This guide (with audiotape) offers information on helping students with disabilities become involved in developing their own Individualized Education Programs (IEP). The guide is organized into lesson plans which can be adapted to individual situations. Individual lessons focus on the following topics: (1) introductory work with students (such as…

The Statue of Liberty, which stands in Upper New York Bay, is a universal symbol of freedom. A gift from France, it originally was conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the United States. It has become much more, symbolizing the Mother of Exiles, greeting the millions of immigrants and embodying hope and…

In the absence of official power, women had to find other ways to shape the world in which they lived. The First Ladies of the United States were among the women who were able to play "a significant role in shaping the political and social history of the country, impacting virtually every topic that has been debated." Through this lesson…

This manual describes a clay therapy program appropriate for use with students having a variety of exceptionalities and in an age range from 6 to 18 years. Organization and staffing are briefly discussed followed by a list of long range goals (affective, motoric, and aesthetic), suggestions for clay therapy implementation to achieve these goals,…

Being well prepared for teaching instills confidence within the teacher for teaching. The capstone of the university experience is student teaching whereby the preservice teacher is now ready to apply what has been learned sequentially. Students have already taken methods courses and courses in educational psychology. The university student, prior…

This article discusses the advantages of using literature in language instruction with special needs students, outlines a process for developing instructional activities, suggests 19 specific books and related learning objectives and activities, and provides a lesson plan that illustrates the incorporation of direct instruction in a whole-language…

Christopher Columbus remains one of the most studied yet the least known of major historical figures. In this lesson, students read excerpts from Columbus's letters and journals, as well as recent considerations of his achievements so that they can reflect on the motivations behind Columbus's explorations, his reactions to what he found, and the…

Children enjoy listening to bouncy rhythms and reciting catchy rhymes. Poetry provides a rich vehicle for helping children explore how language sounds and works. Such exploration helps develop skills related to language usage, listening, vocabulary acquisition, and auditory memory, while also fostering an understanding of thematically related…

This lesson introduces students to the "blues," one of the most distinctive and influential elements of African-American musical tradition. With this lesson plan, students can take a virtual field trip to Memphis, Tennessee, one of the prominent centers of blues activities, and explore the history of the blues in the work of W. C. Handy…

The achievements and fictional exploits of Davy (or David) Crockett have entered the American imagination--it is difficult to distinguish what he did and said from what has been attributed to him. And it is also difficult to discuss the influence of the frontier on the American temperament without reference to David Crockett. This lesson plan…

Through dramatic play, children are free to use their imaginations to explore where their abilities can take them, and to experience feelings of control, power, and mastery. By building on their natural play experiences, students can begin to understand the true meaning of heroism and how they might start to develop heroic characteristics in…

One of the main goals of social studies education should be to help students to understand that as U.S. citizens they are also citizens of a global community. This compilation of discussion and lesson plans is designed to foster debate among social studies educators and to help classroom teachers educate globally aware citizens. The included…

Describes how teachers in Alaska are using the Natural Support Matrix and Cooperative Learning Planning System to fully include junior high students with disabilities. The model involves collaborative teaming by teachers, development of a student's individual natural support matrix which correlates general and special education services with the…

Presents a lesson-planning model for coteaching regular and special educators which is intended to guide planning for group and individual student needs simultaneously. The model involves a common theme topic and distinguishes among objectives, activities, and assessments that are either for all students, for most students, or for some students.…

This paper reviews computer software designed for the development, management, and updating of Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for disabled students. Selection criteria required that the software perform multiple tasks related to the writing of IEPs, be appropriate for use in a medium-sized school district, and be appropriate for a severely…