ALIKE AND DIFFERENT
Teacher of lesson: Megan Matthys
Lesson Topic/Subject: Sense of hearing/Science
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Estimated Time: 15 minutes

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will experience how blind people use their sense of hearing to help them identify people.
• Students will realize that blind people can still do many things even though they can't see, by using their other senses.

MATERIALS:

• blindfold

PROCEDURE:

Introduction/Anticipatory Set

1. Gather the students on the carpet. Explain to them that yesterday they identified the hidden orange by using their other senses besides sight, and today they are going to use just their sense of hearing to identify their classmates. Tell them that this activity might help them understand what it would be like to be blind.
2. Ask the students if they have an idea how a blind person could figure out who is talking to them. They can't see the person, so how would they know who it is? The students might suggest that they could do it by asking the person's name or by listening to the sound of their voice.

Sequence of Instruction

1. Now, explain to the students that they are going to put a blindfold on one at a time and stand in the middle of the circle. Then you are going to walk around the outside of the circle and tap someone on the shoulder. The person you tap must get up, stand behind the person with the blindfold and say, "Hello, how are you today?"
2. Then the person with the blindfold on must guess the name of the person who just said hello to them by listening closely to the voice.
3. After they have made their guess, they can take off their blindfold to see if they were right.
4. Explain to the students that it might take a long time for everyone to have a turn, but you think everyone will really enjoy giving it a try. Tell the students that in order to help it move along quickly, they need to make sure they are silent so that the blindfolded person can concentrate on the sound of the voice. Tell the students that you will pick the next person to talk by looking to see who is sitting nicely. Also warn the students that they must not give away any clues to the blindfolded student or else they might not get their turn.

Closure

1. When everyone has had a turn, talk with the students about what they discovered. Was it easy to tell who was talking to them without seeing them? Can they sometimes tell who is talking to them on the telephone before the person says who it is?
2. Help the students realize that even though blind people canÕt see, they are still capable of many, many things by using their other senses.

EVIDENCE OF STUDENTS MEETING OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will experience how blind people can use their sense of hearing to identify people by listening to their classmatesÕ voices while blindfolded and trying to identify the speaker.
2. Students realize that even though blind people canÕt see, they are still capable of many things by discussing how blind people use their other senses to help them do certain things.

ADAPTATIONS/RETEACHING IDEAS:

1. You can further explain the importance of sense of hearing by playing a cassette tape of familiar sounds for the students to identify.

REFLECTION:

1. How did the students react to this lesson?
2. What would I change in the future?
3. Did I communicate the directions clearly?