feb.lessonL1plan.html

MardiGras

Level 1 Lesson Plan

Background:
Mardi Gras (meaning “Fat Tuesday” in French) is a festival that incorporates the ancient Roman circus-like festival of Lupercalia into Christian tradition as a “last chance” to indulge before the penitential season of Lent, before Easter. As Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras celebrations culminate on the day before. Mardi Gras was first celebrated in Paris in the Middle Ages. Today, the most elaborate and well-known festivities take place in Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (where it is called Carnaval); and New Orleans,USA. The Mardi Gras season actually begins on the Christian Day of Epiphany (also called Twelfth Night) in early January. Some of the unique customs include the making and eating of “king cake”, where the maker of the cake hides a small plastic baby inside one of the slices. Whoever gets the baby in their slice is supposed to make the next king cake or host the next party. The official colors of Mardi Gras, adopted in 1872, are purple, gold, and green. One of the other unusual customs of Mardi Gras is the giving and collecting of various trinkets and objects, particularly doubloons and bead necklaces. Some of these are marked with the names and emblems of “krewes”-private organizations that sponsor parades and balls for Mardi Gras. Colorful costumes and masks are part of the carnival atmosphere of Mardi Gras.

Purpose/Objective:
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students who have severe and/or multiple disabilities about Mardi Gras and to allow them to access an interactive activity, at first with help from the teaching staff, ultimately, on their own.

The objectives a teacher chooses for individual or group outcomes will vary depending upon the students in the class. In most cases, the teacher will be looking for the level of attention/engagement of the students as well as measuring the level of competence the individual students show in accessing the interactive lesson with adaptive equipment such as a microswitch or an adaptive keyboard.

The teacher may also check for understanding after the lesson is completed. Since individual students will have unique objectives, the teacher will tailor his/her instruction to reinforce those individual benchmarks. This lesson is meant to be adaptable for a range of ages and skill levels.

This lesson is aligned with state standards and benchmarks and the SEACO ( Special Education Administrators of County Offices) History/Social Science Curriculum Guide.

Standard Four (A Child’s Place in Time and Place): The Student knows that there is cultural diversity

Goal Stem One ( Knowledge and Cultural Understanding/Cultural Literacy):
The Student will understand the rich, complex nature of a given culture.

Note:

This lesson works best with an Intellikeys alternate Keyboard and Intellipics software but can be done without either one if you have a computer with student access and are able to download the Intellipics player and activity and overlay files from this web site. If students can move or click the mouse they can access the lesson without equipment. If your computer does not have the Intellipics software but you have a switch port for student use, you can also use the lesson after downloading the player but you may have to move the mouse to each picture item in turn before the student can access it by pressing the switch.

Test the activity before teaching to see how it works with your particular computer and adaptive device configuration. Sometimes if the activity does not work the first time, it may be necessary to quit, shut down the computer, make sure all the connections are in place and reboot.

Materials Needed:

1. Two printed copies of the level one Mardi Gras lesson overlay. One left in one piece as the teacher’s master copy or as an Intellikeys Overlay, the other cut into individual pieces showing one of each picture/symbol. (Recommend laminating the picture cards for durability and reuse)

2. For the bead necklace activity:
Various colors and sizes of beads or materials that could be used as beads (i.e. hollow pasta pieces for younger students)
String, wire or pipe cleaners (Recommend pipe cleaners as they are easier for the students to handle and they also come in many colors, including glittery ones!)3. For the mask activity:
colored plastic or cloth half-masks (available at craft or party stores)
hot glue gun and glue sticks (for teacher use only)
Feather, sequins, glitter and other decorative materials

Procedure:

1. Gather the students around the computer. If you have video mirroring equipment that allows the students to see the interactive lesson on a larger screen, this is an ideal time to use it. The Intellipics activity should be open and visible on the monitor.(If using an Intellikeys keyboard, it should be connected with the overlay in place and switch (if used) plugged into the switch port. Make sure the overlay has been sent to the Intellikeys before you start, test first). For best results, use the mouse to move the cursor to the first picture item in the left hand column on the monitor, but do not click the mouse so that when students activate the activity it will begin with the first picture in the sequence. With each click or switch activation, the students will be able to move through the presentation in order, seeing the visual display, animation and hearing the voice output. ( Depending upon the quality of the voice, it may be necessary for the teacher to clarify some phrases.)

2. Distribute the individual cut pieces of the overlay with pictures on them to the students. You may want to shuffle the cards and “deal “ them out, or use another random method to determine which student gets which card. If there are more students than picture cards assure the students that they will all get a chance to participate even if they didn’t get a picture card on the first round.

3. Tell the students that they will be learning about Mardi Gras, a festival that is celebrated many places, including the USA.

4. Show the master overlay and point to the first picture. Ask: “Who has this one?” You may want to have augmentative communication users respond with “I do!” or “It’s my turn!” programmed on voice output devices to add to interactivity. Assist the students to identify who has the first picture symbol. . Ask the other students to listen and watch as the student who has the card comes to the computer and accesses the Intellipics activity to begin the Mardi Gras lesson presentation. (Access can be through various means such as touching the matching picture on the overlay in place on the Intellikeys, using a head or hand switch plugged into a switch port, or clicking the standard mouse). If you have the Intellipics software installed, make sure and use the option menu to choose the appropriate male or female voice for the student .

5. Repeat with each student until all the picture cards have been used and the presentation has been completed. Stop between items to give students more information or to emphasize the meaning of the picture item in the lesson. If not all students have had an opportunity to participate, redistribute the picture cards and begin again so that all will have had a turn and the presentation will be repeated for better comprehension.

6. Praise your students throughout the activity for attention to task, good work and effort.

Optional follow-up activity 1: Mardi Gras necklaces

Tell the students that they will be making their own Mardi Gras necklaces. Show the students some of the beads and materials and show them how to string a bead on the pipe cleaner or string. Students should be given the opportunity to choose the colors and types of beads to string.

Encourage nonverbal students to indicate their choices with eye gaze, touch/pointing or augmentative communication devices. Assist the students with stringing the beads hand-over-hand if necessary or have the students push the bead along the string / pipe cleaner after the teacher puts on their choice of beads. Finish by hooking the ends of the pipe cleaner together or tying the ends of the string.

Optional Mardi Gras Activity 2: Mardi Gras Masks

Allow students to choose a plain mask as a base to decorate. Offer choices of colored feathers, sequins and other materials and assist the students with hot gluing their choice of materials to the masks. When the masks are cool and dry, help each student put on his/her mask in turn, naming the colors and materials on the mask and praising the student for his/her choices and good work.
Suggestion: Before sending the masks and necklaces home with the students, take pictures of the students modeling their creations and display the pictures and some of the masks and necklaces on a bulletin board.

Make the interactive Intellipics lesson available as a free time activity choice to reinforce what the students have already learned.

	February Lesson Plans Level 1
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	MardiGras Level 1 Lesson Plan Background: Mardi Gras (meaning “Fat Tuesday” in French) is a festival that incorporates the ancient Roman circus-like festival of Lupercalia into Christian tradition as a “last chance” to indulge before the penitential season of Lent, before Easter. As Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras celebrations culminate on the day before. Mardi Gras was first celebrated in Paris in the Middle Ages. Today, the most elaborate and well-known festivities take place in Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (where it is called Carnaval); and New Orleans,USA. The Mardi Gras season actually begins on the Christian Day of Epiphany (also called Twelfth Night) in early January. Some of the unique customs include the making and eating of “king cake”, where the maker of the cake hides a small plastic baby inside one of the slices. Whoever gets the baby in their slice is supposed to make the next king cake or host the next party. The official colors of Mardi Gras, adopted in 1872, are purple, gold, and green. One of the other unusual customs of Mardi Gras is the giving and collecting of various trinkets and objects, particularly doubloons and bead necklaces. Some of these are marked with the names and emblems of “krewes”-private organizations that sponsor parades and balls for Mardi Gras. Colorful costumes and masks are part of the carnival atmosphere of Mardi Gras. Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this lesson is to teach students who have severe and/or multiple disabilities about Mardi Gras and to allow them to access an interactive activity, at first with help from the teaching staff, ultimately, on their own. The objectives a teacher chooses for individual or group outcomes will vary depending upon the students in the class. In most cases, the teacher will be looking for the level of attention/engagement of the students as well as measuring the level of competence the individual students show in accessing the interactive lesson with adaptive equipment such as a microswitch or an adaptive keyboard. The teacher may also check for understanding after the lesson is completed. Since individual students will have unique objectives, the teacher will tailor his/her instruction to reinforce those individual benchmarks. This lesson is meant to be adaptable for a range of ages and skill levels. This lesson is aligned with state standards and benchmarks and the SEACO ( Special Education Administrators of County Offices) History/Social Science Curriculum Guide. Standard Four (A Child’s Place in Time and Place): The Student knows that there is cultural diversity Goal Stem One ( Knowledge and Cultural Understanding/Cultural Literacy): The Student will understand the rich, complex nature of a given culture. Note: This lesson works best with an Intellikeys alternate Keyboard and Intellipics software but can be done without either one if you have a computer with student access and are able to download the Intellipics player and activity and overlay files from this web site. If students can move or click the mouse they can access the lesson without equipment. If your computer does not have the Intellipics software but you have a switch port for student use, you can also use the lesson after downloading the player but you may have to move the mouse to each picture item in turn before the student can access it by pressing the switch. Test the activity before teaching to see how it works with your particular computer and adaptive device configuration. Sometimes if the activity does not work the first time, it may be necessary to quit, shut down the computer, make sure all the connections are in place and reboot. Materials Needed: 1. Two printed copies of the level one Mardi Gras lesson overlay. One left in one piece as the teacher’s master copy or as an Intellikeys Overlay, the other cut into individual pieces showing one of each picture/symbol. (Recommend laminating the picture cards for durability and reuse) 2. For the bead necklace activity: Various colors and sizes of beads or materials that could be used as beads (i.e. hollow pasta pieces for younger students) String, wire or pipe cleaners (Recommend pipe cleaners as they are easier for the students to handle and they also come in many colors, including glittery ones!)3. For the mask activity: colored plastic or cloth half-masks (available at craft or party stores) hot glue gun and glue sticks (for teacher use only) Feather, sequins, glitter and other decorative materials Procedure: 1. Gather the students around the computer. If you have video mirroring equipment that allows the students to see the interactive lesson on a larger screen, this is an ideal time to use it. The Intellipics activity should be open and visible on the monitor.(If using an Intellikeys keyboard, it should be connected with the overlay in place and switch (if used) plugged into the switch port. Make sure the overlay has been sent to the Intellikeys before you start, test first). For best results, use the mouse to move the cursor to the first picture item in the left hand column on the monitor, but do not click the mouse so that when students activate the activity it will begin with the first picture in the sequence. With each click or switch activation, the students will be able to move through the presentation in order, seeing the visual display, animation and hearing the voice output. ( Depending upon the quality of the voice, it may be necessary for the teacher to clarify some phrases.) 2. Distribute the individual cut pieces of the overlay with pictures on them to the students. You may want to shuffle the cards and “deal “ them out, or use another random method to determine which student gets which card. If there are more students than picture cards assure the students that they will all get a chance to participate even if they didn’t get a picture card on the first round. 3. Tell the students that they will be learning about Mardi Gras, a festival that is celebrated many places, including the USA. 4. Show the master overlay and point to the first picture. Ask: “Who has this one?” You may want to have augmentative communication users respond with “I do!” or “It’s my turn!” programmed on voice output devices to add to interactivity. Assist the students to identify who has the first picture symbol. . Ask the other students to listen and watch as the student who has the card comes to the computer and accesses the Intellipics activity to begin the Mardi Gras lesson presentation. (Access can be through various means such as touching the matching picture on the overlay in place on the Intellikeys, using a head or hand switch plugged into a switch port, or clicking the standard mouse). If you have the Intellipics software installed, make sure and use the option menu to choose the appropriate male or female voice for the student . 5. Repeat with each student until all the picture cards have been used and the presentation has been completed. Stop between items to give students more information or to emphasize the meaning of the picture item in the lesson. If not all students have had an opportunity to participate, redistribute the picture cards and begin again so that all will have had a turn and the presentation will be repeated for better comprehension. 6. Praise your students throughout the activity for attention to task, good work and effort. Optional follow-up activity 1: Mardi Gras necklaces Tell the students that they will be making their own Mardi Gras necklaces. Show the students some of the beads and materials and show them how to string a bead on the pipe cleaner or string. Students should be given the opportunity to choose the colors and types of beads to string. Encourage nonverbal students to indicate their choices with eye gaze, touch/pointing or augmentative communication devices. Assist the students with stringing the beads hand-over-hand if necessary or have the students push the bead along the string / pipe cleaner after the teacher puts on their choice of beads. Finish by hooking the ends of the pipe cleaner together or tying the ends of the string. Optional Mardi Gras Activity 2: Mardi Gras Masks Allow students to choose a plain mask as a base to decorate. Offer choices of colored feathers, sequins and other materials and assist the students with hot gluing their choice of materials to the masks. When the masks are cool and dry, help each student put on his/her mask in turn, naming the colors and materials on the mask and praising the student for his/her choices and good work. Suggestion: Before sending the masks and necklaces home with the students, take pictures of the students modeling their creations and display the pictures and some of the masks and necklaces on a bulletin board. Make the interactive Intellipics lesson available as a free time activity choice to reinforce what the students have already learned.

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