Lesson plans

Age range:
Year 2/KS2

Time:
45 minutes

Related United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Articles:
23 and 31

Aims:
• To encourage an initial consideration of the nature of disability.

Resources and preparation:
• Case studies
• Judge whether the lesson as described here would impinge negatively upon any of your pupils and how to mitigate.
• A useful resource is Think about being in a wheelchair by Lois Keith, Chrysalis Children’s Books 2004 ISBN 1-84138-791-6

Case studies

Samuel, 10, has cerebral palsy and uses a manual chair:
‘I am in a wheelchair as I cannot walk unaided. Tomorrow I am meeting the doctor again so he can try to make me better. I have been to the hospital many times this year already, often for weeks at a time. This means I miss school and have to repeat my lessons at home. I look out the window and see everyone moving around freely, whilst I’m stuck in bed. I would like to be normal like other children.’

Kamila, 11, has hydrocephalus and spina bifida and uses a powered wheelchair:
‘When I am at home, I’m not disabled. We live in an adapted bungalow, with low door handles and no steps. My bedroom is bright pink and is tucked away at the end of the house, where I can speak to all my friends using my voice-recognition computer and my video phone. I can travel to my school with my friends now; we always stop and stock up on sweets on the way. The pathway is flat and there is a ramp at the entrance.’

With older children you might want to explain what cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and spina bifida. Good explanations can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/hydrocephalus2.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/cerebralpalsy1.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/spinabifida2.shtml

Activity

Starter:
Read through the case study 1 with the class (Samuel):
Discuss the issues that Samuel faces every day.

Read through case study 2 with the class (Kamilla)

Discuss how this young person’s story is different and why. What has improved her quality of life? How could Samuel’s life change in a positive way?

Main activities:
Use drama techniques to hot seat Samuel - What sort of questions would you ask him? How would he respond to the questions? What changes need to be made?

In groups, students could write a short poem or diary entry expressing how they would feel if they were Samuel, after modeling some phrases, words and answers to questions.

Plenary - class discussion:
How could Samuel be made to feel part of your school?

You could mind map different ideas of how you could help to make your
school more disabled friendly; or draw a new plan of some of the school, maybe the canteen or a specific classroom, with the ideas for making it more accessible.

Age range:
Year 2/KS2

Time:
45 minutes

Related United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Articles:
23 and 31

Aims:
• To encourage an initial consideration of the nature of autism.

Resources and preparation:
• Ian’s walk: a story about autism, by Laurie Lears and illustrated by Karen Ritz (Albert Whitman & Company, ISBN: 978-0807534816, 2003).
• Photocopies or enlarged/scanned versions of key illustrations if appropriate (see suggested activities below).
• Judge whether the lesson as described here would impinge negatively upon any of your pupils and how to mitigate.
• Decide whether to revise American-English terms.

Activity

Starter:
Without mentioning autism or any associated concepts, explain that you are going to share a story called Ian’s walk, but first there is a picture from the story to look at. Display or hand out the illustration of Julie standing impatiently with hands on hips and Ian with his hand to his mouth.

In groups, give pupils a few minutes to conjecture on what might be happening here. Discuss feedback. (Some may well venture the notion of a younger brother being annoying.) Now let’s see what is actually happening in this story …

Main activities:
It would be preferable perhaps to follow the story without the word autism with its puzzles and complexities to begin with, not least so that pupils can see Julie on one level as a fairly typical big sister with responsibilities she does not always welcome, and for listeners to be able to reflect on their raw responses to Ian’s behaviour. For these reasons, omit reading the words, “…though, because he has autism” from the first page.

After reading the first page, ask pupils whether they have times when they would rather not have to take someone along because they know they will have to look after them. Have they been the one who has wanted to accompany a bigger sister or brother, say?

Share the story as far as, “…Ian flaps his hands and pays no attention”.
How close were some of the speculations on the first illustration?

Ask the group to think of words to describe Julie’s behaviour (annoyed, embarrassed, impatient?) and Ian’s behaviour, so far (strange, disobedient, playful?). Scribe these for all to see.

Now read the next page where it is realised Ian has gone missing. What does it feel like when something or, more important, someone you care for has gone missing? What options does Julie have now?

Read the story to the end. What are some of the pupils’ initial reactions to the story?

What words describe Julie’s behaviour now (eg: patient, cheerful, relieved)?

How about Ian? (The fact is his behaviour changes little – enigmatic smile apart. It is how others react to him that varies.)

Ask pupils to imagine that in the search for Ian, a policewoman becomes involved. Teacher or pupils in role conduct an interview beginning, “So we’re looking for a small boy called Ian, in a blue jumper – what more can you tell me? How will we know it is him?”. Get the pupils to list the characteristics of Ian’s behaviour in response to the policewoman.

Explain that Ian has a condition called autism. It is not a disease or illness. We can find out more about Ian’s condition. What would pupils like to know? Does anyone know anything about it already?

Plenary - class discussion
How could Ian be made to feel part of your school?

Alternatively if your school uses a P4C approach you could decide upon a question that arises from this story to discuss in a Community of Enquiry.

Age range:
Year KS3/4

Time:
45 minutes

Related United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Articles:
23 and 31

Aims:
• To encourage an initial consideration of the nature of disability.

Resources and preparation:
• Video clip: 'A day in the life of me':http://www.truetube.co.uk/media.php?do=detail&mediaid=736.
• Useful background information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/spinabifida2.shtml
• Judge whether the lesson as described here would impinge negatively upon any of your pupils and how to mitigate.

Activity

Introduction:
Watch: A Day in the Life of me: Rebecca’s life with spina bifida' (5 min 17 sec)

Main Activities:

Discussion: what barriers does Rebecca encounter each day?
What has been done to overcome those barriers?

Hot seating activity: students could ask questions to find out how Rebecca’s day at school is (this is missed out of the video clip).

In groups, students could write a short poem or diary entry expressing how they would feel if they were Rebecca, after modeling some phrases, words and answers to questions.

Plenary - class discussion:
How could Rebecca be made to feel part of your school?
You could mind map different ideas of how you could help to make your school more disabled friendly; or draw a new plan of some of the school, maybe the canteen or a specific classroom, with the ideas for making it more accessible.

Age range:
Year KS3/4

Time:
45 minutes

Related United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Articles:
23 and 31

Aims:
• To encourage an initial consideration of the nature of behaviour, emotional and social difficulties.

Resources and preparation:
• Video clips: Newt’s first day in school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6OOAz4vb5I
• Newt from Hollyoaks: my character is schizophrenic: http://www.truetube.co.uk/media.php?do=detail&mediaid=683
• Useful background information: http://www.rethink.org/
• Judge whether the lesson as described here would impinge negatively upon any of your pupils and how to mitigate.

Activity

Introduction:
Watch Newt’s first day in school (3 min 48 sec)

Discussion: what barriers does Newt encounter on his first day?

Working in pairs: students imagine they are the student teacher and Newt. Why did he behave like he did in school? What could help him feel part of the school/his class?

Watch: Newt from Hollyoaks: my character is schizophrenic

Activity: students could create a visual representation of how Newt feels. An example is below:

http://www.adycousins.co.uk/schizophrenia.html

Plenary - class discussion:
How could Newt be made to feel part of your school?

Click on the links below for more websites and online resources for you and your pupils:

• Find out about attitudes to disabilities throughout history and the treatment of disabled people in film by clicking on the ‘Disabling Images’ section at this on the British Film Institute’s website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/disability

• Have a look at how these websites make it easy for anyone to find services for people with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities: http://www.checkthemap.org and http://easyinfo.org.uk.

• The Red Cross has created its own lesson plan on Disabilities. This is suitable for seven to 14-year-olds http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=73621

• There are lots of ideas and resources on the Nasen website: http://www.nasen.org.uk/. This is an organisation promoting the development of children and young people with Special Educational Needs, which also supports the people who work with them.

Organisations supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs:

Child Brain Injury Trust http://www.cbituk.org
Council for Disabled Children (CDC) http://www.ncb.org.uk/cdc
Find a Voice http://www.findavoice.org.uk
KIDS http://www.kids.org.uk/
Scope http://www.scope.org.uk/

Let us know if you find any more useful websites and we’ll add them here so that other people can share them. Email claire.hall@southampton.gov.uk.