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Alternate Assessment Curriculum FrameworkIntroduction

The D75 Alternate Assessment Curriculum Framework was developed in response to schools’

requests for instructional expectations connected to the Common Core Learning Standards

(CCLS) for students in Alternate Assessment classes. Groups of teachers, administrators, and

district content area coaches gathered for four weeks during the summer of 2013, and

participated in a collaborative process to create an Alternate Assessment Curriculum

Framework. The process included a workshop at the beginning of each week to train the group

in the leveled learner concept (Levels B, C, and D), resources available (developmental math

skills progressions, Webb’s Depth of Knowledge, Common Core Essential Elements and

Alternate Achievement Descriptors for Mathematics from the State Members of the Dynamic

Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium and Edvantia, Inc.), and final product

expectations. Subsequently, small groups collaborated to develop the leveled learning plans

and activities, culminating performance tasks, and the introductory contexts for the different

modules.

The structure of the framework provides four modules in ELA, Math, Science, and Social

Studies created in grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and High School). Four math modules have been

developed as grade specific modules for K-8, while High School modules reflect specific

conceptual categories.

Each module consists of:

a context overview

culminating performance tasks for each level

Common Core Learning Standards connections

Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards connections

Content standards connections

essential questions

key vocabulary

lesson strands with leveled learning plans and activities for each

Resources list

materials lists

D75 Alternate Assessment Curriculum framework 6-8 Science Module 4: Your Human Body

Underlying the development of the activities included in this document is the profound

belief that students with significant intellectual disabilities need high standards that are

reasonable and achievable given sufficient and appropriate opportunities to learn. All students

who participate in Alternate Assessment classes are expected to be provided with access and

exposure to the content learning expectations of their general education peers at a reduced

depth, breath and complexity. The presented tasks, while not reflecting the degree of higher

order skills and comprehensiveness of expectations established for students participating in the

general assessment system, do reflect reasonable and achievable expectations for students

with significant intellectual disabilities. In addition, they maintain a necessarily broad

connection with the Common Core Standards through a concentrated focus on salient features

of specific Standards. These content area sample learning plans and activities are designed not

only to elicit performances of content area thinking skills/behaviors but also to provide

opportunities for students to engage with, read and/or use content understandings that are

imbedded within the tasks.

The sample learning plans and activities for each strand have been divided into three distinct

levels of student expectations based on cognitive abilities: Level D, Level C, and Level B.

Level D learning plans and activities are reflective of students who experience the most

significant cognitive disabilities within our district. These students are typically working at the

engagement level. Instruction is typically focused on developing the accessing skills that a

student needs to possess. It is understood that for additional information processing to take

place, engagement is a necessary first step. (Please refer to the Essential Thinking Skills and

Behaviors Explanatory Notes document for further information regarding the concept of

Engagement).

Level C learning plans and activities are reflective of students who demonstrate the

essential thinking skill of conceptualization. These students can form mental representations

of a concept and apply this knowledge. They exhibit intentional behavior in response to

situations. They rely heavily on objects, picture cues, a print rich environment, and an exposure

to content in multiple and modified formats to facilitate learning. These students typically work

within Level one and two in Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. (Please refer to the Essential


Thinking Skills and Behaviors Explanatory Notes document for further information regarding

the concept of conceptualization, and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge).

Level B learning plans and activities are reflective of students who demonstrate skill abilities

closest to meeting the CCLS and content standards expectations as they are written. These are

typically students who may participate in inclusion settings and students who may return to

community based instruction programs. These students would be expected to work in all levels

of Webb’s Depth of Knowledge.

The Revision of Modules

The Alternate Assessment Curriculum Framework was developed to serve as a guide for

schools. It is expected to be modified and adjusted in order to meet school-specific instructional

goals and objectives.

To assist schools with understanding what the revision process entails, the district gathered

a small group of teachers and administrators during the summer of 2014 to revise Math module

2 for third grade, sixth grade, and High School. These modules serve as guiding examples for

schools to refer to as they consider revisions to the additional modules in all content areas.

Along with these examples, a general revision protocol and a sample reflections document

from the summer revision group regarding the revision process can be found at the end of this

introduction.

Each revised Math module 2 (grades 3, 6, and HS) now consists of:

a context overview

culminating performance tasks for each level

sample rubric designs for the performance task at the varied levels

An IEP goal tracking rubric format

Common Core Learning Standards connections

Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards connections

Content standards connections

essential questions

key vocabulary

Sequenced lesson strands with leveled learning plans and sequenced activities


Resources list

materials lists

A sample lesson written related to one activity in one strand

It is hoped that the D75 Alternate Assessment Curriculum Framework provides teachers and

schools with a resource to better understand how students can be provided with opportunities

to develop targeted skills through content-based instructional experiences that are also applied

in the context of functional activity experiences.


Revision Protocol

The following is a step-by-step process that schools can reference when they

begin the process of revising a module for their own use. These are generic

expectations in the order they should occur to ensure an efficient and effective

revision of a module. This is by no means the only way in which a module can be

revised, but is intended to provide the essence of what the revision process

should include and be focused around.

1. Understand the standards for the learners in your class/school.

2. Ensure the connection between the standards, the learning strands and the

performance task.

3. Ensure that the learning strands and activities within the activities are

sequenced correctly for your students.

4. Ensure that the learning activities are appropriate for each level (B, C, and D).

5. Determine and agree upon the specific considerations that must be

accounted for when creating a rubric against the performance task for Level B,

C, and D.


A reflection Sample on “How to” Revise an Alternate Assessment

Curricular Framework Module of Study (AACF) based on the guiding

protocol. 1. How do you ‘unpack’ or understand the standards for the learners in your class?Read the standards listed in the module and isolated the key nouns and verbs. Determined what the standard asking the students to know and do. Came to consensus regarding what the performance of these standards would look like for the students in alternate classes. Finally, the group translated the standard into actionable skills for the learners.2. How do you ensure connection between the standards, the learning strands and the performance task?One method the participants used was to use color-coding to ensure a connection. First, the group members color-coded each standard. Second, they looked at each learning strand and checked off, using the color system, where elements of each standard were contained in the strand. Last, they looked at the performance task, and highlighted or checked, using the color system, where elements of each standard were contained in the task. (These key elements were translated into actionable skills accessed in the rubric. See #5)If connections were not achieved, group members made a decision to reorganize, omit, add, condense or adjust as needed. 3. How do you ensure that the learning strands and activities within the activities are sequenced correctly for your students?Several resources were used, such as the CCLS Skills Progression at a Glance, Wisconsin Early Learning Skills, Equals chapter/skills sequencing, etc. (Note: please remember that the use of available resources such as language skills progressions, other content curricular models from various states, reading skills checklists, etc. should be referenced when revising other content area modules)4. How do you ensure that the learning activities are appropriate for each level (B, C, and D)?Participants referred back to Piaget’s Cognitive Levels of Development, their own students IEPs, as well as, keeping the individual needs of the learners in alternate assessment classes at the forefront of their minds When developing the learning activities for all levels.5. What should you consider for creating a rubric against the performance task for Level B, C, and D?Isolated key skills were identified in the standards and translated to actionable learning targets for the students when developing the Level C and B rubrics. Content expectations played a significant role in establishing the rubrics. Aspects of the rubric quantified skills for the B and C level learners and included a simple rating system (4-1, 3-1, etc.).

It was determined by the revision group that a specific rubric that could be used across the modules for the level D student would provide teachers with the ability to track skills related to engagement. This was determined to be the best approach to tracking progress for student who are cognitively young and require mastery of those skills related to engagement before any further content knowledge acquisition could be expected.


District 75 Alternate Assessment Curriculum Framework Grades 6-8 Science Module 4

Your Human Body

CONTEXT

UNIT TOPIC: Anatomy

Throughout the module, students will engage in various activities that promote the knowledge

and understanding of how organs function within the body, and operate as systems in order to

sustain life. Students will initiate their learning by interacting in various ways with their own

five senses. Once students have had an opportunity to explore these concepts, they will begin

developing an understanding of basic human anatomy through interactive and hands on

learning experiences. These experiences will focus on the location of organs within the body, as

well as identifying the organs’ primary purposes and functions. Students will then explore the

ways in which organs work together to form systems within the body. Students will be exposed

to learning experiences that focus on the ways that these systems function within their own

bodies each day. Finally, students will learn about real world examples of steps they can take

and activities that they can engage in to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

This module integrates literacy skills development as student read texts about the human body,

participate in writing and developing content for a class Science Notebook or individual student

notebooks, based on the skills level of the students. It is expected that Science Notebooks are

used to help students organize information, document experiences, data and thinking, and to

record illustrations. Each notebook page should be devoted to a new activity. Entries in the

science notebook can consist of drawings; simple writing, including individual words or short

phrases; cut out sentence strips and picture symbols, and visual and tactile artifacts. Sentence

starters and frames, focus questions, basic diagrams and charts can be provided to the


students. It is also suggested that as appropriate a classroom bulletin board be dedicated to a

collection of interesting facts about the human body.

Students also work in groups to create informative posters (could be extended to include

pamphlets) to address health tips related to the body systems they have studied. Students can

also create power point presentations, commercials or PSAs (public service announcements) to

communicate what they have learned.

As part of a performance based assessment, students are asked to act as “health advisors”, who

will consider one of the systems and ways to prevent disease and maintain health. As part of

activities relevant to this module and connected to the CDOS standards, students can learn

about different careers related to the care of the human body.

The learning plans and activities lend themselves to smart board activities. Placing organs on an

outline of the human body does not have to be done on butcher block paper, for example.

There are a significant number of websites related to the study of the human body. Google

images contain many of the diagrams and graphics that can be used in teaching students about

the human body. Research about facts of the human body organs and systems as well as

disease and their prevention is included in the module. Activities that are based on creating

posters are included in this module; however, students might be encouraged to demonstrate

their learnings through podcasts and PSAs (public service announcements).

This module does not introduce all of the organs and the systems within the body. At the high

school level, students will have another opportunity to study the human body, beginning with a

study of cells and tissue. The study of the human body at the secondary level is aligned with

NYSAA.


Facts about the different organs presented in this module which can be shared with students include the following:

SKIN

On average, each person has six pounds of skin. The skin prevents bacteria from invading the body. The skin protects the organs. The skin has three layers. (epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous) The skin is flexible and can stretch and bend. The skin feels cold, heat, pain, and wetness because it has nerves. The skin can heal itself when it is wounded. The skin helps keep us warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot. The skin is waterproof. The thickest skin on the body is on the soles of the feet.

BRAIN

The brain is the body’s control center (the boss). The brain has many different parts. The brain resembles a large, gray, wrinkly, sponge. The brain receives messages from all parts of the body. The brain controls every body function and everything we do. The brain is located in the head and the skull protects it. The brain is made of about 100 billion tiny cells that are called neurons.

HEART

The heart is a muscle. The heart is about the size of a clenched fist. The heart pumps blood throughout the body. The blood makes sure that the body gets the nutrients and oxygen it needs. The heart is made up of four chambers. The heart circulates the body’s blood more than 1,000 times a day. The body has enough blood vessels to circle the world two times.

LUNGS

The lungs are what allow us to breathe. The air we breathe has oxygen. We have two lungs and they are located in the chest. A muscle called the diaphragm allows the lungs to breathe in and breathe out. The rib cage protects our lungs. Lungs are the only organ in the body light enough to float on water. Our lungs allow us to shout, talk, laugh, sing, cry, and more. In one day, you breathe enough air to fill 33,000 soda cans.


SKELETAL AND MUSCULAR SYSTEMS

The thigh bone is the largest bone in the body. Babies have more than 300 bones and adults have 206 bones. The smallest bone is located in the ear and is called the stirrup bone. There are four different kinds of bones. The bones are what gives the body shape. Bones support our bodies. Bones are filled with bone marrow. Blood cells are made there. Bones need calcium, vitamin D and exercise to stay healthy. The muscles control body movement. Some muscles move on their own and some muscles only move when we move them. The strongest muscle is the jaw muscle (masseter) which closes the mouth. You use more muscles when you frown than when you smile. There are three different types of muscle. There are more than 650 muscles in the body.

STOMACH

The stomach is located in the upper left of your mid torso. An adult stomach can hold about ½ gallon of food and drink. The average person eats 3 pounds of food each day. The food an average person eats in 1 year weighs as much as a car. The stomach acts as a blender for food. The stomach has stomach acids so that it can change what you eat so the body can use it for

energy.

ASSESSMENT

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE: Data collection

Student work samples, as appropriate

Science Notebooks

PERFORMANCE BASED ASSESSMENT TASK

The Principal has asked your class to sponsor a Health Fair that focuses on the different organs

and systems and the ways that we can keep them healthy. The Principal wants each student to

prepare a poster or tri-fold presentation about one of the human body’s systems and ways that


people can keep that system healthy. Also the Principal wants each student to be able to act as

a “Health Advisor” by sharing a health habit that they have been able to follow.

Level D: Engage with the creation of a poster of one of the systems of the body studied in class by

selecting the parts that make up the system in an error-free environment. Identify a health tip

that helps maintain the health of the identified system. Select a health habit that they follow.

Level C:

Create a poster of a body system that identifies the parts of that system of the body. Write 1-3

sentences about the function of system chosen. Provide a tip for maintaining the health of that

system. Share a health habit that you follow and how that habit keeps you healthy.

Level B:Create a tri-fold replica of a system of the body. The components of the tri-fold replica are as

follows:

Provide a labeled diagram of the identified system of the body.

Write a paragraph that states what the system does. Include 2-3 facts about the

system.

Write 2-4 health tips that should be followed to keep the identified body system

healthy.

As health advisor, record a suggestion for a healthy habit for an adult and why it is important to

follow that habit.

*See explanatory notes of “engagement” in The Essential Thinking Skills and Behaviors

Document.

STANDARDS


ELA COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS:

RI.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences

from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn

from the text.

SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with

diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

L.6 Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and

phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career

readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when

encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and

information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of

content.

SCIENCE KEY IDEAS

Human Anatomy

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS

Standard 1- Career Development- Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work,

explore career options and relate personal skills, aptitudes and abilities to future career

decisions.

Standard 2- Integrated Learning: Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and

skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.

Standard 3b- Career Majors: Academic Foundations- Apply knowledge/skills acquired in

academic subjects to the health care environment.

Standard 3b- Career Majors: Health Maintenance- Students develop knowledge of the concept

of optimal health and identify factors that affect health maintenance.


ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. What are the major organs of the human body, and how do they work?

2. How do groups of organs work together to perform a particular function?

3. How can we maintain the health of our body?

LESSON STRANDS OVERVIEW1. The anatomy and structure of the five sense organs of the human body.

2. Basic anatomy of the human body: simple internal organs-heart, lungs, liver, stomach,

etc.

3. Human body systems for major life activities- nervous, digestive, respiratory, excretory,

circulatory

4. The skeletal system and muscles work together (protection, movement, posture)

5. Case study on preventing disease related to a specific body system or single organ

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES

NOTE: Preferred Mode of Communication (PMC) should be considered for all

students in all activities across all levels.

Lesson Strand 1: The anatomy and structure of the body, with a focus on the five sense

organs .

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL D:REGIONS OF THE BODY

Establish a class Science Notebook: The Human Body.


Create an individual student information page with their picture, height, hair color, and

eye color for a class display.

Teacher constructs an outline on butcher block paper of a person. This butcher block

drawing will be on display for the length of the module. As students study the different

parts of the body, they will engage in identifying the body regions of the butcher block

drawing and affix the organs to the body. Students will engage in labeling the different

parts of the body on the butcher block outline. Note: There can be a butcher block

drawing that is used by the entire class or there can be one butcher block cutout for

each student.

Attend to teacher directions to students to place their hands on different parts of their

body.

THE SENSES

Explore the 5 senses in different “stations” around the classroom. Tables will be set up

with “hands-on” materials for kids to touch, smell, taste, hear, and see.

Engage with pictorial representations of an ear, nose, mouth, fingers, and an eye.

Students will engage with representations of the organs responsible for the different

senses and representations of the different senses being used.

Students will use the Smartboard to interact with an activity in which they are

manipulating the sensory organs to place them onto the human body in the position

they belong with prompts.

Engage with affixing pictures of the ears, nose, mouth and eyes to the butcher block

outline.

TOUCH

Manipulate various objects that have different textures. Examples include Hard objects

(tables, desks), soft objects (plush teddy bear, cotton ball), rough objects (sand paper),

and smooth objects (ball, play doh).


TASTE

Taste test various foods. Students can indicate their preference in various ways (i.e.,

facial expressions, communication device, etc.). Teachers will chart student preferences

based on sampled foods. (NOTE: Be aware of food allergies students may have).

SMELL

Engage with smelling various items (Please be mindful of students’ allergies and/or

sensitivity to various items- Ex. Orange, rose, cherry, peppermint, bacon, cherry, spice,

onion, lemon, chicken.) Use plastic film cannisters with three holes poked in the top.

HEARING

Engage students with playing different musical instruments loud and soft.

Compile a recording of different common sounds. Play each sound individually and have

them identify each sound (e.g. bell, dog barking, crying baby, police siren, cat, duck,

people laughing).

SEEING

Create a “sight board” by having students identify scraps of paper they like seeing and

arranging them on the board.

Give students unbreakable mirrors and have them look at their reflection. Have them

look at their eyes. Have students identify the color of their eyes.

Engage students by creating collages of pictures that relate to people’s eyes.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL C:

REGIONS OF THE BODY


Prior to beginning the module, have students set up their science notebook “The Human

Body.”

Create an information page with their picture, height, hair color, and eye color to be

included in their science notebook.

Teacher constructs an outline on butcher block paper of a person. This butcher block

drawing will be on display for the length of the module. As students study the different

parts of the body, they will engage in identifying the body regions of the butcher block

drawing and affix the organs to the body. Students will engage in labeling the different

parts of the body on the butcher block outline. Note: There can be a butcher block

drawing that is used by the entire class or there can be one butcher block cutout for

each student.

Explain to students the importance of knowing the parts of their body so that if

something is bothering or hurting them they can name the part of the body. Participate

in following teacher directions to students to place their hands on different parts of

their body. Provide opportunities for students to act as teachers in this activity.

Create a class slideshow/book that uses photos of the students focused on different

parts of the body (Format might consist of pages that state: This is _____’s shoulder.)

Note: As appropriate to the needs of the students, the slideshow/book should include

names of body parts that students are not easily familiar with, e.g. shin, forearm.

Match symbols/names to an outline diagram of the human body. This work should be

included in the science notebook.

Participate in role play exercises in which students go to the doctor and tell the doctor

what part of their body hurts, using the correct name.

THE SENSES

Watch the Brain Pop Jr. video: http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/senses/ and

perform a matching activity in which they show which body part(s) is responsible for

providing the five senses within the body.

Watch a video about how senses work together to give us information. After viewing,

students will select the ways their senses keep them safe.


http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/senses/

As students go on a community walk, they will keep track of the ways in which they use

their 5 senses. (Pairs of students may be assigned one of the senses to pay attention to

in terms of what they noticed related to that sense). After the community walk,

students will report on what they noticed in the community.

Participate in the read aloud of Discover Science: Senses and respond to questions

about the 5 senses.

Participate in a discussion about things that they can smell, feel, see, taste, and hear in

their every day lives. Provide students with pages for a book about themselves and

their five senses. Students can use photos/picture symbols/words to complete the

book. Suggested pages are:

O Three things I like to see

O Three things I like to taste

O Three things I like to hear

O Three things I like to touch

O Three things I like to smell

O How my senses keep me safe

SIGHT:

Participate in a reading of Through Grandpa’s Eyes, Patricia MacLachlan. Chart ways

that Grandpa has used his senses other than sight to help him “See.”

Students will make sight boards by finding different kinds of colors, hues, designs, and

patterns to glue on their boards.

Explain what the Braille alphabet is. Have students experience what Braille feels like.

Build a model of the eye, using a12 inch foam ball cut in half.

Participate in contributing to a classroom chart on ways that students can protect their

vision.

Have students share what they have learned about the eye and vision to record in their

notebook.


SMELL:

Smell different food items and categorize food as like/do not (ex. starbursts candy, an

orange, unpeeled fruit, coffee beans, Vanilla, Lemon, and Almond extracts, Sage,

Cinnamon, Ginger, and Thyme).

Use Scratch and Sniff stickers and blank index cards. Make pairs of matching Scratch

and Sniff sticker cards. Have students use their sense of smell to identify matching

Scratch and Sniff cards.

Have students share what they have learned about the nose and the sense of smell to

record in their notebook.

TOUCH:

Participate in making touch boards by gluing different textures to their paper and

matching words (e.g. bumpy, smooth, rough) to the textured squares.

Participate in a texture sorting activity.

Create a “Touch bag”; put different objects inside a paper bag or sock. Students can feel

the objects and describe what they feel.

Place hot, cold, and warm bowls of water on display. Model how to touch the water to

find out how temperature feels. Dip one finger gently into each bowl, describing how

the water feels each time. Ask the students, “How does the water in each bowl feel

different?”

Have student share what they have learned about touch. Record what they learned in

their science notebook.

HEARING:


Compile a recording of different common sounds. Play each sound individually and have

them identify each sound (e.g. bell, dog barking, crying baby, police siren, cat, duck,

people laughing).

Show students four different objects, eg pom pom, crayon, keys and wooden block.

Place one object in four different boxes. Have students shake the boxes to determine

which objects are in which box.

Have students shut their eyes and see if they can guess the noises they are hearing.

Some noises might include clapping hands, crumpling up paper, stomping on the floor,

shaking coins.

Show student a model/diagram of the parts of the ear. Have students identify the three

parts of the ear, (outer, middle and inner).

Chart ways that students can protect their hearing.

Have students share what they have learned about the ear and hearing. Record what

they learned in their science notebook.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL B:REGIONS OF THE BODY

Teacher shows an outline on butcher block paper of a person. Students engage in

identifying the body regions. Engage in labeling the different parts of the body on the

butcher block outline.

Explain to students the importance of knowing the parts of their body so that if

something is bothering or hurting them they can name the part of the body. Participate

in following teacher directions to students to place their hands on different parts of

their body. Provide opportunities for students to act as teachers in this activity.

Explain to students that there are scientific names for the different regions of the body.

Provide students with opportunities to learn some of the scientific names.

Participate in role play exercises in which students go to the doctor and tell the doctor

what part of their body hurts, using the correct name or scientific name.


THE SENSES

Participate in a read aloud of Discover Science: Senses and answer comprehension

questions pertaining to main ideas, details, and drawing conclusions from the text.

View Brain Pop Jr. video at: http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/senses/. After

viewing, students will complete a graphic organizer that correlates how the 5 senses can

be used at various locations (ex. beach, baseball game, park, forest, pool, etc.)

TASTE/SMELL

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/tasting.htm

Students will receive a tray containing four food items. Students will taste each item

and identify whether the item was salty, sweet, sour, or bitter. Students should match

taste to the food item.

While blindfolded, students will get a small spoonful of different flavored food item. Put

ice cream into numbered cups. Have students smell each cup and record on a class

chart the flavor they smelled. Have each student taste a bite from each cup and record

what they tasted. Compare their guesses to what the actual flavors were.

Use Scratch and Sniff stickers and blank index cards. Make pairs of matching Scratch

and Sniff sticker cards and prepare a blindfold for students. Have students identify

matching Scratch and Sniff cards. Have the students put on a blindfold and repeat the

activity.

Have students pinch their noses and taste a “mystery flavor.” Students record what

they tasted. They repeat tasting the “mystery flavor” without pinching their nose.

Discuss how holding the nose affects one’s ability to taste.

Have students make a Taste Collage using pictures of tastes the children like and

dislike.

Record what they learned about taste in their notebook.

TOUCH


http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/tasting.htm


Participate in a read aloud of What is Touch? (Senses Close Up), Molly Aloian, Crabtree

Publishing.

Make touch boards by gluing different textures to a presentation board. Students will

then write a sentence describing each texture.

Get three- five different grades (roughness/size of grain) of sandpaper from the

hardware store. The degree of roughness should be printed on the back. Cut the

sandpaper into pieces about 3 in by 3 in.) Record the grade of roughness on the back of

each cut piece of sandpaper. Mix up the pieces of sandpaper and place them with the

rough side up. Have students use their finger to order the sandpaper squares from the

smoothest to the roughest. Have students use the different grades of sandpaper to

sand a wooden block, feeling the differences before and after they used the sandpaper.

Provide students with different textured items. Have students touch the items using

their elbows. Then have them touch the items using their fingers. Discuss the

differences in what they were able to feel.

Have students record what they learned about touch in their science notebook.

SIGHT

Engage in a read aloud of Knots on a Counting Rope. After reading, students will use

text and visual clues to infer the functions of the senses to conclude which sense the

main character is lacking.

Have available a large drawing or photograph of a human eye with the parts depicted.

Go over each part of the eye. Discuss with students whether the color of their eyes

affects how they see. Provide students with a mirror to examine their own eye. Provide

students with opportunities to draw an eye and label the parts.

View the video clip on how the eye works at kidshealth.org.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/eyes-movie.html?tracking=59983_B

Label a diagram of the eye with its parts. (A blank diagram of the eye that students can

be found on kidshealth.org.)

Build a model of the eye (use a styrofoam ball that has been cut in half.)

Chart ways that students can protect their vision.


http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/eyes-movie.html?tracking=59983_B

Use the internet to research facts about sight. Have students record what they learned

about sight in their science notebook.

HEARING

Participate in a read aloud of What is Hearing? (Senses Close Up), Molly Aloian,

Crabtree Publishing.

Tell students that for two minutes they will be quiet. They will put their head down on

the desk and listen to the sounds they hear in the classroom. After the minute chart

what students heard. This activity can be repeated in different environments.

Label a diagram of the parts of the ear. Have students include the diagram in their

science notebook.

Read the informational text on how loud music can hurt one’s ears.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle

Discuss what hearing aids are and how hearing aids can help people. Discuss what

deafness is and the different ways people who are deaf communicate.

Discuss with students why it is important to take care of their ears. Have students

record in their science notebooks two tips that will protect their sense of hearing.


http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle

Lesson Strand 2: Basic anatomy of the human body: the organs- skin, brain, heart, lungs,

stomach

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL D: Teachers refer to the outline of the human body at the beginning of the week. After

students complete their study of each organ, they will place that organ in the correct

position on the butcher block drawing.

SKIN

Explain to students that the skin is an organ that covers and protects your body. Provide

students with magnifying glasses to examine their skin and as appropriate the skin of

another member of the class.

Have the students touch a piece of ice and some water so they can see how the skin

“feels”.

Have the students bend their elbows so they can see how skin is flexible.

Drop a little bit of water on the back of each student’s hand to show students that the

skin is waterproof.

Talk with students how skin can get hurt and the steps for taking care of cuts.

Talk with students how germs live on your skin

http://www.health.state.mn.us/handhygiene/why/handsbacteria.html

Follow steps for hand washing to get rid of the germs.

Record in the class science notebook what students can identify about skin.

BRAIN

Show students a diagram of the brain and show how the brain has different parts. Have

students place the BRAIN in the correct position on the butcher block outline of the

human body.

Make a list with the students of activities that the brain helps us do.


http://www.health.state.mn.us/handhygiene/why/handsbacteria.html

Have students identify from a choice of representations what to add to the Class Science

Notebook about the brain.

HEART

Attend to pictorial representations of the human heart.

Attend to a read aloud of Tarheel Reader The Heart

http://tarheelreader.org/2009/11/04/the-heart/9/

Manipulate concrete, and plastic representations of the human heart (i.e., red balloons

filled with water, squishy balls in the shape of a heart).

Listen to recordings of heartbeats (i.e., the instrumental version of Kanye West’s “Love

Lockdown or other recordings of heartbeats) for a sustained period of time.

Squeeze and release their fists to imitate the pumping produced by the human heart.

Attend to and manipulate a stethoscope to hear their own heartbeat and a classmate’s

heartbeat.

Listen to different heartbeats after engaging in various physical activities. For example,

students will rapidly move their arms, take deep breaths, and engage in yoga (GRTL) in

order to listen to the increase or decrease in the heartbeat.

Have students place the HEART in the correct position on the butcher block outline of

the human body.


Notebook about the heart.

LUNGS

Students will attend to pictorial representations of the lungs.

Students will manipulate representations of the lung.

Students will place their hands on a brown bag as their teacher or peers blow into the

brown bag.

Attend to and manipulate a stethoscope to a classmate’s lungs.


http://tarheelreader.org/2009/11/04/the-heart/9/

Have students place the LUNGS in the correct position on the butcher block outline of

the human body.


Notebook about the lungs.

.

STOMACH

Students will attend to pictorial representations of the stomach.

Students will attend and manipulate Smart board programs from:

http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0.

Students will attend and engage in See Inside Your Body by Katie Daynes.

Students will attend to Brainpop Jr. Video at:

http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/lungs/.

Make a model of the stomach using a ziplock bag. Roll a piece of paper to be the food

tube and tape one end into a quart size plastic bag. Add some water to be the stomach

acid. Have students move the bread through the food tube (involuntary muscles that

move the food in the esophagus). Observe what happens to bread in the water.

Have students place a diagram of the STOMACH on the butcher block outline of the

human body.


Notebook about the stomach.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL C: Teachers refer to the outline of the human body at the beginning of the week. After

students complete their study of each organ, they will place that organ in the correct

position on the butcher block drawing.

Explain to students that an organ is a body part that has a specific job.


http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/lungs/

http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0

SKIN

Explain to students that the skin is the largest organ and that it has several layers.

Provide students with magnifying glasses to examine their skin.

Explain that students have unique fingerprints. Have students participate in using an

inkpad and paper to make a fingerprint.

Tell students they have about 6-9 pounds of skin. Put oranges that weigh 6 pounds into

a shopping bag and have students feel how heavy it is.

Discuss with students ways to keep the skin healthy. Assign students to small groups

and have them work on a poster about skin care.

Have students record two things about the job of the skin in their science notebook.

BRAIN

Participate in a presentation on the parts of the brain. Have students match labels of

the parts of the brain to a diagram of the brain. (Cerebellum – left and right

hemisphere, cerebrum, spinal cord)

Make a chart of all the activities that your brain helps you to do.

Have students mix material that weight about what the brain does and has the

consistency of a real brain.

o Combine the following ingredients in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag:

1.5 cups instant potato flakes

2.5 cups hot water

2 cups clean sand

Mix thoroughly.

Fill a ladies stocking with cooked noodles and tie it at the end. Pass this around to each

of the students so they can see how the brain feels.

Have students place the BRAIN in the correct position on the butcher block outline of

the human body.

Have students record what the job of the brain is in their Science Notebook.


HEART

Participate in exploring visual, physical, and pictorial representations of the human

heart.

Listen to recordings of heartbeats (i.e., the instrumental version of Kanye West’s “Love

Lockdown or other recordings of heartbeats).

Squeeze and release their fists to imitate the pumping motion produced by the human

heart.

Show students how big the heart is – the size of the fist. Have students guess how much

the heart weighs. Put about 10 ounces of sugar (dyed red) in a plastic ziplock bag. Have

students use a balance scale to weigh it.

Show students a simple diagram of the parts of the heart. Have students match parts of

the heart to a diagram model of the heart.

Have students place the HEART in the correct position on the butcher block outline of

the human body.

Have students record what the job of the brain is in their Science Notebook

LUNGS

Students will participate in exploring visual, physical, and pictorial representations of the

lungs.

Use a balloon to demonstrate how the lungs work. Blow up the balloon and let it

deflate. Repeat 5-10 times to demonstrate how the lungs look when a person is inhaling

and exhaling.

Students will manipulate a stethoscope to listen to a classmate’s lungs as he or she

inhales, exhales, and coughs.

Have students place the LUNGS in the correct position on the butcher block outline of

the human body.

Have students record what the job of the lungs is in their Science Notebook


STOMACH

Participate in exploring visual, physical, and pictorial representations of the stomach.

Students will create a 3D representation of a stomach by using a white tube sock in

which they stuff it to form its shape and paint it.




move the food in the esophagus). Observe what happens to bread in the water.

Put a small ball in a stocking. Have students use their hand to push the ball along the

stocking like muscles push their food through the intestines.

Have students place the STOMACH in the correct position on the butcher block outline

of the human body.

Have students record what the job of the stomach is in their Science Notebook

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL B:SKIN

Teachers will use butcher block to outline the shape of the human body.

Tell students they have about 6-9 pounds of skin. Put oranges that weigh 6 pounds into

a shopping bag and have students feel how heavy it is.

Explain to students that the skin is the largest organ in the body. In an adult there is

approximately 3,000 square inches of skin. Provide students with 10 inch by 10 inch

squares. Tell students that each square is about 100 square inches. They will need 30

10 inch by 10 inch squares to see how much 3,000 square inches is. Lay out the squares

so that students can see approximately how much skin an adult has.

Present information about the skin to students. Include in the information that the job

of the skin is to help control the body temperature and to protect the body from germs,

water and sun.

Provide students with magnifying glasses so that they can examine their skin. Have

students record what they observed. Direct students to use the magnifying glasses to


examine their fingerprints. Direct students to examine the skin around the joints in

their hand; note how the skin is saggy so that it is flexible and we can bend our fingers.

Review with students the layers of the skin. Have students label a diagram of the parts

of skin. (Dermis, epidermis)

Discuss ways to keep the skin healthy. Have students work in small groups to create a

poster on Healthy Skin. Poster must include pictures, words and at least 3 tips for

keeping healthy skin.

Have students record three things they learned about the skin in their Science

Notebook.

BRAIN

Participate in a presentation on the parts of the brain. Present students with index

cards that have symbols/sentences about different activities and have students place

the card on the part of the brain responsible for your body’s actions.

Show the students a diagram of the brain and the dif

As a class, construct a chart of all the activities that your brain helps you to do.

Have students predict what they think the brain looks like and how much it weighs.

Have students mix material that weight about what the brain does and has the

consistency of a real brain.

o Combine 1.5 cups instant potato flakes, 2.5 cups hot water, and 2 cups clean

sand in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Mix thoroughly.

Have students record their observations.

Fill a ladies stocking with cooked noodles and tie it at the end. Pass this around to each

of the students so they can see how the brain feels.

Show students a representation of the cortex. Have students take a sheet (full page of

the newspaper) and crumple it to fit inside a plastic cup. Have them take the paper out

and smooth it out. Explain that this paper is the size of the cortex.


Explain to the students how the brain is responsible for memory and discuss short term

and long term memory. Have students think of examples of short term and long term

memory.

Show students images of heat scans of the brain that show which part of the brain is

working for which activity (Google images)

HEART


human heart.

Using textbooks or other resources, students will label a diagram of the heart (left

atrium, left ventricle, right atrium, right ventricle). For a blank diagram of the heart:

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@global/documents/

downloadable/ucm_305570.pdf

Have students participate in activities from

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/keephealthy.html and answer the

questions on the website which tests student’s knowledge on heart functions.

Have students guess how much the heart weighs. Tell them the heart weighs 10-11

ounces . Have them use a balance scale to find what is equivalent to 10-11 ounces.

Have students attend to a presentation on the primary job of the heart – to distribute

blood throughout the body.

Have students work with a partner to look up using the Internet information and

amazing facts about the heart. Each pair writes two – three facts on paper. Post the

papers on the wall and have partners do a gallery walk of the facts. Provide students

with post-its so that they can comment on the facts reported by their classmates.

NOTE: Comments can be limited to symbols, example: ! (I am surprised), * (Important),

? (I have a question). Prior to the gallery walk, model how students can use the post-its

to record and post their comments.

Compile their amazing facts into a class slideshow or fact sheet to be put in their science

notebook.


http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/keephealthy.html

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@global/documents/downloadable/ucm_305570.pdf


Have students place the Heart (with labeled parts) on the butcher block outline of the

human body.

LUNGS Students will conduct and complete the “Just Breathe” activity to explore the

inhalation/exhalation process that occurs in the lungs:

http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/

cub_human/cub_human_lesson09_activity1.xml

Watch the Brainpop Jr. Video: http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/lungs/.

Students will work on writing activity in which they state different ways that they could

help to take care of their lungs.

Students add to their science notebook what they learned about the lungs.

STOMACH


stomach.




move the food in the esophagus). Have students predict what will happen to the bread.

Have them observe what happens to bread in the water and record the experiment in

their science notebook.



http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_human/cub_human_lesson09_activity1.xml


Lesson Strand 3: Human body systems for major life activities- nervous, digestive,

respiratory, excretory, circulatory

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL D:NERVOUS SYSTEM

Present to students the three parts of the nervous system – the brain, spinal cord, and

nerves.

Act out different activities that the brain helps us to do.

Have students make the bones of the spinal column by threading together empty thread

spools (or cut up cardboard paper towel tubes). Explain that each spool is one vertebra

in their spine. Have students notice how it bends.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Students will use a stethoscope to locate and hear their pulse with support from staff.

Students will activate a switch to start a time and participate in this physical activity to

the best of their ability. Students will stop the timer and staff will assist helping them

find pulse again.

Use a turkey baster to demonstrate how the heart pumps blood. Pull in and squeeze

out water. The water can be dyed red.

RESPIRATORY

Teacher models breathing by blowing into a balloon and showing how the lungs get

bigger and smaller as we breathe.

To demonstrate how air goes in and out of lungs, have students push in a bottle filled

with water and stop pushing in on the bottle. Have students engage in making the

plastic bottles as follows.

Fill a 16-20 ounce plastic bottle with colored water.


Put a straw in the bottle and place a lump of clay over the opening (which holds

the straw in place). Explain how the straw is like the windpipe, the clay like the

throat and the bottle like the throat). The water represents the air.

Have students push in on the bottle which pushes the water out. Stop pushing in

on the bottle and the water pushes out.

Have students feel their chest while they breathe.

Have students engage with different instruments (e.g. kazoo, recorder, penny whistles,

harmonicas) to try musical breathing.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Students will participate in the Let’s Make a Stomach activity

http://home.gwu.edu/~olacey/Digestive%20Experiments.htm

Students are given various types of food and eat an item at a time. As student eats,

teacher uses a diagram to illustrate that the food is now travelling through a system in

the body.

Students will attend to virtual tour of different systems at:

http://medtropolis.com/virtual-body/

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL C:NERVOUS SYSTEM

Have students attend to a presentation on the parts of the nervous system (the

cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord and nerves). Have students label a

diagram showing the nervous system.

The brain helps us think and decide what to do. The brain helps us see, talk, hear, smell,

feel, taste and move. Act out different activities that the brain helps us to do.

Explain that students have a spine. Inside the spine is a spinal cord which is protected

by the bones – vertebrae. There are 24 movable vertebrae that stack on top of each

other with discs in between. (To make the replica of the backbone, you need a pool




noodle (vertebrae), a piece of rope a little longer than the pool noodle (spinal cord) and

hair pony tail holders or thick rubber bands (discs).

Cut a pool noodle into 24 pieces.

Cut a piece of rope longer than the pool noodle.

Thread the rope.

The nerves help us feel and send messages to other parts of our body.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Have students exercise in gymnasium and then place their fingers on their pulse.

Students will listen to different heartbeats after engaging in various physical activities.

For example, students will rapidly move their arms, take deep breaths, and engage in

yoga (GRTL) in order to listen to the increase or decrease and record the number of

heartbeats.

Teacher and paraprofessional will model how to use a stethoscope. Students will use a

stethoscope to hear their own heartbeat. Using a timer, students will count the number

of heartbeats they hear in 60 seconds.

Tell students that the average adult has about 12 pints of blood (5.7 liters). Have them

measure out in a large bucket how much 12 pints is to see how much blood there is in

the human body.

Have students participate in a presentation of what blood is made up of (55% plasma,

44% red blood cells, 0.5% white blood cells and 0.5% platelets). Have students follow

the directions to make blood:

Fill clear jar with about 55% corn syrup (plasma) (mark jar for students)

Fill the jar with about 44% red hots (red blood cells)

Add a few white blood cells (marshmallows)

Add a few platelets (sprinkles or a few grains of rice)

This can be done in a ziplock baggie. Have students review what blood is made up of.

Look at a prepared slide of human blood under a low powered microscope. Have

students report what they saw.


Discuss with students that there are four main types of blood and that it is important

that we know our blood type.

o A can give blood to people with A or AB.

o People with blood group AB can only give to AB.

o People with blood group O can give to almost anyone.

o People with B can give blood only to people with B or AB.

Attend to a presentation on blood pressure. Show students how blood pressure is

written. Have nurse come to class to take students’ blood pressure readings.

Present risk factors of having high blood pressure to students.

Being overweight

Little or no exercise

Eating too much salt

Having a family history of high blood pressure

Complete a chart that shows healthy actions students can take to reduce risk factors.

Present risk factors of heart disease to students.

Complete a chart that shows healthy actions students can take to reduce risk factors.

Read and answer questions about the circulatory system:

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@global/documents/

downloadable/ucm_305579.pdf

Have students record in the Science Notebooks what they learned about the circulatory

system.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Students will look at picture of lungs; discuss the function and practice breathing

exercises such as blowing up a balloon and feeling their chest expand as they take deep

breaths.




Have students blow into a brown paper and then release the air contained in the brown

bag to display how lungs expand and contracts (oxygen is inhaled to fill lungs while

carbon dioxide is exhaled).

Discuss lung functions and lung capacity with students. They will complete the following

Balloon Lung activity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRv2zYH5p9k

Have students participate in the How Much Air is In Your Lungs? activity.

How Much Air is In Your Lungs? Activity

1. Fill the bottle with water and put the lid on. Hold it upside down in the bowl and

take the lid off.

2. Push the straw into the neck of the bottle. Take a deep breath, then blow gently

into the straw until your lungs are empty.

3. All the air you breathe out gets trapped at the top of the bottle. This is how much

air your lungs can hold.

Refer to the following website for directions to make a grape stem lung model.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/asthma/documents/asthmabook.pdf

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Participate in a read aloud of The Digestive System, Rebecca Johnson. Have students

respond to questions about the text/pictures. Students record three things they learned

from reading the book.



After repeated viewings of the Human Body App, students will describe at least two

steps required for digestion (i.e., how food enters the body).

Students will match pictures/symbols/words to the steps of the digestive system:

It takes the food in.

It breaks the food down.

It takes the food into the blood.

It gets rid of the parts that are waste.



http://www.health.state.mn.us/asthma/documents/asthmabook.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRv2zYH5p9k

Explain how stomach acid and food mixes in the stomach. Muscles in the stomach

squeeze the food around to mix it. Have students mix food to see what happens when

the food is mixed with the vinegar and baking soda.

O Mix ¼ cup water, ½ mashed banana, ½ cup finely chopped carrots or red

peppers, 1-3 cookies or crackers that have been smashed , 1/8 cup vinegar and 1

teaspoon baking soda.

Have students record what they learned about the digestive system in their notebook.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL B:NERVOUS SYSTEM

Have students attend to a presentation on the parts of the nervous system (the

cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord and nerves). Have students label a

diagram showing the nervous system.

Have students locate their spine. Inside the spine is a spinal cord which is protected by

the bones – vertebrae. There are 24 movable vertebrae that stack on top of each other

with discs in between. (To make the replica of the backbone, you need a pool noodle

(vertebrae), a piece of rope a little longer than the pool noodle (spinal cord) and hair

pony tail holders or thick rubber bands (discs).

o Cut a pool noodle into 24 pieces.

o Cut a piece of rope longer than the pool noodle.

o Thread the rope.

Students record what they have learned about the nervous system in their notebooks,

including a labeled diagram of the nervous system.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM


Using the diagram students drew of their heart, have students draw arrows to

demonstrate the flow of blood both into and out of the heart. Watch the video of the

pumping action of the heart: http://www.smm.org/heart/heart/pumping.htm

Have students predict how much blood there is in the human body (10 pints –

approximately 5 liters.) Demonstrate how much blood there is in a human body by

having students measure out an equivalent amount of water.

Students will exercise in gymnasium and then place their fingers on their pulse.

Students will record their pulse rate using formula and handouts from the teacher.

Students will calculate and look for trends based on level of stress of activities. Students

will also compare resting pulse rate.

Teacher and paraprofessional will model how to use a stethoscope. Using a timer,

students will use a stethoscope to hear and count the number of heartbeats per minute

for two of their classmates during their normal resting rate. Students will determine

which classmate’s heart rate is highest.

Students will select a partner and listen to his or her heartbeat during its normal resting

rate and after engaging in various physical activities. For example, students will use a

stethoscope and record the number of their partner’s heartbeats during its normal

resting rate. Students will complete jumping jacks for at least one minute and have

their heartbeat recorded. Students will compare and note the difference in heartbeats

per minute during its normal resting rate and after physical activity.

Read The Circulatory System , Christine Taylor Butler, Scholastic True book. Review the

flow chart of the Circulatory system with the students. Make sentence strips using

symbols and words for each step and in small groups order the sentence strips.

Look at a prepared slide of human blood under a low powered microscope.

Have students participate in the different types of blood types and the importance of

knowing their blood types.

Have students estimate the time each day spent sitting and moving around. Have

students create an exercise plan to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.


http://www.smm.org/heart/heart/pumping.htm

Perform different activities for 30 seconds, 1 minute and 3 minutes, e.g. using a

computer and jumping. Take students’ pulses and record. Discuss which activity has

benefit for their health.

Use the web to explore what happens during the pumping action of the heart by making

comparisons with a pump. http://www.smm.org/heart/lessons/lesson5a.htm

(Materials needed are balloons, plastic wide mouth jar, skewer, two flexible straws,

scissors, pails to collect water spills, sponge)

Have students research ways to keep the heart healthy. Refer to activities in the

American Heart Association.

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fdr/documents/downloadable

/ucm_445071.pdf

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/respiratory-

system.htm

Students will use the simple respiratory machine found in hospitals and blow into them.

Students will watch the ball inside the machine and record the strength of their breath.

Pass out a balloon to each student. Ask students how much air they think they have in

their lungs? Have them take a deep breath and blow into the balloons until they run out

of air holding the balloon to not let the air out.

Have students complete the “How much air is in your lungs?” activity.

Have students design a workout routine for exercises that make the breathing fast,

normal and slow.

Have students research ways to keep the lungs healthy.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM


http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/respiratory-system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/respiratory-system.htm

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fdr/documents/downloadable/ucm_445071.pdf


http://www.smm.org/heart/lessons/lesson5a.htm

Read The Digestive System, Rebecca Johnson. Have students respond to questions

about the text/pictures. Students record three things they learned from reading the

book.

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/digestive-

system.htm



Students sequence the steps of what happens to food once it is eaten.

Students conduct an experiment to observe what happens to food in the stomach. (To

conduct the experiment, students need ziplock bags, crackers, and orange juice.)

Break the crackers into pieces and put them in the bag. (Mouth breaking food

into pieces)

Pour a little orange juice into the bag. (Stomach acid/digestive juices)

Have students observe what happens to the crackers.

Squeeze the bag for one minute. (The walls of the stomach squeezing the food

that we eat).

Ask students to observe what happens to the crackers.

Have students write up the steps they took in the experiment and what happened to

the crackers.

Show students 25 feet of string. Explain that there is 25 feet of small intestines coiled

under your stomach. Demonstrate what coiled means. Provide students with a 10

centimeter square of cardboard. Have them work to coil the string inside the square.

Put a small ball in a stocking. Have students use their hand to push the ball along the

stocking like muscles push their food through the intestines.

Students will pretend they are a piece of food and either write an adventure story or

draw a comic strip about their experience traveling through the digestive system.

RESEARCH:

Have small student groups act as scientific researchers and select one of the systems

and make a poster that shows interesting facts about the system. The poster can show



http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/digestive-system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/digestive-system.htm

visuals of the system and should list five interesting facts about the system. Display the

posters for a gallery walk. Students have time to look at all the posters and put post-it

comments on them.


Lesson Strand 4: The skeletal system and muscles work together (protection, movement,

posture)

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL D: Students attend to reading of: http://tarheelreader.org/2011/02/25/human-body/8/

Students will attend to pictorial representations of bones

(ex. Rib cage, human skull, spine, hands, etc.).

http://accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/xrays/index.php

Living Skeleton: Has actual x-ray images for 14 different body parts

Manipulate a model of a skeleton.

Listen to “Dem Bones” to understand what bones are connected to one another.

Engage in completing a skeleton puzzle to show how bones are connected

During teacher read aloud of Amazing X-rays: The Human Body, students will engage

with and hold photos of X-Rays of various skeletal parts.

Engage in stretching exercises (Get Ready to Learn) to learn how various muscles help

movement.

Engage with the teacher to match the names of the bones with the bones in a skeleton

chart.

Explain that sometimes bones break but they can heal. Create a display of images of

broken bones and the different kinds of casts.

Attend to video at: http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/bones/.

Have students point to certain muscles as you call them out.

Provide students with play plastic bacon strips (because they closely resemble muscles)

and have them stretch them.

Discuss how to keep bones healthy and how to protect bones. Have students identify a

tip for keeping their bones healthy. Make posters of Tips for Healthy Bones that consist

of the student’s photograph and their tip.


http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/bones/

http://accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/xrays/index.php

http://tarheelreader.org/2011/02/25/human-body/8/

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL C: After several viewings of a video about bones:

http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/bones/ students will use cleaned chicken

bones to create the skeletal outline of the bones in the hand, leg, chest, or hand.

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/skeletal-

system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/muscular-

system.htm

Participate in various games and activities involving the skeletal and muscle system at:

http://www.anatomyarcade.com

Hold up a piece of paper and then let the top of it go, while still holding the bottom, so

that it falls over. This will demonstrate how our bodies would be without bones.

Make replicas of the skeletal structure by cutting out bones from a template and using

brads to connect them in the proper locations. Students will manipulate q-tips to create

the major skeletal bones of the body. Students will create a model of various/different

body parts (legs, chest, hands, feet, etc.) using plastic straws to represent bones and

strings to simulate muscles.

Have students become Bone Scholars. Students learn the scientific name for one to

two bones of the human body and can identify where the bone(s) can be found on a

replica of a human skeleton.

Students will manipulate rubber bands to demonstrate how muscles stretch out (get

bigger) and contract (get smaller).

Students will participate in a read aloud of Amazing X-rays: The Human Body and create

x-rays of their hands using black construction paper, white crayons or chalk, and hair

spray (to set the finished x-ray).

Students will participate in the activity “Mikey Muscle Says,” a variation of “Simon Says,”

to engage in muscle movements such as: smiling, touching their shoulders/ toes,


http://www.anatomyarcade.com/

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/muscular-system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/muscular-system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/skeletal-system.htm

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/skeletal-system.htm

http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/bones/

clapping, twisting their bodies, blinking, running/ hopping in place, and dancing.

Students will then write simple sentences about the role that bones and muscles play in

this activity.

Students will demonstrate muscle usage in their hands by using “eyedroppers” to pickup

colored water for color mixing.

Students will sort pictures of various movements according to their muscle group and

then paste them onto a skeletal body chart.

Students will engage in the activity: Build a Bone From the Inside Out using the following

link: http://www.brooklynkids.org/attachments/HumanSkeleton_31.pdf. Students will

learn about the difference layers inside a bone by creating a model of a bone.

Students and teachers will take a class trip to the Brooklyn’s Museum to visit an exhibit

on the Human Skeleton.

Discuss with students how important calcium is to bones. Have students participate in

an experiment. Use the Scientific Method worksheet for students to record what

happens. Students place chicken bone in cup of vinegar and record observations over a

period of a week. Have students hypothesize what happened to the bones. Share their

write ups of the experiment and discuss how a lack of calcium weakens bones.

Participate in a presentation on broken bones and how broken bones are treated.

Students participate in a presentation of risk factors for bone health: little exercise; lack

of foods rich in calcium, and smoking. Show students slides of healthy bones and

porous bones.

Students will create a pamphlet in how to take care of their muscular and skeletal

systems by writing tips and drawing pictures of exercises and dietary items that improve

these systems.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL B: Read about bones in “Bones”, Kids Discover Magazine. (If schools do not have a

membership, individual issues cost $4.99. Teachers guides are available for free). Or


http://www.brooklynkids.org/attachments/HumanSkeleton_31.pdf

participate in reading Bones: Our Skeletal System, Seymour Simon. Students respond in

writing to questions based on the texts.

Participate in a presentation on how bones protect the brain and the lungs. Examine

photos of the skull and rib cage.

Participate in a slide presentation of the skeletal system.

http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/

thechildrensuniversityofmanchester/flash/skeleton.swf

Students will look at examples of X-Rays. Students will then draw examples of X-rays

using black construction paper, white chalk or crayons, and hairspray (required to set

the chalk) over pictures of body outlines.

Hold up a piece of paper and then let the top of it go, while still holding the bottom, so

that it falls over. This will demonstrate how our bodies would be without bones.

Using a measuring tape, ruler, or meter stick, students will measure their bones for

length.

Engage in a group discussion to answer the following questions. Students can use

technology to prepare answers to the questions prior to the discussion. (Note- these

questions should could be used during an end of the module discussion or as a

formative assessment):

- Where can you feel the bones in your body? What do they feel like?

- How are the bones alike or different? Are any of them the same?

- Why are bones different shapes and sizes?

- Why do some bones have knobs at the end?

- What if your bones were perfectly straight? What would your head look

like?

- What if your bones were the same length? What would your hand look

like?

- What if all your ones were round? What would your legs look like? How

would you walk?

Students will look at diagrams of skeletal systems and then label major bones on a

diagram of the skeletal system.


http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/thechildrensuniversityofmanchester/flash/skeleton.swf

http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/thechildrensuniversityofmanchester/flash/skeleton.swf

Students will watch video of various body movements. They will also receive a diagram

of major bones and muscles. They will fill in the chart, identifying the movements, the

muscles and the bones used.

Students will create a model skeleton using plastic straws to represent bones and strings

to simulate muscles

CASE STUDY of the hand. Explain to students that over half our bones are in our hands

and feet. Have them look at images of x-rays of the hand and feel where there are the

different bones. Students can draw skeletons of the bones in the hand. To explore why

we need small bones instead of long “finger” bones, use craft sticks and affix with gauze

tape to the length of the fingers. Ask students to try to pick up small objects and write

with their fingers and observe what happens.

Provide chicken bones to the students. Break the chicken bones so that students can

observe what is inside the bone.

Provide students with owl pellet kits and have them work in small groups to find the

bones of the owl and lay them out to form a skeleton.

Discuss will students how important calcium is to bones. Have students participate in an

experiment. Tell the students that vinegar removes calcium. Have the students make a

prediction/hypothesis: If bones are strong because of calcium and vinegar removes

calcium, predict what will happen to the bone when we immerse it in vinegar. Use the

Scientific Method worksheet for students to record what happens. Students place

chicken bone in cup of vinegar and record observations over a period of a week. Have

students hypothesize what happened to the bones. Share their write ups of the

experiment and discuss how a lack of calcium weakens bones.

Especially for girls, explore the Best Bones Forever website.

http://www.bestbonesforever.gov/bbf/hardfacts.html

Construct with the students a list of calcium rich foods. Have the students keep a list of

the calcium rich foods they eat in one week.

Working in groups, have one student in the group lie on the butcher paper and have the

other students in the group trace the outline of the student’s body. Students draw the

skeleton in the outline of the body. Students label the bones that they draw in.


http://www.bestbonesforever.gov/bbf/hardfacts.html

Students will conduct/participate in an activity in which they manipulate a ball-and-

socket joint to display how bones move (bend, swivel, curl, pivot, and point).

Students participate in “Making Muscles Move” activity. Students use cardboard and

balloons to make models of their arm muscles. Students then do a series of stretches

and try to determine which muscles are being stretched.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/careerstart-grade7/4324

Review with students tips for taking care of bones:

1. Protect your skull bones by wearing a helmet.

2. Wear the right equipment when you play sports.

3. Wear your seat belt.

4. Drink milk and eat other dairy products.

5. Be active.

6. When you stand or walk, use good posture.

Invite a health care professional to the class and have the students interview the person

about the skeletal system and how to make sure that our bones are taken care of.

Have students make a poster that highlights information about the bones – or have

students make a tv commercial about bones and how we can take care of them.


http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/careerstart-grade7/4324

Lesson Strand 5: How to stay healthy: a case study on preventing disease

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL D: Students will attend to “Be Well” videos on Brainpop Jr. at:

http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bewell/

Students engage in looking at pictures of health practioners helping us when we are sick

(doctors, nurses, surgeons, EMS)

Engage in presentation on healthy foods that can help prevent disease. Engage in

matching healthy and non-healthy foods. Students sort plastic fruits and vegetables into

bins labeled with an object representing a fruit or a vegetable.

Engage in various forms of basic exercise that can help prevent disease

Teach students how to communicate “I am not feeling well”. This may require that

there is a symbol that students will use to show that they do not feel well. Role play

what to do when the students does not feel well in school, for example tell the teacher

or paraprofessional, ask to go see the school nurse.

Role play going to the doctor and engage in communicating what hurts with a focus on

the symptoms, e,g, my throat hurts, I am hot, I feel like vomiting.

Take a trip to school nurse and gallery walk of equipment in nurse’s office.

Provide students with a choice of healthy habits and have them choose one to follow as

their health goal. Chart progress in meeting their goal each day.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL C: Role play what to do when the student does not feel well.

Role play being at the doctors and telling the doctor what is bothering you. (What,

where, for how long)

Sort healthy foods that can help prevent disease from unhealthy foods that can lead to

disease


http://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bewell/

Complete a graphic organizer differentiating between activities that promote health and

those that can lead to disease

Students complete a cause and effect activity in which they recognize how different

choices can lead to different health outcomes.

Students can match health tips to the part of the body affected.

Have students identify a part of the body they have studied and create a poster that

highlights tips for keeping that part of the body healthy.

Have students record statements for each of the pages in a book:

O My Healthy Body Book

O I keep my skin healthy by ____

O My favorite healthy food is _______

O I exercise because _______

O My favorite healthy thing I do is ________

Students can participate in activities about disease prevention on:

http://www.scrubclub.org/home.aspx. Students can make instruction manuals on how

to wash hands and the importance in doing so to prevent disease.

Students use supermarket flyers to cut out healthy foods and affix them to the USDA My

Plate.

Students draw a picture of an activity that promotes health and label in with sentences

describing how the activity is healthy

In groups, students use magazines and newspapers to create a collage of healthy

foods/activities/habits and a slogan for their group

Students choose a health goal. The goal is displayed and students chart their progress in

meeting their goal each day.

LEARNING PLANS AND ACTIVITIES LEVEL B:


http://www.scrubclub.org/home.aspx

In small groups, students choose a system or organ. Have them use the Internet and

library to select a disease from a list and research how that disease that can affect that

system or organ. Have students identify tips to keep that system or organ healthy.

O Student groups use a graphic organizer to record their research.

The disease we chose to research

The system the disease affects

Five facts about the disease

Treatment of the Disease

Resources used

Students will fill out a pamphlet in which they provide the cause, symptoms, cure and

prevention of a disease.

For 1 week, students will keep a journal of all the foods they eat and activities they

participate in. At the end of the week, students will analyze their journals, and

determine whether or not they made healthy choices. Students then choose a health

goal and develop an action plan with steps to lead a healthier life style. During the

subsequent weeks, students maintain their journal to see if their choices were healthy.

Invite students to share with their classmates about how they are doing in meeting their

health goal.


MATERIALS/ RESOURCESMany of the activities in the module lend themselves to the use of the Smart Board.

It is expected that students maintain a Class Science Notebook on the Human Body or individual

Science Notebooks on the Human Body.

MATERIALS Models (body parts & organs), Sensory Objects, Boxes/Bins, Graphic Organizers, Chart Paper,

Cans, Clipboards, Crayons, Diagrams, Poster Board, Glue, Pencils, Stop Watch/Timer, Food

Items, Skeleton Models, X-Rays, Photos of Organs & Body Parts, Gym Equipment, Jars w/ Lids,

Water, Kraft/Butcher Paper, Scissors, Markers, Tape, String/Yarn, Vinegar, Chicken Bones,

Saltine Crackers, Index Cards, Blank Tags, Popsicle Sticks, Ziplock Bags, Balloons, Rubber Bands,

Glue, Photo Cannisters, sand paper, Oaktag/Presentation Boards, Empty plastic bottles of

various sizes

Websites:http://www.anatomyarcade.com




www.webmd.com

http://www.scrubclub.org/home.aspx.

http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/

cub_human/cub_human_lesson09_activity1.xml


http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/kidneys.html


http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/kidneys.html




http://www.scrubclub.org/home.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/




http://www.anatomyarcade.com/

BOOKS (including but not limited to)

http://tarheelreader.org/2009/04/09/see-hear-touch-smell-and-taste/6/


http://tarheelreader.org/2011/04/06/feeling-sick/7/.

See Inside Your Body, Katie Daynes

First Encyclopedia of the Human Body , Fiona Chandler

First Human Body Encyclopedia, DK

Easy Make and Learn Projects: Human Body , David Silver

Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body, Joanna Cole

Bones: Skeletons and How They Work , Steve Jenkins

Amazing X-rays: The Human Body , Paul Beck

My Body , Patty Carratello

Flip Flap Body Book ,Alastair Smith and Judy Tatchell

The Skeleton Inside You ,Phillip Balestrino

Your Body and How it Works: Grades 5-8 , Pat and Barbara Ward

See Inside Your Body , Katie Daynes and Collin King

Human Body Factory: The Nuts and Bolts of You , Dan Green and Edmond Davis

The Body Book: Easy-to-Make Hands on Models that Teach ,Donald M. Silver and Patricia J.

Wynne

Discover Science: Senses, Jinny Johnson

Bend and Stretch: Learning about your Bones and Muscles (Amazing Body) , Pamela Hill

Nettleton

Knots on a Counting Rope , Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Sense Abilities: Fun ways to Explore the Senses, Michelle O’Brian-Palmer

Look Inside:Your Skeleton and Muscles (Time for Kids) ,Ben Williams

The Brain, Seymour Simon


http://tarheelreader.org/2011/04/06/feeling-sick/7/


http://tarheelreader.org/2009/04/09/see-hear-touch-smell-and-taste/6/

The Respiratory System, Christine Taylor-Butler, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human

Body Series

The Circulatory System, Christine Taylor-Butler, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human

Body Series

The Digestive System, Christine Taylor-Butler, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human

Body Series

The Nervous System, Christine Taylor-Butler, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human

Body Series

Hearing, Patricia Murphy, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human Body Series

Smell, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human Body Series

Taste, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human Body Series

Touch, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human Body Series

Sight, Scholastic True Books: Health and the Human Body Series

Slim Goodbody’s Body Buddies Present. ..

Crabtree Publishing Company

The Astounding Nervous System, How Does My Brain Work?

The Amazing Circulatory System: How Does My Heart Work?

The Dynamic Digestive System: How Does My Stomach Work?

The Exciting Endocrine System: How Do My Glands Work?

The Mighty Muscular and Skeletal Systems: How Do My bones and Muscles Work?

The Remarkable Respiratory System: How Do My Lungs Work?

VIDEOhttp://www.brainpopjr.com/health/bodies/senses/


http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/tv/index.htm (Human Body DVD)

Rock and Learn- Human Body DVD


http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/tv/index.htm



BRAIN

Brainworks: Neuroscience for Kids

With the help of five kids, host Eric Chudler takes viewers on a journey inside of the brain. The show begins in the studio with an introduction to the nervous system. The kids then visit laboratories where they learn about automatic functions of the brain and how the electrical activity of the brain is recorded. Back in the studio, the kids see a real human brain and build their own model nerve cells and brains. http://uwtv.org/watch/IaRaENvn6p0/

HEART

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/map-human-heart.html

A website with lots of information about the circulatory system.

http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/structure/structure.html

Risk factors for disease posters

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@global/documents/downloadable/

ucm_305578.pdf

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fdr/documents/downloadable/

ucm_445065.pdf






http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/structure/structure.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/map-human-heart.html

http://uwtv.org/watch/IaRaENvn6p0/

Essential Thinking Skills and Behaviors: Definitions and Explanatory Notes

EngagementEngagement is a behavior involving the focusing of the mental process upon someone or something. It is commonly demonstrated by a voluntary and sustained or repeated attention to stimuli. Engagement may be expressed through a wide variety of sensory, motor and/or speech, communication and language forms. Student’s physical, emotional, cognitive, social and cultural development impact significantly on the nature of the attention they are able, or choose, to demonstrate. Therefore, individual modes of student engagement need to be identified, taught, developed, refined, and/or expanded upon. These modes may include, but not limited to: exploration through touching, listening, looking, smelling, and/or tasting; and increase/decrease or initiation/cessation of body movement; and vocalizations/verbalizations. Without engagement, additional information processing cannot take place.

Explanatory Notes: When providing students with opportunities for engagement it is critical that the same

opportunities be presented daily over time. Variation in the means of story presentation, along with increased familiarity with expectations, should serve to sustain student motivation and interest. In addition, the presentation of materials should be supplemented with ongoing, direct instruction to facilitate targeted skills and behaviors specific to the content area.

Emphasis should be placed on relating meaningful activities/materials to student’s prior knowledge and experience.

Extensive efforts should be placed on involving, to the greatest extent possible, a student’s family in providing opportunities for student engagement. Such efforts might include: planning instructional materials; inviting family members to read stories in class; planning family related fairs; encourage family members to learn about and visit public and other community resources; and responding to educational needs as expressed by a student’s family.

Each student should possess a public library card, and be a member of other community organizations when appropriate and feasible.


Environmental Differentiation

Environmental Differentiation is the recognition of differences in the attributes of things/places with which, and individuals with whom, one comes in contact and includes recognition of self as a distinct entity. It is usually demonstrated by distinct patterns of exploration or reaction to different stimuli and may be evidenced through various modes of student response. Environmental Differentiation may, but does not necessarily, include knowledge of the names/functions of the materials/places/individuals involved.

Explanatory Notes: The purpose for having students learn to differentiate is to help them develop a basis

from which they will be able to use materials functionally, make informed choices and develop concepts related to materials. However, instruction related to Environmental Differentiation should not preclude instruction toward other essential skills or behaviors (e.g. Functional Use of Objects; Self Regulation).

When various content area materials are being functionally used by a student, the student is already demonstrating environmental differentiation.

For a student with a limited response repertoire (i.e. a student with additional significant physical/sensory impairments), differentiation may be evidenced through the engagement with different stimuli. For example, a student might demonstrate differentiation simply by focusing on or maintaining hand contact with one stimulus for a significantly longer period of time than another stimulus.

For a student who is not environmentally differentiating, an implication for instruction is that the student may need to be provided with increased opportunities for sensory exploration of/interaction with the materials and for using the materials functionally. In providing these increased opportunities, it is essential to insure that a student’s safety and dignity are maintained, especially with regard to social context and age appropriateness.


Conceptualization

Conceptualization is the formation of mental representations or ideas for categorizing information or mental connections to prior experiences. As children develop, new concepts about objects, people, places and the relationship between them are continually being learned. Conceptualization may be demonstrated through a range of initiated utterances/actions or responses to questions, comments, or directions. Individual communication modes may vary, and need to be identified, taught, developed, refined and/or expanded upon.

Explanatory Notes: In identifying a concept that a student is expected to learn, it is important to make known

to instructors and students the intended definition of that concept.

It is important that incidental displays of knowledge of identified concepts/meanings are noted/documented as they occur throughout the day.

In order for a student to demonstrate the knowledge of a concept/meaning, it is necessary for the student to exhibit a behavior that is intentional. For instance, a student who might typically sit without movement would not be considered to demonstrate knowledge of “wait” by remaining in a motionless position. Rather, the student would need to initiate a movement at the proper turn-taking time in order to have displayed knowledge of what “waiting” means.

Learning environments should be picture cue/object cue/print rich, so as to facilitate the learning of the concepts.

In expecting demonstration of knowledge of specific concepts, it is important that the other concepts/meanings used contextually by the instructor are known by the student or made clear (e.g. through demonstration) to the student. This is especially important with regards to concepts/meanings that define an expected mode of performance (e.g. touch, press, look).

Beyond the concepts/meanings that are found in this curriculum frameworks, which is based on the ELA and Math Common Core Learning Standards and Science and Social Studies NYS/NYC Scope and Sequence for grade level instructional content, there are other NYS standards based concepts that may be important to explicitly address in relation to each content area. For example, in Career Development and Occupational Studies, these may include: work; start/begin; end/finish; put away/put back; more/enough; and no. In Health, these may include; privacy, danger, emergency, clean, stranger, helper, friend, “feeling uncomfortable”, sick/hurt, exercise, medicine, and


choice. These other concepts can identified by referring to New York State’s Learning Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences, Health, Phys. Ed., Career Development and Occupational Studies, The Arts, as well as, the NYSAA Alternate Grade Level Indicators for Science and Social Studies, and the grade level Extensions for English Language Arts and Math.

In addition to basic key concepts related to a content area, it is critical that students learn concepts needed for them to use their individual system of communication during assessment and instructional situations (e.g. point, touch, look, press, pick-up, give, tell, me/say).

Functional Use of Objects

Functional Use of Objects is the appropriate utilization of materials in alignment with the purpose(s) for which they exist in a given culture. It may be applied to the use of an object that has undergone modifications. Students unable to utilize materials functionally due to a physical impairment may achieve this standard by communicating the purpose of the materials.

Explanatory Notes: Emphasis should be placed on involving family members in encouraging a student to use

content related materials during functional daily activities. For example, in the area of English Language Arts/Native Language Arts, some activities might include: giving a greeting card to a relative or friend; bringing a shopping list, with accompanying tangible symbols, to the supermarket; marking important dates on a calendar; labeling household items; and engaging with books and magazines.


Problem SolvingProblem solving is the directing of one’s actions towards achieving a goal that presents uncertainty or difficulty. It presupposes an awareness of the existence of a problem. It generally involves taking into account factors related to a problem, and trying or considering more than one way to solve a problem. Resolution of a problem may be unattainable even though problem solving behaviors have been applied. Explanatory Notes:

When considering problem solving, an emphasis should be placed on a student’s involvement in the process of solving a problem rather than on a student’s resolution of a problem.

A student’s performance of Problem Solving may take the form of a variety of actions/response modes.

An implication for instruction is a recognition of the need to provide students with adequate time and opportunities “to try” or consider more than one way of solving a problem before intervening in the process.

Problem Solving may be accomplished through the completion of tasks formulated with the intent of providing opportunities for students to demonstrate specific problem solving behaviors. It may be accomplished, however, within a broader framework of general content area assignments, which naturally include a variety of problem solving situations.

A distinction involves the student’s completion of the task that the student has previously demonstrated an ability to do readily, while problem solving involves an element of uncertainly or difficulty for the student.

When a student secures needed help, instructors should not simply complete an action for the student. Rather, the student should be guided through the problem solving process, with help provided only to the extent actually needed by the student. In this way, a student hopefully will begin to approach future problem solving situations by trying another way before securing help.

Self-RegulationD75 Alternate Assessment Curriculum framework 6-8 Science Module 4: Your Human Body

Self-regulation is an ongoing monitoring of ones’ own sensory/physical/social/cognitive conditions, and an adjusting of these conditions to maintain a desired and comfortable internal state. Self-regulation involves knowing and applying a repertoire of behaviors to diverse settings, making informed choices, and acting upon or indicating a desire or need for change.Explanatory Notes: (Self-Regulation, General) The following conditions may necessitate self-regulation

o Sensory, including sensitivities to light, sound texture taste, smell and surrounding physical space.

o Physical, including pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, discomfort, fatigue, hyperactivity, illness, and a need to use the bathroom.

o Emotional, including distress, loneliness, need for solitude, anger, aggressiveness, withdrawal, sadness, frustration, disappointment, elation, fear, anxiety, and stress.

o Social, including segregation, lack of privacy, and numbers/appearance/behaviors of individuals in the environment

o Cognitive, including level of subject content (either too high or too low), nature of subject matter presentation, and lack of appropriate means for accessing/expressing information.

Students may exhibit behaviors that are self-regulatory in nature but fail to meet the standard for self-regulation (as they are not desired behaviors). These include:

o Behaviors which are unsafe (e.g. abuse to self or others; object destruction)o Behaviors which interfere with one’s own learning or the learning of others (e.g.

replacing attention to task with stereotypic response; continuous noise production)o Behaviors which interfere with positive social interactions (e.g. grabbing belongings

of others; public disrobing).

Recognition should be given to the fact that most individuals engage in some common mannerisms or behaviors (e.g. finger-tapping; shaking of a glass with ice cubes; nail biting) through which they express their internal state. These behaviors, for the most part, are accepted by other individuals and do not seem to interfere in the development and maintenance of social relationships. Although the behavior of a student may differ in nature from these more common expressions, there is an expectation that such student behaviors, if exhibited in a safe and healthy manner, should be understood and accepted by others as an inherent part of “who” the student is. In fact, it may be precisely through such a particular behavior that a student is self-regulating.

In order to maintain internal control for self-regulating, students may need to be provided with positive behavioral support systems, including attention to communication and/or sensory needs and abilities.

Explanatory Notes: (Self-Regulation, Informed Choice-Making)


An informed choice refers to a student’s selection (within a single activity) of one of two (or possibly more) objects, activities, or environments for which opportunities for exploration/acquisition of knowledge have been provided. The informed nature of the choice may be demonstrated through a consistent response to an initial presentation (e.g. verbal; tangible; pictorial) and then to a second presentation with order/position altered**. If any doubt about a student’s selection still exists, a final presentation in either order/position can be made. Informed choice may be demonstrated in a different manner by a student who clearly has a demonstrated knowledge of the concept “yes” or “no”. Such a student needs only to reaffirm his/her choice by responding “yes” or “no” when asked if this choice is what he/she wants. Informed choice may also be demonstrated through independent indication of a choice different from the objects, activities, or environments offered.

An informed choice also assumes that a student possesses an equal opportunity to choose either of the sections available. This is especially important to consider when the student has limited motor and/or sensory abilities.

Given the concept of informed choice, various implications for instruction are evident, and include consideration of the placement of materials, the communicative means utilized by students to make choices, and steps taken to familiarize students with materials/activities/ environments available as choices.

Instructional efforts to increase a student’s opportunities to make informed choices will increase the probability of a student’s demonstration of general self-regulatory behavior, decision-making and awareness of the consequences of one’s decisions. Therefore, instructional provision for facilitating informed choice-making should be ongoing throughout a students’ day.

**It is recognized that repeatedly presenting choices in a different order/position may result in frustration on the part of students. Therefore, this type of procedure for insuring informed choice is designed primarily for the purpose of occasional assessment rather than for the purpose of ongoing instruction.


Social Interaction

Social Interaction is reciprocal in nature and involves the use of communication for a variety of purposes. These may include having one’s desires or needs realized, or becoming involved in personal relationships. Such relationships may vary and may include being a one-time partner on a project, a member of a frequently meeting group, a helper, or a friend. Social interaction presupposes self-recognition, that is, the perception of self as a separate being, distinct form people/objects in the surrounding world. Explanatory Notes:

In general, communication refers to a process through which individuals receive from, transmit to, or exchange with others information, feelings or thoughts.

In order to help a student to learn how to socially interact, it is imperative that a student be assessed in a comprehensive and ongoing manner to determine which modes of communication are most appropriate for that student. Individual communication modes may vary and need to be identified, taught, refined, and /or expanded upon. Some students may even need to have meaning assigned to some of their naturally occurring behaviors (e.g. movements; facial expressions; vocalizations) so that they might begin intentionally to use these behaviors to communicate. Such a process should result in a student having ongoing access to and use of an effective system of communication.

In interactions with a student, it is critical to be aware of and respond immediately and consistently to any form of communication exhibited by the student, especially one of a subtle nature. In so doing, one is helping the student understand and come to expect that a communication causes others to act or respond. If such student communications are not attended to, the student most likely will discontinue communication since his/her communicative intent is not being realized.

It is beneficial to use a variety of communicative means (e.g. pictures, speech, gestures) when the student is engaged in receptive communication, even if some of these means appear to be of a nature that is beyond a student’s present cognitive level. However, a student should be taught and then have access to a means of communicating expressively that is consistent with that student’s present cognitive level.

It is critical that a student’s requests/directives and rejections/protests be addressed. Even if it is determined that the student’s attempt to control the environment cannot be accommodated, the attempt should at least be acknowledged.

To maximize a student’s social interactions, emphasis needs to be placed on providing a student with an opportunity to communicate in the context of authentic situations and environments.


A student’s alternative/augmentative communication system (e.g. a device, board, and/or set of tangible symbols) needs to be accessible to the student throughout the day - at home, at school, and in community settings.

Significant emphasis should be placed on encouraging a student’s communication partners to accept and respond to alternate/augmentative forms of communication.

In order to interpret a student’s utterance or other communication as a request, it is subsequently necessary for the student to accept/interact with the referred to object/action/person. Otherwise, it may be that the student is merely recognizing the existence of an object/action/person.

To the greatest extent possible, and certainly to the degree mandated by a student’s IEP and by applicable educational regulations, a student should be learning to socially interact with students receiving general education services.

Certainly there is value in social interactions that occur between students and adults. Adults are able to provide appropriate models of communication and to respond readily to student initiations of communications. However, a significant emphasis also needs to be placed on providing opportunities for students to interact with peers (those receiving general and special education services).

When teaching a student to use a communication system expressively, it is critical that an instructor consistently model the use of the system in communications with the student.

The District 75 Office of Technology Solutions provides resources to students, staff, administrators, and parents in the areas of instructional, informational, and assistive technologies.


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