Stacie Ryan

Lessons that Fit

Ed. 3602 – C
January 25, 2018

Original Lesson Plan Adjustments for LD/ADD

Topic: Oral Histories (this lesson may require 2 periods to
complete)
Author: Intended Audience: Grade 7 N/A
Aaron
Fitchett
Created: Fall Length: 43.00 minutes N/A
2011
Topic: Value Subject: Social Studies N/A
of Oral
History
Key Words: First Nations, Oral History, Acting, Group work N/A
Related Resource Links: N/A
http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/eng/ao04580.html
Materials: The teacher may also need to
- Website listed above (Aboriginal Canada Portal include checklists/outlines to
- Note paper for planning notes hand out to students. This is to
- Textbook Voices and Visions (Oxford Canada keep all students, especially
- Access to iPads or Computer lab to find a story Shannon, focused on the task at
- Access to some materials to make small/minor props for hand.
presentations
Lesson Objectives
7.1.3 - Students will compare and contrast diverse social and N/A
economic structures within the societies of Aboriginal, French and
British peoples in pre-Confederation Canada by exploring and
reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- What were the different ways in which Aboriginal societies
were structured (i.e. Iroquois Confederacy, Ojibwa,
Mi’kmaq)?
- How did the structures of Aboriginal societies affect decision
making in each society (i.e. role and status of women,
consensus building)?
Introduction/Set
~ 5 Minutes Use a prediction strategy or questioning to The teacher may consider
determine level of prior knowledge in the class: putting an agenda for the day
Which group used written history more – the on the board. This would
Europeans or the First Nations? Which group used provide more structure to the
oral history more – the Europeans or the First lesson, which would benefit
Nations? What is oral history? Generate discussion. both Shannon and the class.
The whole class would be able
to see what is going to happen
that day.

The teacher should also write

the questions on the board as
he asks them. This would
provide a visual marker for
Shannon and the other
students.

The teacher may consider

having students discuss the
questions in pairs first, then

Body
~ 5 minutes Turn to page 12 of Voices and Visions and read that
page as a class.
~ 10 minutes Create a t-chart on the SmartBoard with headings of
the two main ways that First Nations people would
make sure they remembered things correctly
(Repeat often/Make visual reminders); as a class,
brainstorm the ways that we use these strategies
each day.
Have students work in groups of 2-3 to find a
story/legend that they will act out in from of the
class. Offer students technology and internet
access in order that they can search the Aboriginal
Canada portal.
~ 10 minutes Students begin to prepare for their story
presentation by selecting roles and rehearsing
together
Students continue to prepare for their presentations.
Skits should be no longer than 1 – 2 minutes in
length. There should be evidence of some
memorization having taken place in the group, and
groups should be prepared to respond to the
following teacher prompt: How did you integrate the
two main ways of First Nations memory keeping
(Repeat often/Make visual reminders) into your
preparation for the performance?
~As long as Begin presentations to the class! Expectation will be
it takes… that all group members participate in the final
product.
together as a group. This would
keep Shannon’s attention as
she would be able to focus her
attention on the person in front
of her.
The teacher may need to have
a class discussion about the key
points of the reading. The
answers should be written on
the board throughout the lesson
for students, especially
Shannon, to reference.
Instead of brainstorming as a
class, have students work in
pairs to brainstorm 2 ways they
use the strategies, and then
have each pair share with the
class. Again, this allows
Shannon to stay focused on her
partner instead of daydreaming.
The teacher should provide a
checklist for students to
reference as they prepare their
presentations. This would
benefit all students, especially
Shannon, as it would help to
keep them on task and ensure
that they are including
everything they need to.
The teacher should allow the
use of a script when presenting.
This would benefit Shannon, as
she would likely have difficulty
remembering her lines. The
groups should also be able to
write their responses to the
prompt; again because
Shannon may have difficulty
remembering her answer when
asked after her presentation.
This will also benefit other
students for the same reason.
No adjustments are needed
here.
Conclusion
~ 5 Minutes General class discussion about the importance of The teacher could provide the
oral histories: Did your opinion of the value of oral questions, with spaces to
histories change after today? Why do you think oral answer, on a piece of paper to
history is still important for many First Nations hand out to students. He could
groups? In what ways was our activity today similar ask students to answer the
or different from the way oral histories might have questions and then have a class
been told traditionally? discussion based on their
answers. This would allow
Shannon to see what exactly
she must answer and to write
down her answers, so she can
share it later.
Assessment
- Assessment could be summative in the form of a checklist No adjustments are needed
or a rubric for each group presenting. The checklist or rubric here.
could assess outcomes of research skills, collaborative
team work, content knowledge (overall), and integration of
the traditional oral history memory strategies.

- Reminders can be made to let students know that cultural

sensitivity and accuracy to the original story are of great No adjustments are needed
importance when working with traditional oral histories. here.
 Rational
Shannon is a student with both a learning disability and ADHD (inattentive

strand). She does not have any behavioural issue but does struggle when it comes time

to pay attention in school. Furthermore, she has a difficult time keeping track of her

assignments and homework. There has been approval for funding for special education

for Shannon’s disability. Her IEP states that she is to receive instruction in language arts

and mathematics for a portion of the day. In addition to this, she takes medication for

her ADHD and has a supportive home life.

A learning disability can be defined as “a neurological disorder.” (LD Online,

2018). Students with a learning disability may struggle in certain subjects at school, as

conventional ways of teacher do not always work well for them (Hutchinson, 2017). With

extra support, students with learning disability are able to succeed academically.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a medical condition. Students

diagnosed with ADHD have “differences in brain development and brain activity that

affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control.” (Nemours, 2017). There are

several different strands of ADHD, including the inattentive strand (easily distracted),

hyperactive strand (fidgety), and impulsive strand (act before thinking).

(http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/adhd.html) This condition may make it quite difficult to

keep these students focused in a traditional classroom setting.

In order to help Shannon succeed in school, the case study states that there are

several things that teachers can do. Teachers should work hard to provide extra order

and structure in the classroom so that Shannon will not be lost. They should also set

particular days for tests, quizzes, and assignments to be finished in certain places. This
will help Shannon keep track of her homework and when things are due. Finally,

providing checklists for Shannon would be beneficial, as it would allow Shannon to keep

track of everything that she must do for a given task.

The above lesson was altered in a way that would benefit Shannon. As it is

stated in the case study that she already has a IEP for her learning disability, the

majority of changes were made with her ADHD in mind. The main focus was to ensure

that there was extra structure and visual cues throughout the lesson to keep Shannon

on the task at hand. One way to provide this structure is to write an agenda for the

lesson or the day on the board. Several activities in the lesson also require her to write

her answer to a question prior to participating in a class discussion. This is to ensure

that Shannon is able to process and think about the information that she would like to

talk about and so that she remembers what her answer is when it is time to discuss.

Furthermore, the lesson has been altered so that Shannon is able to write down her

lines for the final project (a short skit). Again, this is so that she does not forget what she

will need to say and to help keep her on task. Along with the discussions/skit, The

lesson has been altered to allow talking with a partner/working with a partner prior to a

class discussion. This is to ease the burden on Shannon having articulate her thoughts

independently in a limited amount of time. Finally, the teacher should also provide a

checklist for Shannon to follow throughout the activity to ensure that she completes all

the necessary components. While these alterations were made with Shannon in mind,

they are not only applied to her in the lesson. This is because most students would

likely benefit from having the added structure in the classroom. Another reason for
applying these alterations to the entire class is so that Shannon is not singled out as

being different.

Overall, I believe that Shannon would be successful in completion of this lesson

with the outlined alterations. The lesson itself is fast paced and active, which would

likely keep Shannon from becoming bored or daydreaming. The alterations simply

provide more structure to the lesson, making it more difficult to wander off. However, the

lesson and alterations are not without weakness. As the lesson does vary in regard to

the activities, it may be difficult for Shannon to keep up. Her learning disability might

make it a challenge to complete all the tasks within the lesson. As well, there may be

too many alterations for Shannon. She may be annoyed with the extra structure and feel

as though all the changes are made specifically for her. It may also hurt her feelings if

other students complained about the added structure in the lesson.

References
Hutchinson, N. L. (2017). Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities (LD). In Inclusion of Exceptional
Learners in Canadian Schools (p. 66). New Jersey: Pearson Education.

LD Online. (2018). The Educator's Guide to Learning Disabilities and ADHD: LD Basics. Retrieved from LD
Online: http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/whatisld

Nemours. (2017, November). ADHD. Retrieved from KidsHealth:

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/adhd.html