ALIKE AND DIFFERENT
Teacher of lesson: Megan Matthys
Lesson Topic/Subject: Deafness
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will watch part of a movie with no sound and then discuss what they thought happened.
• Students will watch the same part of the movie again with sound and then discuss the differences between what they thought happened and what really happened.
• Students will realize the importance of hearing for clear understanding.

MATERIALS:

• TV and VCR
• tape of Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore

PROCEDURE:

Introduction/Anticipatory Set

1. First, explain to the students that you have an exciting movie for them to watch, Winnie the Pooh. Tell the students that they are actually only going to watch part of Winnie the Pooh. They are going to watch it without any sound, just like a deaf person might have to watch a movie without being able to hear it.
2. Explain that when deaf people watch TV they have to guess what is going on by just watching closely. Sometimes they can read subtitles but not all shows have those.

Sequence of Instruction

1. Play the tape for about 5 minutes.
2. After watching part of the movie without sound, ask the students to tell you what they think happened. Ask them how they felt about watching a movie without sound.
3. Now, explain that you are going to show the same part of the movie again, and this time they will get to listen to the sound.
4. After watching the movie with the sound, ask the students to tell you if they realized that they had missed some things the first time they watched it. How was watching the movie without sound different from watching it with sound? Were they able to understand it better with sound? Was it more exciting, and if so, why?

Closure

1. Discuss with the students the difficulties that deaf people might have while watching TV or going to the movies. Ask them if they can think of any other times when hearing is necessary for clear understanding. Explain to the students that deaf people can usually communicate with each other clearly because they use their own language, sign language. However, unfortunately, not very many hearing people know sign language. Therefore, in most situations deaf people have a very difficult time communicating.
2. Explain to the students that you are very glad they all had the chance to learn some sign language. Now, they might be able to communicate with a deaf person. Suggest to them that some of them might be interested in learning even more words in sign language on their own by looking in sign language books.

EVIDENCE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will express what they thought happened while they watched the tape without sound by retelling it as best they can.
2. Students will express what new things they realized when they watched it with sound by telling about parts that they understood more clearly with the sound.
3. Students will show that they understand the importance of hearing when trying to communicate by thinking of other times other than watching TV that deaf people might have difficulty understanding.

ADAPTATIONS/RETEACHING IDEAS:

1. If students are not volunteering information when discussing what happened during the movie without sound, use leading questions to get them started. Here are three examples: 1. What did Pooh discover about the pine cone when he dropped it in the river? 2. What do you think Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit were looking for on the other side of the bridge? 3. Why did Pooh drop the big stone right on top of Eeyore?
2. Do the same when discussing other areas of communicating that deaf people might have trouble with if needed. Example leading questions for this would be:
   1. Could a deaf student understand the directions to an assignment if the teacher just said them out loud to the whole class?
   2. How could a deaf person carry on a telephone conversation?

REFLECTIONS:

1. How did the students react to this lesson?
2. Was Winnie the Pooh a good choice for watching without sound?
3. What would I change in the future?