Lesson Plan Master

Lesson Plan Level I

Diwali (India)

Background:

“Diwali” is a shortened version of “Deepavali” which is a festival celebrated in India and around the world. The festival lasts four days and is also known as the Festival of Lights because it is a common practice for people celebrating diwali to decorate their homes with small oil lamps, called diyas, or with candles or other lighted displays, even especially made neon lights. Although Diwali is celebrated across India, it has a slightly different significance depending upon the local region. In northern India, Diwali commemorates king Rama’shomecoming. In other regions, such as Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali. In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It is also associated with renewal, the beginning of the growing season, and coming out of the darkness into light. Some customs of Diwali include wearing new clothing on the first day of the festival, fireworks displays, exchange of sweets and gifts, and family gatherings. The festival occurs at a different time each year, usually eighteen days after the festival of Dussehra, which places it in late October or early November.
Purpose/Objectives:
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students who have severe and/or multiple handicaps to the Diwali festival. The objectives the 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 switch or the adaptive keyboard. It 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 History/Social Science curriculum guide.
Standard Four (People Who Make a Difference): The student understands that people from a variety of cultures and times impact our lives

Goal 1: Student will understand the rich, complex nature of a given culture
Note: This lesson works best with an Intellikeys alternative keyboard and Intellipics software, but can be done without either one if you have a computer withstudent 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 special equipment.
Materials Needed:

1. Two printed copies of the level one Diwali 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 re-use)

2. example of finished diya lamp for followup activity 3. clothing tags from a new piece of apparel or a new t-shirt, or similar new clothing item.For followup activity: Diwali diyas

1. One votive candle for each child
2. Materials to make a low profile candle holder, enough for each student suggestions: modeling clay (non-combustible!) tuna cans with sharp edges smoothed down, glass votive holders.
3. beads, scraps of colored tissue, sequins and other decorative materials
4. glue or other adhesive.

Procedure:
1. Gather the students around the computer. 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.

2. Distribute the individual cut pieces of the overlay with pictures on them to the students. 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 a special festival celebrated in India. You may want to show where India is by using a globe, but also tell the students that people all over the world of Indian heritage celebrate Diwali also.

4. Show the master overlay and point to the first picture (4-armed goddess). 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.

5. 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 Diwali 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 .
6. Repeat with each student until all the picture cards have been used and the presentation has been completed. If not all students have had an opportunity to participate, re-distribute the picture cards and begin again so that all will have had a turn and the presentation will be repeated for better comprehension.

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

8. Make Diwali diyas as a followup activity. Students can help press out the center of a ball of modeling clay (a great tactile experience) so that a votive candle fits in the hole and decorate the clay with various beads pressed into the sides, or they can decorate commercial votive holders or tuna cans with tissue paper, beads, sequins or other decorative materials. Maximize student interaction with the materials by encouraging students to make choices of colors and materials and communicate them by whatever method works most reliably for them such as eye gaze, touch, voice output device, communication board, sign, etc.

9. Other followup activities could include: researching traditional Diwali foods and preparing them or making collages with Indian designs or fabrics.10. Make the interactive lesson available as a free time activity choice to reinforce what the students have already learned.

	November
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	Lesson Plan Level I Diwali (India) Background: “Diwali” is a shortened version of “Deepavali” which is a festival celebrated in India and around the world. The festival lasts four days and is also known as the Festival of Lights because it is a common practice for people celebrating diwali to decorate their homes with small oil lamps, called diyas, or with candles or other lighted displays, even especially made neon lights. Although Diwali is celebrated across India, it has a slightly different significance depending upon the local region. In northern India, Diwali commemorates king Rama’shomecoming. In other regions, such as Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali. In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It is also associated with renewal, the beginning of the growing season, and coming out of the darkness into light. Some customs of Diwali include wearing new clothing on the first day of the festival, fireworks displays, exchange of sweets and gifts, and family gatherings. The festival occurs at a different time each year, usually eighteen days after the festival of Dussehra, which places it in late October or early November. Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students who have severe and/or multiple handicaps to the Diwali festival. The objectives the 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 switch or the adaptive keyboard. It 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 History/Social Science curriculum guide. Standard Four (People Who Make a Difference): The student understands that people from a variety of cultures and times impact our lives Goal 1: Student will understand the rich, complex nature of a given culture Note: This lesson works best with an Intellikeys alternative keyboard and Intellipics software, but can be done without either one if you have a computer withstudent 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 special equipment. Materials Needed: 1. Two printed copies of the level one Diwali 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 re-use) 2. example of finished diya lamp for followup activity 3. clothing tags from a new piece of apparel or a new t-shirt, or similar new clothing item.For followup activity: Diwali diyas 1. One votive candle for each child 2. Materials to make a low profile candle holder, enough for each student suggestions: modeling clay (non-combustible!) tuna cans with sharp edges smoothed down, glass votive holders. 3. beads, scraps of colored tissue, sequins and other decorative materials 4. glue or other adhesive. Procedure: 1. Gather the students around the computer. 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. 2. Distribute the individual cut pieces of the overlay with pictures on them to the students. 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 a special festival celebrated in India. You may want to show where India is by using a globe, but also tell the students that people all over the world of Indian heritage celebrate Diwali also. 4. Show the master overlay and point to the first picture (4-armed goddess). 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. 5. 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 Diwali 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 . 6. Repeat with each student until all the picture cards have been used and the presentation has been completed. If not all students have had an opportunity to participate, re-distribute the picture cards and begin again so that all will have had a turn and the presentation will be repeated for better comprehension. 7. Praise your students throughout the activity for attention to task, good work and effort. 8. Make Diwali diyas as a followup activity. Students can help press out the center of a ball of modeling clay (a great tactile experience) so that a votive candle fits in the hole and decorate the clay with various beads pressed into the sides, or they can decorate commercial votive holders or tuna cans with tissue paper, beads, sequins or other decorative materials. Maximize student interaction with the materials by encouraging students to make choices of colors and materials and communicate them by whatever method works most reliably for them such as eye gaze, touch, voice output device, communication board, sign, etc. 9. Other followup activities could include: researching traditional Diwali foods and preparing them or making collages with Indian designs or fabrics.10. Make the interactive lesson available as a free time activity choice to reinforce what the students have already learned.
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