Instructional Goals:

Students will use technology to broaden their awareness of people with differences.

Learning Objectives: 7th grade students, working in pairs, will use a Disabilities WebQuest to learn about people with differences by presenting their newly learned information to the class.

Motivational Goals:

1. By the end of the project, the students will have an interest and an awareness of people that have differences.

2. Students will generate an interest and show confidence using technology tools.

3. Students will establish the importance of social relationships and develop satisfaction upon completion of final presentation.

1. Each student pair requires computer with internet access to work on Disabilities WebQuest.

2. Access to computer printer for visual aid.

3. Helping Hand Job Aid (MS Word format)

4. Work Cited Job Aid (MS Word format)

5. Disabilities Webquest (MS Word and PDF format)

6. Materials for visual aid to be supplied from students' homes, if possible. (If not and budget permits, possibly art department could provide supplies.)

Day 1

1. Introduce disabilities topic in the LMC by asking questions that might be relevant to your students, which will prompt discussion. (Start with for example, Do you know someone with a disability, etc.)

2. Introduce the Disabilities Webquest by explaining their quest/task. Explain that they are about to look for a career working with people that have differences, but since there are so many different types of disabilities, they need to do research to narrow down their decision.

3. Explain that a Webquest is very involved and to eliminate confusion, they need to follow the Helping Hand Job Aid to keep them on task and focused. (Provide students with this handout at this point.)

4. Discuss vocabulary words associated with disabilities that the students might run across in their research. (For example: tolerance, impaired, inclusion, discrimination, etc. and then remind them where the dictionaries are.)

5. Proceed by telling the students that while they are doing research, they need to gather facts and/or pictures for their 2-3 minute presentation. Remind them at this point to use effective note taking skills and remind them to cite their sources. (Provide students with Work Cited Job Aid at this point.)

6. Explain to the students that there is a rubric to follow in the Webquest. (If you feel they should also have a hard copy, hand that out at this time.)

7. Explain how the students can access this Webquest in school as well as from home.

8. Explain to your students that they have about a week to complete their research and then the presentations will begin.

9. Explain to your students that your English Teacher and LMS will be walking around throughout this process in case they are having any questions and/or problems, they just need to raise their hand.

10. Ask at this point if anyone has any questions so far.

11. For the remaining time left in the period (depending on discussion time), they may either begin by choosing a partner and/or accessing the Disabilities Webquest.

Day 2-6

1. Students will begin the research through the Disabilities Webquest and will have picked a partner.

2. Both LMS and English Teacher walk around the student pairs to gather feedback on process so far.

3. On Day 6, students are reminded that this is last day for research and they need to finish this part up that day or night. (Remind them to cite their sources and follow the rubric.)

4. Students are reminded that the next day they will begin work on their visual aid and they need to bring their supplies to the LMC.

5. As the students pack up each day, before the bell, ask for volunteers to say one thing that they have learned so far about their disability they are researching.

Day 7-9

1. Students meet in the LMC with their supplies.

2. Students print out pictures and/or facts to use in their visual aid using library printers.

3. Student pairs organize their visual aid for their presentations.

4. Student pairs work on their speeches following the requirements in the rubric.

5. The LMS and English Teacher continue to walk around the library to check on progress.

6. Again, as students pack up each day, ask what have they found interesting so far.

7. Remind students that they will be meeting back in their classroom the following day to begin their 2-3 minute presentations.

Day 10-14

1. Begin class by explaining that while 2-3 minute presentations are going on, that the others need to be good listeners because after all the presentations are finished, they will write a paragraph on which one they liked the best and why. (Suggest that students take notes on presentations.)

2. On Day 10, begin the presentations. Remind the students that they need to have effective communication by having loud voices and good eye contact.

3. On Day 14, finish up last presentation and students write up their favorite presentation and why paragraph.

4. Ask students if they enjoyed doing a project of this nature for further reference.