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Thanksgiving & Harvest 1 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Thanksgiving & Harvest This Curriculum is designed for students in elementary school who are Blind or Visually Impaired with additional disabilities who are not following the standard course of study. Unit Introduction As Thanksgiving approaches, students are surrounded by fresh vegetables and discussions of harvest. Some students may be more resistive than others about trying new foods and flavors. This unit will prepare students for the Thanksgiving Harvest. Most American families celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time to get together with family and friends and reflect on the year. Families may celebrate the day in different ways. This unit focuses on the traditions surrounding the day. This is an excellent time to practice manners including politely trying different foods. It is also a good time to discuss thankfulness and that there is always something to be thankful for. Unit Objectives: Recognize plants that we eat. Recognize that food comes from sources other than grocery stores (crops) Investigate the characteristics and habitats of many different kinds of plants. Compare and contrast how some plants are alike and how they are different Investigate and classify plants by different characteristics (e.g. leaves, seeds, vegetables) Discuss how food is a natural resource. Farmers grow vegetables, fruits, grains and sell to companies that can/jar/freeze them Students will gain an awareness of Thanksgiving and the traditions that surround it. Students will explain why you can’t have everything you want. Students will explain reason for making a particular choice. Students will explain the “opportunity cost”: what you gave up to get what you wanted or needed. Students will explain/identify where what you buy comes from. Students will explain/identify decisions producers and consumers must make and the traits of producers and consumers. Students will identify the difference between buying and selling. Students will identify the most practical place to buy a given product. Students will explain/identify why certain goods are produced in certain places. Introduce the Unit Introduce the unit by presenting materials related to the unit on a tray to keep materials from rolling away and to provide a defined space for exploration. Encourage students to explore the various materials visually and tactually. Ask the students to either verbally identify the objects or to obtain objects upon request. Present print/braille labels of each object presented. Encourage the students to read the words by using strategies to sound out the words. Discuss what each object is used for. Challenge students to predict the topic based on the objects presented. For students with low vision, encourage the student to use their magnifying glass or provide various powered magnifying glasses and if available, an electronic magnifier. For students who do not have usable vision, encourage them to tactually explore the materials and provide them with additional descriptions of the materials.

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Page 1: Thanksgiving & Harvest - Teaching Students with Visual ... · Thanksgiving & Harvest 3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest

1 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest This Curriculum is designed for students in elementary school who are Blind or Visually Impaired with additional disabilities who are not following the standard course of study.

Unit Introduction As Thanksgiving approaches, students are surrounded by fresh vegetables and discussions of harvest. Some students may be more resistive than others about trying new foods and flavors. This unit will prepare students for the Thanksgiving Harvest. Most American families celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time to get together with family and friends and reflect on the year. Families may celebrate the day in different ways. This unit focuses on the traditions surrounding the day. This is an excellent time to practice manners including politely trying different foods. It is also a good time to discuss thankfulness and that there is always something to be thankful for. Unit Objectives:

Recognize plants that we eat. Recognize that food comes from sources other than grocery stores (crops) Investigate the characteristics and habitats of many different kinds of plants. Compare and contrast how some plants are alike and how they are different Investigate and classify plants by different characteristics (e.g. leaves, seeds,

vegetables) Discuss how food is a natural resource. Farmers grow vegetables, fruits, grains and sell to companies that can/jar/freeze them Students will gain an awareness of Thanksgiving and the traditions that surround it. Students will explain why you can’t have everything you want. Students will explain reason for making a particular choice. Students will explain the “opportunity cost”: what you gave up to get what you wanted or

needed. Students will explain/identify where what you buy comes from. Students will explain/identify decisions producers and consumers must make and the

traits of producers and consumers. Students will identify the difference between buying and selling. Students will identify the most practical place to buy a given product. Students will explain/identify why certain goods are produced in certain places.

Introduce the Unit Introduce the unit by presenting materials related to the unit on a tray to keep materials from rolling away and to provide a defined space for exploration. Encourage students to explore the various materials visually and tactually. Ask the students to either verbally identify the objects or to obtain objects upon request. Present print/braille labels of each object presented. Encourage the students to read the words by using strategies to sound out the words. Discuss what each object is used for. Challenge students to predict the topic based on the objects presented. For students with low vision, encourage the student to use their magnifying glass or provide various powered magnifying glasses and if available, an electronic magnifier. For students who do not have usable vision, encourage them to tactually explore the materials and provide them with additional descriptions of the materials.

Page 2: Thanksgiving & Harvest - Teaching Students with Visual ... · Thanksgiving & Harvest 3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest

2 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Possible MATERIALS for this unit include but are not limited to: acorn squash beans beats bread broccoli carrots cauliflower celery corn cranberry sauce cucumbers

eggplant football gravy hay lettuce linens mashed potatoes napkin rings onions pea pods peppers

potatoes pumpkin pumpkin pie serving dishes squash stuffing sweet potatoes turkey turnip whip cream

Vocabulary Building Present students with pre-printed cards (using a simple, bold font such as Arial and in a large enough font for comfortable distance viewing (refer to the font size recommendation in each student’s IEP, add braille as needed) with vocabulary words related to the unit. Present each word and assist as needed in sounding out the word. When possible, pair objects or pictures (e.g., slide show, PowerPoint, photo, etc.) with each vocabulary word. Provide a brief verbal description of each word. Possible vocabulary words for this unit include but are not limited to: acorn squash beans beats bread broccoli carrots carve cauliflower celery china corn cranberry sauce cucumbers dinner eggplant entertain family feast

football friends game garnish gourd gravy harvest hay holiday kind lettuce linens manners mashed potatoes meal onions parade pea pods

peppers polite potatoes pumpkin pumpkin pie reap relatives serving dishes squash stuffing sweet potatoes table thankful thanks travel turkey turnip whip cream

Thanksgiving Vocabulary Web Inform the students that these words have things in common and can be grouped together. Present a simple web with headings of categories. Have students take turns coming to the front, reading the word and placing in the category where it may belong. If the student has difficulty, encourage them to request help (e.g., “I need help” programmed on a switch” and allow them to select a peer to help them). Sometimes a word could belong in more than one category. When this happens, allow students to select where they would like it to go, or write the word on two cards and place it in both categories.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Possible web categories include: Foods that are harvested in the fall. Foods commonly served at Thanksgiving dinner.

During this activity, students may generate words that are not printed on the cards. If the words are related to the topic, write the word on a card and place it in the correct category on the web. If the students think of additional categories, encourage them to use those ideas for further study and research. Pair Objects with words As students explore the above materials, present print/braille labels to correspond with each object presented. Explain that you have words of each of the objects. Present one word at a time. Reinforce new vocabulary and word-attack strategies by modeling how to read unfamiliar words. Point to the word without saying the name. Point out the beginning, middle and ending sounds. Encourage the students to read the words. Harvest Objects Place a variety of harvest and Thanksgiving related objects or vegetables in front of the student. Have the student obtain or touch requested items upon request. Extend the activity by providing the student an identical object and asking them to obtain a match or by presenting a similar object and asking the student to locate an item that is similar. Thanksgiving Objects Place a variety of Thanksgiving related objects or vegetables in front of the student. Have the student obtain or touch requested items upon request. Extend the activity by providing the student an identical object and asking them to obtain a match or by presenting a similar object and asking the student to locate an item that is similar. Thanksgiving Memory Game Place a variety of vegetables or Thanksgiving related objects on a tray. Encourage the students to visually and tactually scan the items to become familiar with them. Briefly remove the tray and remove one of the vegetables or other items. Return the tray and encourage the students to recall what is missing. Extend the activity by removing more items and encourage the students to recall all missing items. Riddles Help students develop familiarity and understanding of the materials and vocabulary by presenting the students with riddles and encourage students to touch or verbally identify the object:

By name ex. Find the football. By description ex. Find the one that is used to served foods. (serving dishes) By function ex. Find the object you use to cover and decorate the table. (tablecloth) By texture: ex. Find the one that is white and bumpy. (cauliflower)

Feely Bag Encourage students to reach inside a bag and try to identify above listed objects related to Thanksgiving and harvest. Once the students have identified the objects, extend the activity by encouraging them to match the item to the printed word. Encourage students to have more time exploring the details of the materials. Provide two of each item and have students match identical objects.

Page 4: Thanksgiving & Harvest - Teaching Students with Visual ... · Thanksgiving & Harvest 3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest

4 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Fill-in-the-Blank Present student with simple sentences using the objects. Omit the object words from the sentence and encourage the students to collaboratively or independently complete the sentences by selecting the word paired with the object that would complete the sentence. ex. 1. Thanksgiving in North America originated from a mix of (European) and (Native) traditions. 2. Prayers and thanksgiving (ceremonies) are common in many countries following harvest. 3. Thanksgiving was first celebrated on the same date by all states in 1863 by presidential proclamation of (Abraham Lincoln). Build Connections Once the students have had time to discuss the topic, have the students discuss their experiences related to the topic. Write the students ideas and experiences on a board or poster.

Culmination Reflection & Further Study Have students reflect on what they have learned during unit discussions and activities. Encourage the students to share or write one thing they have learned. How can what they learned be used in real life? Is there anything they want to learn more about? Encourage students to gather more information about an area related to school that interests them. Allow the students to individually choose an area of study, or provide a choice of pre-selected areas. Encourage the students to form questions about the topic. Assist the student in writing or dictate the questions for them. Assist the student in using resources (online, newspaper, menu, etc.) to locate the answers to questions and recording the answers. Have the students reconvene and present their topic, questions, and findings to their peers.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

5 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Reading Foundations

These activities, accessible to students who are blind and visually impaired and their sighted peers, are designed to build students' phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, understanding and knowledge of concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English writing system. Developing a strong reading foundation is a necessary part of reading program in order to develop proficient readers. Choose from the following activities, with the unit, to meet your students unique learning needs.

Activities to Develop Listening Skills

Sequencing Sounds Have the students listen to recordings from activity/experience identified in the social studies section of this unit. When they are done listening, have them tell you in what order they heard the sounds. Missing Sound Present a sequence of three prerecorded sounds, or make you own sounds using materials from the unit. Repeat the sequence, leaving out one of the sounds. Have the students identify what sound is missing. Turkey Says Students practice directional and body concepts by playing Turkey Says. (Turkey Says, put your fingers on your ears, etc). Begin by having the students face the leader. Have the leader give one-step directions for the students to follow. If the leader says “Turkey Says" first, then the students should follow the direction. If the leader doesn’t say “Turkey Says", then the students should NOT follow the directions. If the leader doesn’t say “Turkey Says” says but a student do the direction, he/she has to sit down. The last student standing wins. Have the leader request that the students move body in relation to objects. Stand beside, step over, etc. Have students place their fingers on your: ears, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, hair, hand, feet, brain, heart, stomach, shoulders, knees, elbows, ankles, wrist. Make the activity more challenging by having the student put hand on foot, elbow on knee, nose on knee, etc. I'm Going on a Trip to my Grandmother's Sitting together as a group, have the students decide on a place to take an imaginary trip related to the topic. The first student will share an item to bring (e.g., "I'm bringing a pillow'). The second student will repeat the last student's item and then share their own (e.g., "We're bringing a pillow and a game-boy). Continue around the circle until someone forgets a previously mentioned item. You can then choose to end the game, or start a new trip. Extend the activity by encouraging students list items in alphabetical order. Ex. I'm going to my Grandmother's and I'm bringing an afghan. I'm going to my Grandmother's and I'm bringing an afghan and bread.

Rhyming Awareness Activities

Object Rhymes Find pairs of pictures or objects that rhyme. Place one set of the pictures/objects in a

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

6 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

cornucopia or brown paper bag and all of the rhyming pairs in another container. Have the students draw out two pictures/objects and ask them if the two word rhyme. If they don't, continue pulling out pictures/objects from the cornucopia/bag until the student finds a matching rhyme. Ex. beans/jeans bread/thread can/pan corn/horn pea/key Vegetable Rhyming Identify words that rhyme with words about the unit. Make a chart with a few of these words at the top. List words that rhyme. Ex. Bean jean, lean, clean, seen, keen, dean, Chive hive, dive, drive, five Corn horn, born, mourn It Rhymes With... Using theme related materials, give rhyming riddle clues to students. Have them guess what is in the cornucopia or brown bag based on the rhyming clue. I have something that rhymes with "XXX". Ex. I have something that rhymes with pan. (can) I have something that rhymes with posh. (squash) I have something that rhymes with cord. (gourd) I have something that rhymes with bunion. (onion)

Phonemic Awareness Activities

Hot Potato Have the students sit in a circle. Provide them with a cornucopia with objects from the unit. Begin passing the cornucopia around when music starts playing. After a few seconds, stop the music. Have the student who is holding the cornucopia reach in and pull out an object. The student say the name of the object and then say the beginning sound of that word. Continue until all the students have had a chance to name an object. Blending Guess Have students blend and identify a unit word that is stretched out into its basic component sounds. Tell the students that you are going to say a word using "snail talk", a slow way of saying words (e.g., /pppppooooooddddd/ for pod). Encourage the students to determine what word is being said. Syllable Count Set out 4 cornucopias or brown bags numbered 1 through 4. Present students with vocabulary cards from the unit. Have students clap or tap out the syllables in the words. Sort the words into the cornucopias/bags by the number of syllables in the word. Have the students check to see if the cards are in the correct cornucopia/bags. Any cards that were placed in the wrong cornucopia/bag are set aside and sorted correctly. Ex.

Page 7: Thanksgiving & Harvest - Teaching Students with Visual ... · Thanksgiving & Harvest 3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest

7 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Ex. Artichoke (3), asparagus (4), basil (2), beans (1), carrots (2), celery (3), kale (1), potatoes (3), turnips (2) Game Board Fun Locate a game board with spaces to move and pawns. Create “playing cards” that are phrases or sentences related to the unit. Have the students take turns reading the phrases and sentences. Once the student has read the phrase or sentence, have him count how many words their phrase or sentence had. This number is the number of spaces they can move on the game board. If a student is unable or needs help reading their card, they are only able to move the number of spaces as words they could read. The game continues until someone reaches the end. Scrambled Fact Sentence Present students with pre-written fact sentences related to the topic and area of study. Read the sentences together in choral reading several times to improve fluency and word recognition. Assist the students in cutting the sentence(s) into individual words, or provide prewritten/cut sentences. Mix the words up (but ensure they are all still oriented correctly) and encourage the students or groups of students to put the sentence together into its original order. Vary the complexity of the sentences to challenge each student, but ensure success. Encourage students to generate their own simple sentences related to the topic. Support them in forming a variety of sentence types: declarative, interrogatory, exclamatory, or imperative. Provide assistance in generating new sentences as needed. Some possible sentences include: Declarative 1. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. 2. Thanksgiving is a national holiday. 3. Most American's eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Exclamatory 1. I love Thanksgiving! 2. I call the wishbone!

Interrogatory 1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? 2. Do you like pumpkin pie? 3. Will you have company on Thanksgiving! Imperative 1. Don't eat too much turkey. 2. Look at that balloon!

Possible additional sentences to use:

1. Foods are grown by farmers. 2. Farmers harvest many crops in the fall. 3. Farmers meet our need for food. 4. Farmers sell their crops to companies and stores. 5. Turkey is usually served on Thanksgiving. 6. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. 7. George Washington set aside a day in December for thanksgiving and praise. 8. Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day. 9. Franklin Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November to make

the Christmas season longer. 10. Many families gather for large meals.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

8 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Phonics & Word Recognition Activities

Case Match Using die cuts related to the topic (ex. cornucopias), print the uppercase alphabet on one set of die cuts and the lowercase alphabet on a matching set. Encourage the students to match the uppercase to the lowercase letters. Alternatively, create a file folder activity using cornucopias or vegetable die cuts with upper case letters labeled on them. Attach Velcro beside each letter. Provide students with lower case letter tiles and encourage students to match the lowercase tiles to the upper case letters. Adaptation: Encourage student to match objects or pictures with the same beginning letter. A to Z Thanksgiving Using the vocabulary cards, encourage students to locate the beginning letter of each word. Assist the students in sounding out and reading each of the words. Work your way through the alphabet locating words in alphabetical order. Group the vocabulary cards by the initial letter. Compare the card piles and encourage students to determine which letter of the alphabet has the most words. Which letter has the least amount of words. Extend the activity by encouraging students to alphabetize within groups of words that begin with the same letter. Remind students of the strategy to alphabetize by the first letter, then the second and so on. Adaptation: Locate objects/pictures of theme related items and present these to the students paired with an auditory description. This is a bean. Bean starts with the letter "b". "B" says "bbbbb". Can you touch the bean? Encourage student to touch the picture of the ***in order to advance to the next picture (may be presented on iPad) Consider using these vegetable words: artichoke arugula asparagus basil beans beets bell pepper bok choy broccoli brussel sprouts cabbage carrots cauliflower celery

chives collards corn cucumber dill eggplant endive escarole fennel french sorrel garlic gourd hot pepper kale

kohlrabi leeks lettuce lima bean okra onions parsnip pea peppers potatoes pumpkins radicchio radish rhubarb

rutabagas shallots snap peas spinach summer squash sweet potatoes tomatillo tomatoes turnips winter squash

Alternatively, write the names of Thanksgiving words on turkey die cuts or handprint cut outs made to look like turkeys. Encourage students to sound out the names and then place the words in alphabetical order. abundance American

crops decorations

hearth holiday

prayer pumpkin pie

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

9 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

appetite apple cider apple pie appreciation aroma autumn baking beloved berries blessings bread care carve casserole celebrate cherry pie cider cloves comfort conversation cook corn corn meal corn stalk cornbread cornucopia cranberries

delicious delight dinner dressing duck eating embrace entertain fall family favorite feast festive fireplace food friends gather giblets giving gobble goose gratitude gravy green beans guests ham harvest

home horn of plenty hospitality host hostess hugs hymns Indian corn invite jam jellies joyful kale kernels kitchen laughter Macy's mashed potatoes memories nutmeg nuts onions parade plentiful plum pudding plum sauce

quince pie relatives relish reunions roast roast turkey rolls rutabaga sage sauce seasonings spices thanksgiving Thursday traditions trimmings unify vegetables warmth welcome wild turkeys yams Yorkshire pudding zucchini

Build-a-Word Provide the students with vocabulary words from the unit along with needed letter tiles in print/braille (I prefer to use the Word Playhouse tiles from APH). Encourage the students to copy the word(s) using their letter tiles. Alternatively, present a choice of three letters for the student to choose from as a letter is requested in order to build the word. Enhance the activity by discussing the letter sounds each letter makes and words that begin with that letter. Adaptation. Provide students with objects or pictures of unit related items. Discuss the sound the initial letter makes and compare to other words that begin with the same sound. Word Family Sort (rimes) Attach word family cards to the outside of cornucopias or brown bags folded down. Pair the containers with an object/picture that can represent that word family (Objects can represent the word even if they are representations. Just be sure to explain the connection.). Provide students with a collection of related word family word cards to sort into the corresponding containers. Ex. h-ay. Bay, bray, clay, day, fray, gay, gray, jay, lay, may, pay, play, pray, ray, say, stay, tray, way, slay, spay, spray, stay, stray, sway, tray, airway, archway, array, away, betray, birthday, decay, delay, doorway, driveway, freeway, hallway, hooray, horseplay, pathway, payday, raceway, railway, weekday, worday, x-ray, anyway, castaway, everyday squ-ash. Ash, bash, brash, cash, dash, flash, gash, hash, lash, mash, rash, sash, thrash, trash,

Page 10: Thanksgiving & Harvest - Teaching Students with Visual ... · Thanksgiving & Harvest 3 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Thanksgiving & Harvest

10 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

wash meal. deal, heal, meal, squeal, steal, teal, conceal harvest. best, chest, crest, guest, jest, nest, pest, quest, rest, test, vest, west, armrest, detest, contest, invest, unrest, southwest, northwest Word Jumbles Provide students with letter tiles forming various vocabulary words. Encourage students to rearrange the tiles to form as many new words as possible. Have the student write the words they create or alternatively, write the words for the student. Ex. Thanksgiving. Thank, sank, hat, sing, thing, think, sink, sin, tin, kin, gin, gnat, king Peapods. Pad, pod, sad, sod, ape, sap, pea, dose, sea Cauliflower. Flower, flow, low, cow, car, call, fall, full, fill, far, crow Eggplant. Egg, plant, tan, tap, tag, plea, pan, pat, pal, gel, peg Sort by onset Provide students with cornucopias or brown bags that are folded down (or other holder) labeled with cut outs of theme related items labeled with vocabulary words and onsets that you would like the students to focus on. Provide students with words written on the cut outs that use these onsets to place in the correct container. Encourage students to read the word and use it in a sentence before placing it in the correct holder. If students need help, allow them to ask peers for assistance. Ex. (select onsets based on those your students need to practice) b-ean, b-eats, b-uns c-arrots, c-auliflower, c-elery, c-orn, c-ucumber p-eas, p-epper, p-otatoes, p-umpkin Words we know Present students with vocabulary words they know from the unit. Cover the onset and provide students with a variety of consonants and consonant blends printed on cards or use letter tiles to create new words. Provide shakers or musical instruments for each student (ex. popcorn kernels in film containers). Have students take turns drawing consonants and blends from the draw pile. If they created a real word after replacing the existing consonant or consonant blend, shake the shakers signifying it's a real word. Encourage students to use the word in a sentence. Write the words in print (and braille if needed) and place them on the word wall. Compound Words Discuss with students how compound words are made when two words are put together to form a new word. Inform students that they are going to play a game with compound words. Provide each student with part of a compound word. Have each student read their word out loud prior to the activity. Next have students find a peer that has a word that can be added to the beginning or end of their word to create a new word. Select known or common words related to the unit. After students make a match, provide them with new cards.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

11 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Ex. lifetime, elsewhere, grandmother, together, football, sometimes, somewhere, airport, touchdown, popcorn, airplane, supermarket, grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, Prepositional Shake Prepare a container with corn kernels for each student. Fill each box with unique materials that sound fun when they are shaken. Encourage students to chant or sing songs that direct them to shake present in relation to their bodies. Ex. Sing to the tune of "Shake Your Sillies Out": We're gonna shake, shake, shake Our corn, Shake, shake, shake Our corn, Shake, shake, shake Our corn, Shake them (preposition)our (body part) (behind our backs, over our heads, between our legs, etc.)

Literature Related To Thanksgiving & Harvest

Stories Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables - Ehlert Growing Vegetable Soup – Ehlert I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie - Alison Jackson Stone Soup The Big, Big Carrot Thanksgiving on Thursday - Magic Tree House The Big, Big Carrot The First Thanksgiving - Step into Reading - Step 3 Poetry The Turkey Shot out of the Oven – Jack Prelutsky Thanksgiving –Florence Earle Coates Songs Be Thankful - Louis Armstrong Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant Thank You - Dido Thank You for the Music - ABBA Thankful - Kelly Clarkson Thanksgiving Song - Mary Chapin Carpenter Thanksgiving Day –Ray Davies We Are Family - Sister Sledge What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong Non-Fiction Brochures from the area that list fall activities. Grocery Store Flyers Thanksgiving menus from various restaurants, taverns, clubs or resorts listing foods that are served for this special day

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

12 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Writing Activities Vegetable Print Poems Encourage students to write poems about vegetables. Assist those who need help by dictating their poems or summarizing their thoughts on vegetables. Use a variety of vegetables to paint a large sheet of construction paper. Include vegetables that would leave different types of prints such as peppers, potatoes, an ear of corn, etc. After the paint has dried, attach the poem. Thanksgiving Napkin Holders Have students write on labels verses, poems, or sayings about being thankful. Attach labels to tags and attach with ribbon to silk fall leaves to create napkin holders that can be read on Thanksgiving. Thankful Tree Gather a few branches and place in a planter. Label the planter with the words "Be Thankful." Have students write what they are thankful for on leaves. Attach leaves to the tree. Dictate or summarize for students who need help. Research Favorite Vegetable Assist students in researching how to grow their favorite vegetable, where it is grown, etc.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

13 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Literature Connection

Book: Stone Soup Author: by Ann McGovern Introduce the Book Show the students the front and back cover of the book and read the title with them. For students without useable vision, describe the picture on the front and back cover. Present students with pictures and objects from the story. Bring in a large pot, a stone, a yellow onion, a small bunch of whole carrots, some chicken bones and a beef bone (be sure to compare!), a salt shaker, a pepper shaker, a stick of butter, and some dry pearl barley. Place the pot, stone and food in front of the students Verbally describe the pictures for those with low vision. Make Predictions Ask students what they might read about in this book. Discuss why you chose to read this book (We are talking about vegetables in this unit.). Predict the content, events and outcome using title, headings, illustrations, and objects. Explain that making predictions can help people make decisions, solve problems, and learn new information. Predictions may change as you read and gather more information. Model asking questions you may have about the book/topic. Write the questions you or students may have about the text. Discuss the fact sentences presented earlier. Will any of the information we learned be in the story? Read the Story Read story with enthusiasm and inflection. Provide the students with copies of the text. Reread the story with the students and encourage them to read along or to read high frequency, vocabulary words, or braille contractions if instructing the student in braille. Pause when you come to these words, prompting students to fill in the blank. Question & Answer After reading the story, encourage students to ask questions they may have about the story. Encourage peers to try to answer the questions.

Ask the students questions to demonstrate understanding of the text. Encourage students to describe the characters and setting. What did the characters look and act like? Would you like to be the character in the story? Do you think you are similar or different to the character in the story? How did the character(s) change over the course of the story? What was the intent of the author? Was it to inform, provide directions, or to entertain?

Recall items or key points of story Provide students with a variety of objects, one being a main object (pot) from the story. Challenge the students to identify the main object from the story. Make it more challenging by providing a variety of objects from the story along with those not related to the story. Challenge students to identify objects from the story and those not from the story. Were Predictions Accurate? Ask students to reflect on their predictions. Where the predictions accurate? Were the students

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

14 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

surprised at the outcome of the story? Emotions Discuss any emotions experienced when reading the story. Did you think it was funny or were you bothered by the events? What was the most (exciting, scary, boring, sad, funny) part of the story? Would you do what the character did in the story? Readers Theater Using the objects related to the story, have the students act out the story. Story sequence Encourage students to place the objects from the story in the order in which they appeared in the story. Once the majority of students agree, reread the story and check the accuracy. If the items were in the wrong order, have the students correct them. Build a Book and Reenact the story Assign a page to each student. Have the students copy the words from the page or change the words to their color and then illustrate their page. Gather the students together and reread the story, have each student act out their page. Finally, assemble the pages together to create a class book to be placed in the book area.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

15 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Mathematics

The activities identified here are designed to help students gain a thorough understanding of concepts through hands on experiences with materials related to the current topic of study. All students need to begin math understanding with real materials. Exploration of materials is beneficial in supporting all student’s understanding in mathematical and logical thinking. This will also reinforce concepts being taught throughout the unit and variety of materials to complete math problems will add variety and help students transfer their skills. Select activities based on each students unique learning needs.

Numbers & Counting

Object Count Provide students with a collection of theme related materials. Encourage them to count various sets of objects. Have the students compare sets to determine which set is greater than, less than or the same as the objects in another group. Present groups of objects to students. Encourage the students to group the objects together by 2’s to determine if the amount is odd or even. Have students group and count objects by 5s and 10s to 20, 50, or 100 as able. Match Objects to Numbers Have students place the corresponding number of bean pods, carrots, or popsicle sticks labeled clearly with vegetable names in the corresponding cans. Order Numbers Have students arrange empty vegetable cans labeled with number labels in print and/or braille in numeric order. Carrot Number Sequence Create a number sequencing activity for the students. Using a poster board cut lengthwise, write "Carrot Number Sequence" across the top. Glue dirt or sand to the bottom to represent the ground. Create the tops of 10 carrots using tactual materials and equally space them across the middle of the poster board. Attach a Velcro dot to each carrot. Create a set of matching carrot tops with numbers 1-10 clearly printed on them. Encourage students to sequence the carrots. How Many Popcorn Kernels? Have students determine “how many” in created sets of popcorn kernels. Encourage students to write the number that corresponds to the amount in a set on cards or match pre-numbered cards to sets.

Operations & Algebraic Thinking Addition & Subtraction Problems Ask students addition and subtraction questions using popcorn or vegetables. Ask questions involving situations where one is “adding to,” taking from,” “putting together” and “taking apart”. Add and subtract up to a sum of 5, 10, or 20 as able. Possible questions include, but are not limited to: Ex.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

16 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

If you have 3 carrots and 6 potatoes, how many vegetables do you have in all? Number Lines Place popped popcorn along a tactual number line from 0 to 10 to determine whether the number is closer to 0 or 10. Compare to base ten models to help students make the connection. Use these models to count larger amounts with ease. Addition/Subtraction Equation Comparison Using popped popcorn to create sets, encourage students to compare different equations to determine if equations are true or false. 2 (____) + 3(____) = 4(____) + 1 (____) Multiplication & Division Ask students multiplication and division questions using vegetables. For example: If you are making a tossed salad for each of your 6 guests and have 18 cherry tomatoes, how many tomatoes will each guest have on their salad? If you are making a tossed salad for each of your 5 guests and want to place 3 slices of cucumber on each salad, how many slices will you need? Encourage students to either use the objects or base ten models to solve multiplication and division problems. Place Value Using number tiles or cards, encourage students to put together or take apart three digit numbers into hundreds, tens and ones. Consider using corn-on-the-cob holders that are labeled “hundreds”, “tens”, and “ones”. Use popped popcorn to represent numbers.

Measurment

The Length Of Materials Provide students with vegetables from the unit or with various sizes. Encourage students to measure the length using a ruler, yardstick, meter stick or measuring tape. How many Ears of Corn Tall are You? Encourage students to lay on the ground and have peers measure how tall/long they are in ears of corn (or other vegetable). Encourage other students to identify tools used to measure with. Smallest to largest Compare a variety of vegetables and arrange from smallest to largest. Encourage students to estimate length using inches, feet, centimeters or meters (or nonstandard units). Provide assistance to students as needed to determine how much longer one object is than another. Create a graph to represent the data and determine which items are the longest. The Weight of Materials Provide students with a variety of vegetables. Encourage students to weigh the objects. Compare the materials and arrange from lightest to heaviest. Encourage students to estimate the weights. Provide assistance to students as needed to determine how much heavier one

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

17 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

object is than another. Create a graph to represent the data and determine which items are the heaviest. The Volume Of Materials Have students determine how many pieces of popped popcorn it takes to fill various size containers. Create a graph to represent the data and determine which containers hold the most popcorn.

Data Collection

Vegetable Taste Test Provide the students with a variety of vegetables and encourage the students to taste each item. BE AWARE OF ANY ALLERGIES & SUBSTITUTE ACCORDINGLY!! Complete a chart depicting each item. Have students identify which items they liked and place a smile (or other indicator) on the chart. Engage the students in a discussion about the different tastes, smells, and textures. (salty, sour, sweet, bland, crunchy, soft, etc.) Discuss how results may vary if other classes or family members completed the graph. Encourage the students to read the completed graph and develop a summary sheet. What was the most popular item? What was the least popular? Potato Product Taste Test Graph students’ favorite way to eat potatoes. Discuss how potatoes can be turned into other products. Statistics. Select category that has the most or fewest in a graph. Discuss how results may vary if other classes completed the graph.

Geometry

Vegetable Shadow Match Encourage students to match vegetables to shadows or raised line drawings of the object. The Shape of it Identify what shapes objects from the unit are similar to. Are the objects similar in shape to cubes, rectangular prisms, cones, cylinders or spheres. Provide models for comparison. Classify two dimensional shapes by their attributes (quadrilaterals, triangles, number of sides and angles). Alternatively, create shapes using vegetables or popped popcorn.

Fractions

In Pieces Divide vegetables into two, three, or four equal parts. Identify them as halves, thirds, and quarters. Assist students in determining equivalent fraction. Compare using greater than and less than. Add and subtract fractions using models (or without if able). Use a rectangle divided into 10 equal parts to solve 2/10+ 4/10 by shading 2 parts and 4 parts and then counting the number of shaded parts. Solve problems involving multiplication or a fraction by a whole number. Assist the students in recognizing that a fraction is the division of the numerator by the denominator using unit fractions.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

18 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Science & Social Studies

Social studies and science is best taught when students can role-play or go on community outings to have hands on experiences with environments in the community specific to the current topic. Incorporating concrete experiences within the natural environment can provide students with a greater understanding of their world. These science and social studies activities naturally provides students with the opportunities to develop their tactual exploration and fine motor skills through the exploration and manipulation of real materials.

Sensory Exploration

Corn Exploration and Transfer Provide a bin of popcorn kernels and a variety of scoops (scoop, measuring cup, spoon, tongs, etc.). Encourage students to use scoops to transfer corn to another container. Harvest Scan Obtain a variety of vegetables in their natural state. Depending on the student's abilities, scatter the vegetables within arms reach or partially hide about the activity area. Encourage the students to visually or tactually scan and obtain the vegetables. Have students place them in a cornucopia or basket. Extend the activity by providing natural vegetables and canned vegetables. Have the students sort real vegetables and canned vegetables. Vegetable Product Sort Have students sort vegetables in their natural state to canned vegetables. For students with minimal or no vision, provide vegetables and cans that feel different when they are shaken (beans, corn, tomatoes will sound different). Also provide in other forms such as dried beans and popcorn kernels. Vegetable Guess Place a selection of vegetables in front of students. Describe the vegetable by its shape or texture and have students guess which one you are describing.

Science Experiments

Vegetable Roll In this activity, encourage students to roll or otherwise move ears of corn (or other vegetable or object from the unit) in a given direction on a path. Provide various surfaces on the path and have students determine what surface is easier/harder to roll the object along.

Social Studies

Harvest Start the unit by setting up a display of vegetables in baskets, a wheelbarrow, or a wagon and place them in the group discussion area. Discuss with students that foods are grown by farmers who harvest many of their crops in the fall. Identify that farmers meet our need for food. Identify farms within your own community. Explain how different environmental differences affect what plants can be grown in different areas. Farmers sell their crops to companies and stores where we buy them.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

19 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Giving Thanks for the Harvest Thanksgiving in North America had originated from a mix of European and Native traditions. Typically in Europe, festivals were held before and after the harvest cycles to give thanks for a good harvest, and to rejoice together after much hard work with the rest of the community. At the time, Native Americans had also celebrated the end of a harvest season. When Europeans first arrived to the Americas, they brought with them their own harvest festival traditions from Europe, celebrating their safe voyage, peace and good harvest. Thanksgiving Timeline Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks to God for a common purpose. Nov 30, 1777 General George Washington issues orders setting aside December 18, 1777 as a day "for solemn Thanksgiving and Praise" to celebrate recent victories over the British in the American Revolution. It is the first day of thanksgiving in the newly formed United States of America. In his 1789 Proclamation, President Washington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including "for the civil and religious liberty", for "useful knowledge", and for God's "kind care" and "His Providence". The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. 1841 New England historian Alexander Young discovers a letter by Edward Winslow, one of the original colonists, mentioning the 1621 harvest feast. Young describes it as the "first thanksgiving." Nov 1846 Sarah Hale begins a letter-writing campaign to make the last Thursday of November a national Thanksgiving Day holiday. Her campaign will continue for 17 years. Aug 6, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declares a day of thanksgiving after the Union's victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg during the Civil War. After receiving a letter from Sarah Hale in September, he declares the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day. Nov 23, 1939 Breaking from the tradition established by Lincoln, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the next-to-last Thursday of November instead of the last Thursday. President Franklin Roosevelt makes the change after the National Retail Dry Goods Association encourages him to extend the Christmas shopping season by one week. The country is thrown into confusion. Nov 26, 1941 Ending the confusion once and for all, President Roosevelt signs legislation making Thanksgiving day the fourth Thursday of each November. Since 1924 In New York City, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, and televised nationally by NBC. The parade features parade floats with specific themes, scenes from Broadway plays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The float that traditionally ends the Macy's Parade is the Santa Claus float, the arrival of which is an unofficial sign of the beginning of the Christmas season. Today On Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. Consequently, the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

20 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

year. In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. Firstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table. Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, various fall vegetables (mainly various kinds of squashes), and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. The less fortunate are often provided with food at Thanksgiving time. Most communities have annual food drives that collect non-perishable packaged and canned foods, and corporations sponsor charitable distributions of staple foods and Thanksgiving dinners. American football is also an important part of many Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. The day after Thanksgiving is a day off for some companies and many schools. It is popularly known as Black Friday, because of the heavy shopping that day helps put retailers' back into black. Black Friday has been considered by retailers to be the start of the Christmas shopping season since as early as the 1930s.

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Thanksgiving & Harvest

21 Hands-On Units by Carmen Willings Teaching Students with Visual Impairments teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Career, Recreation & Leisure

Creative Art

Collages Provide a variety of papers in textures/color to create vegetable soup collage. Alternatively, provide a variety of canned vegetable labels to for students to create a vegetable product collage. Colored Vegetable Prints Provide students with sliced vegetables and their corresponding paint color (ex. Red pepper in red paint, corn in yellow paint, acorn squash in orange paint, eggplant in purple paint, cucumbers in green paint, etc.) and a large piece of construction paper to create a vegetable print mural. Handprint Turkeys Assist students in painting their palm and thumb brown and each finger with a different color paint to represent the feathers. When the prints are dry, add an eye, waddle and legs. Paint with Berry Juice Have students paint on sandpaper to create sand art. Indian Corn Art Use yellow, orange, red and brown tissue paper squares. Have students crumple the squares and glue on corn ear shape. Glue real husks to outside.