work and interaction.

Quiz (In lieu of rubric) (max. 20 minutes)

American Sign Language I

Grammar Quiz: ASL Parameters
Name the five parameters of ASL. (8 points each)
1.____________________________________
2.____________________________________
3.____________________________________
4.____________________________________
5.____________________________________
Decifer which parameters are the same and which are different for the following signs. You may
abbreviate. (4 points each)
Same
1.

Yours/Mine

2.

Favorite/Eat

3. New York/Nice

Different