Plans, Activities, & Resources for Teaching Students with Diverse Needs — Created by colleagues from Texas State University. Content marked (*) was contributed in collaboration with Valerie Seelye.
Art to Teach Content
An approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form to another subject area.
Flexible Seating
Giving students the choice of where they want to be seating in the classroom facilitates critical thinking and decision-making skills. Teachers can create an environment that is less stressful. This also helps with sensory needs of different students in the class.
Instructional Strategies
Research and evidence-based educational strategies including what the strategy is and how it is implemented; who the strategy works for; the rationale; how to use the strategy while teaching.
Books to Teach Ability Differences
This project features lists of books teachers can read to their students, or students can read independently, with the outcome of building disability awareness using a story approach.
Plans to Manage Undesirable Classroom Behavior
Temporary (4 to 6 week) intervention plans to target a specific behavior interfering with learning — plans are intended to build community within the classroom.
Good Vibrations (kindergarten) — Work with a “level one” or “whisper voice.”
Love to Respect (grade 1) — Talk to each other using their inside voices without using harsh language.
Quiet Coins (grade 1) — Be an Active Listener.
Monsters Eat Up Time (grade 2) — Be ready for instructions for the next activity.
Let’s Travel the World (grade 3) — Sitting and listening.
Constructing Indestructible On-Task Skills (grade 3) — Constructive On-Task Skills.
Learning is Our Superpower (grade 4) — Students will quietly work on their assignment at their assigned desk area.
Richy, Rich Railroad Boom (grade 4) — Be ready to learn.
Whispering Wildflowers (grade 4) — Speak one at a time in your group with a soft voice
Monopoly (grade 8) — Refrain from using electronic devices during class and be on task
Ready for Liftoff (grade 9) — Students work until dismissed by teacher, then wait in seat until the bell rings.
Remembering Materials Mosaics* (grade 9) — Remember to bring materials to class.
The Restoration of Dorian Grey (grade 10) — Students will learn discussion skills.
Thoreau-ly Ready for Learning (grade 11) — Students arrive on time, ready to learn.
Suspenseful Suitcase Success (grade 11) — Be on task during independent/group work.
Safe Chemists Can (science) — Demonstrate lab safety.
Bone Discovery (science grades 11/12) — Clean-up and put away lab equipment properly
Activities to Teach Ability Differences
Lesson outlines to increase student understanding of the diversity of peers with disabilities based on books.
Classroom Expectations
Expectation matrices to delineate observable behaviors to teach students common learning activities within the classroom — defining expectations as a set of logically outlined, clear behaviors to build culturally responsive activity collaboration.