lesson plans for primary school teachers grade...
TRANSCRIPT
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Overcoming
And
Celebrating
Barriers to Learning
in
The Primary School
Growing Accepting Environments
and
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion
Lesson Plans for Primary School Teachers
Grade 2
Compiled and distributed by The Chaeli Campaign Chaeli Cottage, 18 Culm Road, Plumstead, Cape Town, South Africa 7800
Tel: +27 (0)861 242 354 Fax: +27 (0)861 242 353 Email: [email protected] www.chaelicampaign.co.za
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What can you expect from this Action Pack?
A series of lessons has been worked out for Primary School educators and learners. Each lesson comes in three parts to be presented consecutively to provide continuity as they form a unit around a specific barrier to learning. Each lesson takes about an hour to present. Sometimes some extra time may need to be allocated to complete the activities (e.g. posters.) Each theme is presented as follows: Part 1 - Information Sharing The teacher needs to read and understand the material in order to pass it on to the learners. Some information is only for the teachers and they should use their discretion as to how much information is necessary for the child and which terminology is appropriate. Part 2 - Growing an Accepting Environment The learners are presented with information to help them understand the barrier. Part 3 - Peer-to-Peer Solution Finding The learners are presented with situations in which they look for answers. There are no repeat lessons throughout the entire seven years of Primary School as four different barriers have been selected for each grade - one for each term – from Grade 1 to Grade 7. All the information needed by educators to implement the lessons has been provided (worksheets and resource material) thereby making it a hassle free experience and easy to implement with no added stress or preparation by educators. Any preparation which needs to be done is indicated at the start of each section of the lesson. Have fun exploring the magic of inclusion and the treasure trove of unseen talents and empowerment as these lessons unfold. We would love to hear your feedback – your experiences of success and challenge. Any ideas and suggestions on how you, as an educator, would improve on any of these lessons would be favourably received. We are here to share and learn – and would love to have your input!
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Contents Term 1 Speech Difficulties e.g. stuttering
1. Information 2. How to react to a person who stutters 3. How it feels to be unable to communicate effectively
Term 2 Cleft lip and palate
1. Information 2. It’s all about the smile 3. Puzzles
Term 3 Vision Impairment
1. Information Sharing 2. Experiments 3. Wordsearch
Term 4 Diabetes
1. Information 2. Leo the Lion and Diabetes
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List of Resources Books : Bornman J,Collins M,Maines B Just The Same on The Inside Sage Publications 2004 Nieman S,Jacob N Helping Children Who Are Blind Hesperian Foundation 2000 Nieman S,Jacob N Helping Children Who Are Deaf Hesperian Foundation 2000 Ngidi M Black or White: “Does it matter?” Solar Publications 2005 Werner D Disabled Village Children Hesperian Foundation 1987-2006 Websites
www.ehow
www.10news.com
www.abahlali.org
www.abc-directory
www.abcnews.go.com
www.about.com
www.afb.org/braillebug/braille
www.albinism.org
www.apraxia-kids.org
www.art.cafepress.com/downsyndrome
www.asperger-advice
www.associatedcontent.com
www.autism.com
www.autismaspergersyndrome.suite101.com
www.autismsouthafrica.org
www.bandaidsandblackboards.com
www.bellaonline.com
www.bellaonline.com
www.blog.worldvillage.com
www.bodyandhealth.canada.com
www.brighthub.com
www.burnedchildrensclub.com
www.burnsjournal.com
www.calorielab.com
www.ccakids.com
www.cdbaby.com/cd/amyames2
www.cdc.org
www.childbrain.com
www.children.webmd
www.childrenoffire.org
www.childrens-church-ministry.com
www.childrensdisabilities.com
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www.cocaine.org
www.coloring.ws/ttemplate
www.davincimethod.com
www.debate.org
www.deeanddall2.tripod.com
www.disabled-world.com
www.Do2Learn.com
www.docstoc.com
www.doh.gov.za
www.downsyndrome.org
www.drgreene.com
www.driveforrebecca.org
www.ds-health.com
www.dys-add.com
www.dyscalculia.org
www.dyslexia.com
www.dyslexia.learninginfo.org
www.dyslexiamentor.com
www.dyslexiaonline.com
www.dysphagia.com
www.dystonia.org
www.economist.com
www.educationalworld.com
www.edupics.com
www.emedicinehealth.com
www.emedicinehealth.com
www.epilepsy.org.za
www.familydoctor.org
www.familydoctor.org
www.familydoctor.org
www.familydoctor.org
www.faqs.org/health
www.fasfacts.org.za
www.firechildren
www.firechildren.org
www.firstaid.about.com
www.freebreather .com
www.geneticsandbirthdefects.com
www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov
www.guardian.co.za
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www.guidedog.org
www.health.yahoo.com
www.health24.com
www.health24.com
www.healthcare.com
www.healthcare.com
www.healthguru.com
www.healthlibrary.epnet.com
www.healthopedia.com
www.healthsystem.virginia
www.healthymeals.nat
www.hormone.org
www.hypertrichosis.com
www.infoagepub.com
www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com
www.invisibledisabilities.com
www.iol.co.za
www.isisa.co.za
www.isiza.co.za
www.issues.tigweb.org
www.jultramed.com
www.keepkidshealthy.com
www.keepkidshealthy.com
www.keepkidshealthy.com
www.kidshealth.org
www.knowledgerush.com
www.ldonline.org/kidzone
www.learningdisabilities.about.com
www.lehman.cuny.edu
www.linux.wareseeker.scotens.org
www.listentoourstories
www.loudshirtday.com
www.lpaonline.org
www.lucinafoundation.org
www.M.Gibson/istholistic.com
www.magicfoundation.org
www.mda.org
www.med.virginia.edu
www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com
www.medicalnewstoday.com
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www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.medpedia.com
www.members.tripod.com
www.merckmanuals.com
www.myhighplains.com
www.myspinabifidabook.org
www.news.bbc.co.uk
www.nfpa.org
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
www.nidcd.nih.com
www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders
www.nlm.nih.gov
www.noah-health.org
www.nysccc.org
www.oif.com
www.oiwiki.com
www.openroad.net
www.operationrainbowcanada.com
www.operationsmile.org
www.oxfordjournals.org
www.pffd.org
www.planemath.com
www.politicalaffairs.net
www.ppsnews.net
www.preventdisease.com
www.quizmoz.com
www.quotegarden.com
www.RainbowCentre.org
www.rch.org
www.resource4cerebralpalsy.com
www.rettangels.org
www.sleeping-with-a-sleeping-disorder.com
www.smiletrain.org
www.specialchild.com
www.specialchildren.about
www.specialchildren.about.com
www.specialneedseducation.com
www.specialolympics.org
www.spiderbites.about.com
www.spinabifida.com
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www.spineuniverse.com
www.squidoo.com/courageandinspiration.com
www.srsa.gov
www.stutteringhelp.org
www.tailwins.com
www.teachingchildrenwithspinabifida.com
www.teach-nology.com
www.thechildrenshospital.org
www.thefreelibrary.com
www.thesaurus.rference.com
www.thestudentroom.com
www.thinkquest.org
www.tsa-usa.com
www.urbanschools.org
www.waisman.wisc.edu
www.widesmiles.org
www.wikihow.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.wikipedia/wiki/jontyrhodes
www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org
www.wisegeek.com
www.womenfitness.com
www.worldatlas.com
www.yahoo.com
www.yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com
www.yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com
www.zed.alaw.org/asthma
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Term 1 Speech Difficulties with special emphasis on stuttering Information Sharing Preparation: Use the pictures given to you or find magazine pictures of babies and toddlers of similar ages. To begin a discussion on speech difficulties it is important to understand normal speech development. Stick the pictures up on the board in the correct age order. For each picture ask the following questions:
1. How old do you think this baby is? 2. Who has a brother, sister, cousin or next door neighbour of the same age? 3. What sounds/words do they make/say?
Teachers: read the information below re speech development. Get as much information as you can from the children even if it is a bit inaccurate. The idea is for the children to understand the progression of language development. Use the information below to fill in the gaps.(You do not need to give the children all this information!) Normal Speech Development (Stress to the children that these are averages and if their little brother or sister has not quite reached these milestones it does not mean there is something wrong with them!) Birth to 3 months
is soothed by calm, gentle voices cries, gurgles, grunts, says "ah" 4 to 6 months watches your face with interest when you talk enjoys "talking" with you, smiles at you coos and squeals for attention has a special cry when hungry
6-12 months
understands some common words when used with gestures e.g.. "bye, bye", "up", "give me" and own name
tries to say sounds and words - "ba, ba", "na, na" tries to sing along with radio/TV laughs and may imitate a cough
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12-24 months
babbles - sounds like sentences understands simple questions/statements e.g.. "where is your nose?", "give me" says words (not clearly) nods "yes" and shakes head for "no" says some 2 word sentences such as "more milk", "all gone", "me go" understands "where is mommy/daddy?" understands simple directions "get your coat" understands more words than can speak/say
2-3 years
combines words in 2-3 word sentences such as "me do it" follows simple directions e.g. "put the teddy-bear to bed" answers simple questions e.g. "what's your name?", "which one is the big doll?" can put a toy "in", "on", "under" when asked answers simple questions about objects e.g. "which one do we eat with?"
3-5 years
tells first and last name understands questions about a picture story e.g. "Where did the bunny go?" reasons - answers "What do you do when you're hungry/cold?" tells a short story e.g. "two kids played ball" gives directions such as "Fix this for me" asks many questions: "what", "where", "why" follows 3 related directions such as "get your crayons, make a picture and give it to the
baby" speaks sounds accurately more reasoning - answers questions such as "What do you do when you are
sleepy/thirsty?" or "What should you do if you hurt yourself?" can show you "top", "bottom", and several colours can give meanings of words
Now we are going to talk about children who have speech problems Why do some children not talk as soon or as easily as others?
1.Oral impairments e.g. there may be problems with the tongue 2.Hearing-children need to hear properly to learn to speak. Ear infections which are not treated will cause lack of clear hearing.
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Growing an Accepting Environment Stuttering Preparation: Practise reading a passage as a stutterer. It is important to exaggerate the stuttering. Make sure each child has a piece of paper and a pencil. Tell your class you are going to read them a story. They need to listen carefully and make a cross on their piece of paper every time they feel irritated or want to finish the sentence or lose eye contact etc Discussion: Let’s talk about how we felt when we were listening to the story. How did you feel as I was reading the story? What did you want to do to “help” the reader. What was difficult for you e.g. Was it difficult to keep eye contact? How do you think the stutterer felt? What can we do to help the stutterer Do the exercise again and see if it is easier to handle this time. Ask the learners: Was it easier to handle this time? When you come across a person who stutters will you be able to listen to them with kindness and patience? Information Have you ever heard someone talking like this: li- li-li-li-like or lllllike. This is called stuttering. Stuttering is a communication disorder characterized by broken repititions (li-li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this) or abnormal stoppages(no sound) of sounds and symbols. Sometimes there may be abnormal facial or body movements e.g. rapid blinking or tremors of the lips. There are 2 types of stuttering which are common: 1. Developmental Between 2 and 5 many children may stutter for a few weeks or even months. They repeat certain words, syllables or phrases. It may be part of their speech development and they outgrow it. If it is still a problem when the child is 5 he will need to see a speech therapist. Four times as many males as females are affected. 2. Neurogenic After a stroke, head trauma or other brain injury.
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Causes
1. Genetics-about 60% of stutterers have a close family member who stutters 2. Other speech problems or developmental delays 3. Differences in the way the brain processes language. Sometimes there is a problem with
the way the brain’s messages interact with the muscles and body parts needed for speaking.
Diagnosis A speech and language therapist will diagnose stuttering. The therapist will consider many factors such as when he stuttering was first noticed and under what circumstances, will analyse the child’s language abilities and the impact the stuttering is having on his life. Children of school going age may be embarrassed by their stuttering especially if they are teased. What can we do?
1. Don’t interrupt the child who is talking. 2. Don’t correct the child-he feels even more self-conscious. 3. Don’t tell him to start again. 4. Allow him to talk for himself and don’t finish his sentences for him. 5. Maintain eye contact. 6. Don’t tell him to think before he speaks or to slow down or take a deep breath. 7. The teacher can remove stressful situations e.g. make oral situations calm-stress does
not cause stuttering but can make it worse. 8. Remember people who stutter are just as smart as those who don’t.
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Peer-to-peer Solution Finding Preparation: Bring a bottle of water, marshmallows or apples and a suitable reading book for each group. Learners are divided into small groups(about 6 per group).Give each child in the group a number from 1-6. Each group is given a bottle of water or something like marshmallows or an apple cut up into fairly big pieces. Child number 1 is given a story book which has to be read to the rest of the group. The same child has to fill his/her mouth with either the water or a large piece of apple etc (not too large that they would choke) The reader now reads his story book to the others in the group. He may not swallow what is in his mouth but must try to make himself understood with a mouth full of something. After one minute learner 2 becomes the reader, fills his mouth and continues the story from where number 1 left off. Continue in this way until all learners have had a chance to be the reader. Now begin the discussion: To those trying to read: “How did you feel when you couldn’t communicate with your friends? Is there something wrong with your brain?-No, but something wrong with my mouth! To those listening-How did you feel when you wanted the information and couldn’t understand? There are many people who have trouble with communication. Let’s think of ways we could try to help them. Let the children come up with some suggestions e.g. they can write it down, we can ask questions and they can answer by shaking and nodding heads etc. use picture boards
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Term 2 Information Sharing
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Preparation: Make sure you have mirrors at school-bring them to school yourself or ask children to bring in small make-up mirrors. When you look in the mirror you can see the way in which your nose is connected to your upper lip. Now feel the top of your mouth with your tongue. Can you feel a line down the middle of your mouth? This is where your palate grew together in the middle. You may have heard people calling it the “roof of your mouth”. The palate extends from the front teeth all the way to the little uvula in the middle of the back of your mouth. Facts about the palate:
o it’s made of bone and muscle and is covered by a thin, wet skin that forms the red
covering inside the mouth
o it separates your mouth from your nose
o it’s important for speech because it prevents air blowing out of your nose instead of
your mouth when you speak
o it’s important for eating because it prevents food and liquid going up the nose
o during swallowing, the tongue presses up against the palate and pushes the chewed
food to the back of the throat where it then goes down into the stomach
The word cleft means a gap or a split between 2 things. Show the children the pictures: The first one is a drawing to help the children to understand what a cleft lip looks like. The second set of pictures is to show the children the beautiful outcome after surgery. A cleft lip is a split in the upper lip. A cleft palate is a split in the roof of the mouth. Both of these are birth defects that occur while the baby is developing in the uterus. During weeks 6-10 the bones and tissues of the baby’s upper jaw, nose and mouth come together to
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form the palate and upper lip. If the tissue doesn’t fuse together the baby could be born with a cleft lip or palate or both. A cleft lip can be
o unilateral-on one side
o bilateral-gap on both sides of the lip
Causes
1. May be genetic(inherited)
2. Medication or vitamin deficiencies
3. Smoking, drugs and alcohol increases the risk that a baby will be born with a
birth defect
4. Other syndromes-there may be defects in other body parts as well
5. Often the cause is unknown and could not be prevented
Problems Experienced by a baby born with a cleft lip and/or palate 1. Difficulty with eating Have you ever laughed so much when drinking that the liquid comes out of your nose? Babies with a cleft palate have this problem all the time. A normal palate prevents this from happening. The baby will need to be fed with a special bottle and needs to sit up while drinking. 2. Ear Infections Air and fluid cannot pass normally through the Eustachian tubes (that connect the throat and the ear)This means fluid and germs can become trapped behind the eardrums and this causes infections. In severe cases of infection theses children may have hearing loss. 3. Speech difficulties These children often sound as if they are speaking through their noses. When you talk the muscles of your soft palate help to keep air from blowing out of your nose instead of your mouth. Children with a cleft palate find that their soft palate sometimes doesn’t move well and lets too much air leak out of the nose while speaking. They have difficulty with pronouncing certain sounds. 4. Dental Problems There may be problems with small teeth, missing teeth, extra teeth or crooked teeth.
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What do doctors do to help? A team of specialists is needed:
o Geneticist
o Plastic surgeon
o Ear, nose and throat specialist
o Oral surgeon
o Dentist
o Orthodontist
o Speech and language therapist
o Audiologist
o Social worker
o Psychologist/therapist
A cleft lip is normally repaired when the baby is 3-6 months old. The doctor closes the gap in the lip and corrects the nostril. The child will be left with a scar on the lip under the nose. A cleft palate is repaired between 9 and 12 months. Doctors close the hole between the palate and the nose and reconnect the muscles of the soft palate. After surgery the child will need regular hearing tests and dental and orthodontic appointments. A speech therapist will help to correct incorrect speaking habits. Sometimes when the child is about 8 years old they need further surgery. The doctor takes some bone from the base of the hip and uses it to fill in the gap in the upper gum area. This allows the upper gum to hold the permanent teeth better and to keep the upper jaw steady. Much later young adults may want plastic surgery to improve scars, align their jaws or have their noses straightened. Living with cleft lip and palate Some children may have a flattened nose or small jaw. Others may look just like everyone else. One thing is certain-they all want to be treated just like everyone else. A person may have a cleft lip but also beautiful eyes, a bubbly personality and be the school’s best soccer player. Most children born with this defect are able to live normal healthy lives.
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Creating an Accepting Environment Preparation: Photocopy the door hangers. There are a number of charities which work to help children born with cleft lips and/or palates. Operation Smile, Smile Train and Smile Foundation are 3 of these charities. Thousands of volunteers treat children and young adults who are suffering not only because they were born with a cleft but also because they are too poor to afford surgery. They have slogans all about smiling: Changing the world one smile at a time Returning smiles to children Create smiles, change lives, heal humanity The shortest distance between 2 people is a smile Discussion: How important is it to smile? Let’s think of all the things that make us smile. Allow each child to think of one reason to smile today: I smile today because…… Read this poem to your class: Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin When he smiled I realised I’d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile and I realised its worth, A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth. So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected! Just for fun: Catch a Smile! Divide your class into 3 groups. Each group sits in a circle. One person is chosen to start the game. He smiles broadly and then wipes the smile off his face, he calls out someone else’s name and “throws” the smile to that person, who in turn catches it and passes it on to someone else. Anyone who fails to catch the smile by smiling as it arrives or who is unable to stop smiling when it has been passed on is out. Last man left is the winner. Make a door hanger: Copy the template onto card. Each child colours in the picture and writes the word SMILE in the space. They then cut it out and take it home to hang on their bedroom door. Children can also design their own door hangers, write their names on them or a special message or make for all the classrooms in your school and give them to the classes as a gift.
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Peer-to-peer solution finding Preparation: Make puzzles or make sure you have enough puzzles in the classroom for each group to have one. Photocopy the pictures.
Divide your class into small groups. Each group is given a puzzle which they are asked to make. Use puzzles you have in the classroom or make your own. The puzzles should be fairly easy as you want the children to complete the task in a short time. They do not realize that the teacher has not given them all the pieces. After a suitable length of time ask them to stop what they are doing. Did you complete your puzzle? Why not? How did you feel when you realized there was a gap in your puzzle and there was nothing you could do about it? How can I help you? (Hand out puzzle pieces and allow the children to complete their puzzles) Now I want you to think about children who have a cleft lip or palate. They have a physical “gap” in their bodies. Do you think they want to smile just like you do? If you met someone with a cleft lip or palate how could you make them feel part of your group. Class discussion. Ideas:
o No teasing
o Look for what is beautiful in each person
o Accept them as they are
o Treat them like everyone else
o Be patient if their speech is different
Hand out the pictures-one to each child. Allow them to complete the pictures by filling in the gaps.
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Term 3
Vision Impairment Information Sharing
Cape Town Society for the Blind [email protected]
SA National Council for the Blind
League of Friends of the Blind [email protected]
Lighthouse Association for the Blind [email protected]
Tape Aids for the Blind www.tapeaids.co.za
Preparation: 1. Bring something to make blindfolds. 2. For the model you will need a balloon or ball, coloured paper, black paper, plastic wrap and string or wool. 3. Bring buttons and cut out squares of cardboard for the activity.
Many people live without being able to see clearly or not being able to see at all. We’ve all put on a blindfold and pretended that we couldn’t see and bumped into things and got confused about which way to go. Blind people have found ways to learn, play and work without seeing. Your Eyes Your eyes are working for you from the moment you open them in the morning. They take in information about our world- shapes, colours and movement- and send it to the brain.
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Teacher builds up a model of the eye as she talks about each part of the eye: Making the model: You will need: Ball or balloon Coloured circle-paper Small black circle-paper Plastic wrap String or wool Use a white balloon or ball to represent the eyeball. Tie pieces of string to the end of the balloon to represent the optic nerve. Cut out a circle to represent the iris-it should be coloured to represent the eye colour. Place a small black circle in the middle to represent the pupil. Cover the eye with plastic wrap to represent the cornea. Use clear glue to stick it down if you are having trouble getting it to stick. The eye is about as big as a ping-pong ball and sits in the eye socket in the skull. Look at your partner’s eye:
1) Eyelid-protects the front of the eye. When we blink it keeps the eye clean and moist.
What happens when you walk outside into a bright light? Your eyelid closes to protect the eye. Flutter your fingers close to your friend’s eyes. What happens? Your friend’s eyes shut automatically to protect the eyes. Why do we have eyelashes? To keep the dirt out of our eyes.
2) Sclera-this is the white part of your eye which covers the eyeball. If you look closely you should be able to see blood vessels.
3) Iris-the coloured part of the eye. The pupil is the black part and is actually an opening. The iris has muscles to change its shape and controls how much light goes through the pupil.
4) Cornea- This sits in front of the coloured part of the eye .It is transparent and helps the eye to focus.
5) The lens-you can’t see this part because it is on the inside of the eye, behind the iris. It focuses the light on the back of the eye (the retina) Light goes through the lens and when the image hits the retina it is upside down. Luckily the brain is able to flip it over so we see it the right way around. There are millions of special cells in the retina called rods and cones. Rods help us to see shapes and cones help us to see colour. All these messages go to the brain and you can see.
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How to protect your eyes
o Wear sunglasses- too much light can damage your eyes. o Adults working with chemicals or doing jobs like welding or carpentry must wear
goggles. o Wear eye protection when doing sports where your eyes could be hurt e.g. skiing
Sometimes our eyes don’t work perfectly and our vision may be fuzzy. Glasses help the eyes to focus correctly and allow us to see clearly. People may have vision impairments in one or both eyes. Someone who can’t see at all is blind. What causes blindness? Sometimes vision problems develop before a baby is born. Blindness can be caused by an accident. Blindness can also be the result of certain illnesses e.g. diabetes. Other eye diseases e.g. cataracts can cause vision problems (normally older people) What does the doctor do? A special eye doctor called an ophthalmologist will assess the patient’s eyes. Special eye charts are often used to check vision-the patient must be old enough to read letters. Excellent eyesight is called 20/20 vision-these people can read the chart from 20m(6ft) away. The ophthalmologist also examines the patient’s eyeballs using special lights. Sometimes surgery is necessary to correct some problems. How does a blind child learn? Sometimes blind children go to special schools but more blind children are attending mainstream schools. Blind children make use of their other senses- touch, hearing, smell and taste. Vision impaired children learn to read by using a special system called Braille. The person needs to feel little bumps that represent each letter. Hearing is also important for someone with vision problems. Some computers can read out loud what is on a page.
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Guide Dogs Guide dogs are specially trained to help blind people. They give blind people independence and help keep them safe. The dogs are trained to respond to commands such as “right”, “left”, “forward” and “back” They are trained to avoid obstacles and watch for traffic. This is one of the most important aspects of the dog’s work because the blind person’s safety is at risk. The dog is taught to recognize that a moving vehicle is a danger. The dog learns to indicate to its owner when it is safe to cross a road. The dog has to learn to ignore other people and dogs. What some blind people have to say about their dogs: “I feel wonderfully safe with her as my guide”-Shirley de Bruin Working with a guide dog gave me much more confidence.”-anon “Guide dogs turn loneliness into social success”-anon “Ronnie is my independence and mobility-always ready and waiting to take the lead; he is my friend and companion through happy and sad.”- Pieter van Niekerk
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Louis Braille (1809-1852)
Six dots. Six bumps. Six bumps in different patterns, like constellations, spreading
out over the page. What are they? Numbers, letters, words. Who made this code?
None other than Louis Braille, a French 12-year-old, who was also blind. And his work
changed the world of reading and writing, forever.
Louis was from a small town called Coupvray, near Paris—he was born on January 4 in
1809. Louis became blind by accident, when he was 3 years old. Deep in his Dad's
harness workshop, Louis tried to be like his Dad, but it went very wrong; he grabbed an
awl, a sharp tool for making holes, and the tool slid and hurt his eye. The wound got
infected, and the infection spread, and soon, Louis was blind in both eyes.
All of a sudden, Louis needed a new way to learn. He stayed at his old school for two
more years, but he couldn't learn everything just by listening. Things were looking up
when Louis got a scholarship to the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris, when he
was 10. But even there, most of the teachers just talked at the students. The library
had 14 huge books with raised letters that were very hard to read. Louis was
impatient.
Then in 1821, a former soldier named Charles Barbier visited the school. Barbier
shared his invention called "night writing," a code of 12 raised dots that let soldiers
share top-secret information on the battlefield without even having to speak.
Unfortunately, the code was too hard for the soldiers, but not for 12-year-old Louis!
Louis trimmed Barbier's 12 dots into 6, ironed out the system by the time he was 15,
then published the first-ever braille book in 1829. But did he stop there? No way! In
1837, he added symbols for math and music. But since the public was skeptical, blind
students had to study braille on their own. Even at the Royal Institution, where Louis
taught after he graduated, braille wasn't taught until after his death. Braille began to
spread worldwide in 1868, when a group of British men, now known as the Royal
National Institute for the Blind, took up the cause.
Now practically every country in the world uses braille. Braille books have double-sided
pages, which saves a lot of space. Braille signs help blind people get around in public
spaces. And, most important, blind people can communicate independently, without
needing print.
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Braille Alphabet:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
!
'
,
-
.
?
Capital
Numbers:
#
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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Activity: 1.Give each child a copy of the Braille alphabet. 2. Hand out a cardboard square and 4 buttons of the same size to each child. Each child then sticks the buttons onto the card in the Braille pattern of the first letter of their name. 3. Discuss with the children how they will know which way is the right way up-allow them to come up with ideas as a class e.g. cut out a shape at the top or stick something onto the card. Once it has been decided each child does that to their card. 4. Now in their groups shuffle the cards and allow the children to pick one up and with eyes closed try to feel what letter it is. When they have decided they open their eyes and check it against the Braille alphabet. Allow them to try a few.
Creating Accepting Environments These exercises are all about experiencing what it feels like not to be able to see. Choose from the exercises below or if time permits do them all! Alternatively set up stations in the classroom and allow the children to walk around and try out the exercises. Preparation: Activity 1: Bring music (CD player or even a tambourine to beat) Children must bring clothing from home-which should have zips, buttons, laces etc. Activity 2: Teacher to prepare a “feely box” Activity 3: Bring old glasses/sunglasses and Vaseline Fun Activity: Photocopy the worksheet. Activity 1: Encourage each child to bring a change of clothes to school. Place all the clothes in a large bag. The children sit in a circle. Give one of the children a pencil. Start the music and the children pass the pencil around until the music stops. Whoever is holding the pencil has to quickly put on the blindfold, reach into the bag and put on whichever item of clothing he/she pulls out, still wearing the blindfold. (The children must dress themselves (over their uniforms) while blindfolded). Activity 2: Prepare a “feely box”-place a number of articles in a box which the children are expected to identify through touch-you can play pass the parcel and when the music stops the child with the box has a chance to identify an object. Activity 3: Smear Vaseline over the lenses and then ask the child to read something to you. Activity 4: Pair up the children. One child wears a blindfold and is lead around the school by the other child-half way around swop places After each activity discuss how the children felt not being able to see.
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Experiment Are Two Eyes Better Than One? This experiment shows how 2 eyes give you more depth perception, which is the ability to judge how near or far objects are. You need 2 pencils. What to do:
1) Hold a pencil lengthwise (on its side) in each hand. 2) Now, with one eye closed touch the ends of the pencils together. Did you miss? 3) Now, try it with both eyes open.
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Peer-to-peer Solution Finding Preparation: Photocopy 2 worksheets for each child. Note: for the small worksheet there are 2 on the page! Hand out the small version to the class . Impress on the children that this is very important work and they must get on quietly and quickly. They may not help each other. Children will probably start to complain that it is too small, they can’t see it etc. Insist that they must do their work and you can’t help them etc. After a few minutes, when you see that the children are really frustrated, address the problem-act really surprised. “Oh my goodness-you can’t see the work!” etc Ask them how it felt not to be able to see clearly. Discussion: If there was someone in our class who could not read small print, what could we do to help? Let the children come up with ideas e.g enlarge all his worksheets, have someone to read small print to him, a talking computer. Allow everyone to complete the “real size” worksheet.
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Name: __________________________ Grade 2 Complete the wordsearch
Find these words: eyes vision braille blind guide dog senses blink tears see
g u i d e d o g m f
a t m z y q u p r f
x k r t e a r s d w
v v i s s e e y r o
i s d g e w n b y s
s e a b r a i l l e
i a e l y o s i n n
o g j i e g n n s s n a q n c b v k y e
p s u d d g k l w s
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Name: __________________________ Grade 2 Complete the wordsearch
Name: __________________________ Grade 2
Complete the wordsearch.
Find these words: eyes
vision
braille
blind guide dog
senses
blink
tears see
g u i d e d o g m f
a t m z y q u p r f
x k r t e a r s d w
v v i s s e e y r o
i s d g e w n b y s
s e a b r a i l l e
i a e l y o s i n n
o g j i e g n n s s
n a q n c b v k y e
p s u d d g k l w s
Name: __________________________ Grade 2 Complete the wordsearch
Name: __________________________ Grade 2
Complete the wordsearch.
Find these words: eyes
vision
braille
blind guide dog
senses
blink
tears see
g u i d e d o g m f
a t m z y q u p r f
x k r t e a r s d w
v v i s s e e y r o
i s d g e w n b y s
s e a b r a i l l e
i a e l y o s i n n
o g j i e g n n s s
n a q n c b v k y e
p s u d d g k l w s
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Name: Answer Grade 2 Complete the wordsearch. Find these words: eyes vision braille blind guide dog senses blink tears see
g u i d e d o g m f
a t m z y q u p r f
x k r t e a r s d w
v v i s s e e y r o
i s d g e w n b y s s e a b r a i l l e i a e l y o s i n n o g j i e g n n s s n a q n c b v k y e p s u d d g k l w s
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Term 4
Diabetes Information Sharing Diabetes South Africa [email protected]
Diabetes is a disease which affects the way in which the body uses glucose. Glucose is a source of energy and comes from what we eat. After eating, glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and the pancreas produces insulin .Insulin is important because it allows glucose to enter the cells. In people with diabetes the body does not make insulin so the glucose stays in the blood. There are 2 types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2-both cause blood sugar levels to be higher than normal but in different ways. Type 1-known as insulin dependent or juvenile diabetes. The pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin. The person’s own immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. It does not go away and requires treatment for life. Daily injections are administered. Signs and Symptoms
o Urinates frequently o Extreme thirst o Loses weight in spite of good appetite o Feels tired o Sometimes bedwetting
Living with Type 1 diabetes:
o Check blood sugar levels a few times a day o Give themselves daily injections o Eat healthy diet o Regular exercise
Type 2-known as non-insulin dependent These people still produce insulin but the body doesn’t respond normally. Doctors call this insulin resistance. The blood sugar level rises and this causes the pancreas to produce more insulin. Eventually the pancreas can “wear out” from overwork and then not be able to produce enough insulin. No-one knows for certain what causes type 2 diabetes but there seems to be a genetic link (44-80% of children with type 2 diabetes have a family history of diabetes) Most children or adults with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Certain ethnic groups are more prone than others e.g. African American. Children who have reached puberty are more likely to develop the disease than younger children.
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Signs and Symptoms o Urinate often o Drinks a lot of liquids o Tired often
Living with Type 2 diabetes
o Healthy diet-normal body weight o Exercise o Monitor blood sugar levels o Take insulin-this manages the diabetes but does not cure it
Diabetes can cause long term complications such as heart disease, stroke and vision impairment. Diabetes at School Children with diabetes face 2 problems that teachers and other learners should be aware of: hypoglycaemia and hyperglycemia.
o Hyperglycemia-(high blood sugar)-occurs when the blood sugar level is too high due to too little insulin or too much food. Children with high blood sugar act tired and lethargic and need to go to the bathroom a lot. High blood sugar is treated by giving more insulin and sugar free drinks such as water and diet soda. Children with diabetes need to know they can use the bathroom whenever they need to. Prolonged hyperglycemia can lead to a very serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis which can lead to coma and even death.
o Hypoglacemia- (low blood sugar)- occurs when the blood sugar level is too low due to too much insulin, too little food or too much exercise. Children with low blood sugar may behave erratically or seem sleepy and are often hungry and shaky. They may feel light headed and weak and often have a headache. Low blood sugar can be treated immediately by giving the child food containing simple sugars such as fruit juice or regular soda. If you suspect the child has low blood sugar, do not leave the child alone as he may lose consciousness.
Sports, Exercise and Diabetes Exercise is an important part of managing diabetes. Diabetes does not prevent a child from doing exercise but it can be challenging as exercise lowers blood sugar levels. Children with diabetes often eat a snack before exercising. The benefits of exercise:
o Burns calories and builds muscles o Reduces the risk of heart disease o Relieves tension and stress o Strengthens bones o Helps the body to use insulin
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Creating an Accepting Environment
Peer-to-peer solution finding A Day in the Life of a Diabetic Lion Photocopy the pages (back to back) and make up a booklet for each learner. Allow time to work through the book individually or in groups.
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