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Differentiated Instruction Lesson Plan: Still-Life

EDU 723 Teaching and Learning in Inclusion Settings The University of New England Megan Badger 08/04/2013

4th Grade Still-Life Drawing Lesson Plan Lesson Overview

This is a still-life drawing lesson plan for an 8th grade studio art class that consists of 15 students. It is designed to be taught for a 45 minute class period that will last for approximately 2 weeks. The focus of this lesson is to see how successfully the students can apply their knowledge and skills of drawing into the practice of drawing a 3 dimensional still life on a 2 dimensional surface. They will also learn how to identify any strengths and weaknesses of their or others drawing and deliver a critical analysis of how successful the composition is.

Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to: Apply their knowledge and skills of drawing to create a successful still-life composition that shows an understanding of 3 dimensional shapes using perspective, line, shape, value, and texture in a 2 dimensional space. Identify strengths and weaknesses within their own composition and others and be able to deliver a critical analysis of how the elements and techniques work well or not in a drawing composition.

Standards
NY.ART.K-12.1 Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts NY.ART.7-9.VA.1.1 Students will make works of art that explore different kinds of subject matter, topics, themes, and metaphors. Students will understand and use sensory elements, organizational principles, and expressive images to communicate their own ideas in works of art. Students will use a variety of art materials, processes, mediums, and techniques, and use appropriate technologies for creating and exhibiting visual art works NY.ART.7-9.VA.1.1.1 produce a collection of art works, in a variety of mediums, based on a range of individual and collective experiences NY.ART.7-9.VA.1.1.5 identify and use, in individual and group experiences, some of the roles and means for designing, producing, and exhibiting art works and discuss ways to improve them NY.ART.K-12.3 Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought. NY.ART.7-9.VA.3.1 Students will reflect on, interpret, and evaluate works of art, using the language of art criticism. Students will analyze the visual characteristics of the natural and built

environment and explain the social, cultural, psychological, and environmental dimensions of the visual arts. Students will compare the ways in which a variety of ideas, themes, and concepts are expressed through the visual arts with the ways they are expressed in other disciplines NY.ART.7-9.VA.3.1.1 discuss and write their analyses and interpretations of their own works of art and the art of others, using appropriate critical language NY.ART.7-9.VA.3.1.2 identify, analyze, and interpret the visual and sensory characteristics that they discover in natural and human-made forms

Instructional Activities
Anticipatory Set
Description of the Lesson Launch activity:

Introduce the lesson on still-life drawings Hand out graphic organizer (review as class) Power Point Presentation SMART Board Activity (students will interact with the smart board to show their understanding of what was taught in the power point presentation) View Finder Activity (students will learn how to make and use a view finder to help them plan out a composition as well as view the shapes and perspective of the still life materials) Drawing Activity (students will practice drawing preliminary sketches of the still life to understand shape and perspective. I will be walking around the room to help guide students through this process and observe their skills) Coke Bottle Activity (students will be practicing and understanding shading/gradient techniques to help make their still-life shapes three dimensional, this will be done as a whole class activity)

-Review the foundations of drawing a still-life, and how to create a successful composition. -Show examples of previous student work -Introduce the lesson's activity by handing out the rubric and discussing it as a class

Still-Life Lesson Instructional Activities

Description of how objectives will be communicated to students: The objectives will be communicated verbally, displayed on their rubric handout, and written on the chalkboard in order to meet the needs of different learners. Description of the relevance of the learning: A still-life drawing is a great way for students to learn the foundations of drawing, the elements of art, and understanding of a visual composition. The foundations of drawing can also help students to understand and be skillful with other art mediums. They will learn how to create the illusion of three-dimensional objects in a two-dimensional space. Learning to draw a still-life will also help students to become more aware of how to create a visually strong composition that is appealing to the viewers. Once a student understands what they see and how to draw it accurately based on the elements of drawing they will be able to distinguish it within other works of art they produce. When drawing a still-life students are creating a composition, it is essential for students to know and understand how to create a visually successful composition and critique it based on technical and visual merit.

Introduce New Information & New Concepts

Students will be given a graphic organizer to fill out during class with both examples and definitions so they can refer back to it when needed during the process of their major projects. Show a power point presentation that teaches the students what a still-life drawing is, what the foundations of drawing a still-life are, and how to create a successful composition. During this presentation students will be placed strategically in an area that will help them pay attention or see the content better. Students will partake in a smart board activity where they will be asked to point out, outline, or color parts of a still life to show their understanding of what elements make up a still life. All students will be given an opportunity to participate in this activity. I will ask my higher functioning students to answer complex questions or complete a harder task and my average-low functioning students to answer questions or complete a task that is appropriate to their level of learning. Students will complete multiple mini activities to help them understand the principles and elements of art including in the drawing process such as shape, line, value, texture, etc. I chose to incorporate multiple activities to accommodate the different learning styles/needs of my students. My goal is to help them be as prepared as possible for their final still-life drawing. Students will learn the foundations of a still-life drawing (Shape, Value, Shading/Highlighting, Foreground, Background, etc.) and learn how to apply it to their own drawings. This will be learned during the view finder, preliminary sketches, and coke bottle activities discussed above. During the final project I will be walking around the room and providing feedback or guidance to each of my students when needed based on the information/techniques taught during the launch lesson.

Students will be introduced to what makes an art composition successful with provided examples and descriptions. The view finder activity will be presented to help my students better understand this objective. By creating their own still-life composition students will be able to grasp an understanding through their own experiences how to apply the fundamentals of drawing accurate three-dimensional still-life objects in a successful two-dimensional composition. Students will also learn how to critically analyze their compositions based on visual aesthetics, and technical skills. If I feel the students still dont understand how to do this successfully I will have them participate in mock critiques and facilitate the discussions to help them use vocabulary appropriately and become aware of what to look for in the composition.

Assessments
Formative Assessments Graphic Organizer Questions asked periodically throughout lesson to check for understanding SMART Board Activity View Finder Activity Preliminary Sketches Coke Bottle Activity Observations: I will be observing students throughout each activity and during the process of their final project to make sure each student is on task and understands the lesson. I will be providing guidance or modifications when needed during my observations.

Summative Assessments Rubric (Final Drawing) Critique

Still-Life Drawing Rubric and Critique Rubrics

CATEGORY Shading Skill 4
The light source is evident and the transitions from light to dark are smooth. The cast shadows are appropriate.

3
The light source is evident and the transitions from light to dark are mostly smooth. The cast shadows are mostly in the appropriate places. Student lacked composition, yet made good use of space and filled the page.

2
The light source appears to come from several directions and there are not very many different values. The cast shadows may not even exist. Student chose interesting composition, yet did fill the page.

1
It is difficult to detect a light source, there is only dark and light values and no cast shadows.

7 Score

Composition

Student chose interesting composition, demonstrated good use of space and filled the page.

Student lacked composition and did not fill the page.

Craftsmanship The drawing and shading

shows excellent craftsmanship with no smudges, wrinkles, stray marks, erasures, tears, etc.

The drawing and shading shows good craftsmanship with only a few smudges, wrinkles, stray marks, erasures, tears, etc Class time was used wisely. Student could have put in more effort on the finished project.

The drawing and shading shows average craftsmanship with several smudges, wrinkles, stray marks, erasures, tears, etc. Class time was not always used wisely, but student did plan the project well.

The drawing and shading shows poor craftsmanship and is very messy

Time & Effort

Class time was used wisely. Much time and effort went into the planning and design of this project. It is clear the student worked well to complete this project.

Class time was not used wisely and the student put in no additional effort.

______

Category
Description

4
Make a complete detailed description of the subject matter and/or element seen in a work.

3
Make a detailed description of most of the subjects matter and/or element in a work. Accurately describes a couple of the dominant elements and principles used by the artist and accurately relates how these are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork. Student identifies the literal meaning of the work.

2
Make a detailed description of some of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the artist, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the artwork.

1
Descriptions are not detailed or complete.

Score

Analysis

Accurately describes several dominant elements or principles used by the artist and accurately relates how they are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the art work,

Has trouble picking out the dominant elements.

Interpretation

Evaluation

Forms a somewhat reasonable hypothesis about symbolic meaning or metaphorical meaning and is able to support this with evidence from the work. Uses multiple criteria to judge the artwork, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas.

Student can relate how the work makes him/her personally feel.

Student finds it difficult to interpret the meaning of the work

Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the work.

Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately.

Evaluated artwork as good or bad based on personal taste.

Closure
-Students will do a class critique analyzing each others and their own works based on the objectives and the basic elements of drawing. -Students work will be displayed in the school hall way or display case for everyone to view.

Materials Needed
-Various white still life objects (boxes, balls, cylinders, vases, jugs, etc.) -Work lamps -17" X 22" drawing paper -Pencils -Blender Tools -Erasers -Index Cards -Scissors -Coke Bottle Template Worksheet -Printed Graphic Organizer -8 1/2 X 11 Inch Copy Paper -Computer (PPT) -SMART Board

Teaching Notes
8th Grade Launch Lesson: Still-Life Drawings -A bulletin board will be made to displayed all the information and techniques taught so the students could refer to it when needed. -Pass out graphic organizers (tell students to fill in as lecture/presentations are going on) Note* Print out a graphic organizer that is size 18 font to accommodate student with visual impairments.

-Show power point presentation -Do smart board activity with student based on what they learned from the power point presentation -View finder demonstration then have students make their own view finder and practice using it like a camera to plan out their composition and see the shapes of objects from different perspectives -Pass out copy paper and ask the students to complete 3 preliminary sketches of the still life (all different views) they should use their view finders to help them if needed -Pass out coke bottle activity followed by a demonstration/example. The students will use multiple shading techniques to show how to shade a 2 dimensional shape into a 3 dimensional object. Walk around room to make sure students are on task and are demonstrating the activities objectives. Class Agenda for Still-Life drawing Project -Review the foundations of drawing a still-life -Provide previous student examples -Hand out rubrics and discuss as a class -Go over objectives and write them on the chalk board -Deliver lesson activity: -Students will be asked to draw a visually successful composition based on the still-life set up provided to them in class. Each students work desk will have a complete still-life containing 6-10 white objects. A work light will be used to cast shadows and highlights on the objects. Students are to complete the still life in pencil ONLY using a range of black, grays, and white to create the illusion of depth and space. They will have multiple days to complete the project, up to at least 2 weeks. -Set up an all white still-life on each work desk on a piece of wood so it can be removed and kept the same throughout the entire project. It should contain a white sheet of paper underneath and 610 different objects. -Set up work lamps to produce shadow and highlight on the objects. Place tape in spots where the work lamps are placed to be sure they are placed in the same position every time the still life is set up. It is important that both the objects and lighting stay the same throughout the entire drawing process. -Hand out 17" X 22" sheets of drawing paper, drawing pencils, erasers, and blending tools.

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-While students are working walk around the room observing their progress and providing help or suggestions. -Allow students time to clean up 5-7 minutes before class ends, have them put their names on the back of their drawing and place them in their work drawer.

8th Grade Still-Life Drawing Graphic Organizer

*Note Vocabulary glossary is found on the last pages of this graphic organizer. 1. What is a still-life drawing?

2. List 3 Foundations that make up a still-life drawing: 1. 2. 3.

3. What techniques are used to create the illusion of a three-dimensional object in a twodimensional composition?

4. What are some of the techniques artists use to create a successful still -life composition?

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5. Fill in the gradient scale with a pencil showing the grey shades between white and black.

White

Grey Scale

Black

6. Fill in each square with a different technique to create texture such as cross hatching, stippling, or shading. (Think about something bumpy, smooth, or furry)

7. Using three different colored writing utensil (such as colored pencils), outline the objects basic shape, shadows, and highlights in the image below.

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Example: Step By Step

1.

1. Actual Still-life set up

2.

2. Drawing basic shapes seen

3.

3. Showing positive and negative space

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4.

4. Adding detail with more shapes and line

5/6.

5/6. Adding in Value and High light to create shape and form (3D)

7.

7. Finished still-life Composition

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Vocabulary List for Still Life Unit -Value: The lightness and darkness of a color. -Shape: An area within a composition that has boundaries that separate it from what surrounds it, making it distinct. -Foreground: the part of a scene situated towards the front or nearest to the viewer -Middle ground: The objects or area of a picture that is in between the foreground and background. -Background: The part of a pictorial representation that appears to be in the distance and that provides relief for the principal objects in the foreground. -Texture: The surface character of materials as experienced by the sense of touch. -Texture gradient: The fact that nearby objects appear more textured than distant objects; a method in two-dimensional works whereby the artists creates the illusion of depth by making objects designated as nearby more detailed in texture. -Brightness gradient: The fact that nearby objects appear brighter than distant objects; a method in two-dimensional works whereby the artist creates the illusion of depth by making objects designated as nearby brighter. -Proportion: The comparative relationship, or ratio (size), of things to one another. - Overlapping: A method of creating the illusion of space by having objects designated to be closer to the viewer partly or completely block the view of more distant objects. -Highlighting: the exaggeration or emphasis of light areas in the composition. -Focal point: An area or part of a composition that seizes and maintains the viewers attention. -Cross-hatching: The creation of shading in a drawing or etching through the use of intersecting sets of parallel lines. -Stippling: is the creation of a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots. -Composition: Composition is the term used for the arrangements of the elements in or the subject matter of an art work. A successful composition draws in the viewer and pulls their eye across the whole artwork so that everything is taken in and finally settles on the main subject of the painting

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Example classroom layout and placements of students:

Based on my students previous performances throughout the beginning of this school year I have categorized them into ability groups to better explain my reasoning for differentiating my instruction. I base these abilities on various homework assignments, art projects, small activities, and quizzes that are given in my class throughout the year. Higher Functioning Students in the Art Classroom and Differentiated Instruction

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I have four higher functioning students in this 8th grade studio art class. Three of which are female and are very close friends and one a male who is a more independent worker. These four students are able to work independently at their own level with little to no continuing support. These students need to be consistently challenged so that they remain engaged in the activity and are enhancing their skills/techniques. This particular project involves less collaboration and more independent work. These students will be placed strategically around the still life so that they are looking at an area that will be more challenging to draw. In turn those students who are at a lower level will be placed in front of an area in which the still life display will be easier to draw. I also encouraged them to incorporate enhanced drawing skills into their project throughout the process that was not required or yet taught to the whole class. These four students were also asked to complete a more thorough critique with each other and to assist or encourage their peers when it came time to their critiques. These students usually finish their projects quicker than their peers so I gave them a mini lesson to complete that was a spin off the still-life drawings. This mini lesson encouraged them to become familiar with other artists, art styles, techniques, and skills. Average to Low Functioning Students in the Art Classroom and Differentiated Instruction As mentioned with the higher level learners, all of the students will be placed strategically around the still life in areas that will be easier or harder to draw and can keep them on task. These students will be sitting in front of the long section of the still life where the number of objects and their placement should allow them to draw at their levels. Also in this group there are two students who like to get chatty so they will be placed on opposite ends, even though they are sitting in the same area. Any other changes due to behaviors will be made by slightly moving the students or having more of a teacher presence around those students. I

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created several different instructional activities before the students worked on their final drawing to better meet my students individual learning styles/needs. Throughout the drawing process I also walked around the room to encourage or assist the students in any way and to ensure they were staying on task. Note* for any students who finished this project early they were asked to complete a still-life collage project or to work on homework this way they were not a distraction to others while they finished.

Students with IEPs in the Art Classroom and Differentiated Instruction STUDENT A: Student A is identified with a learning disability in the following areas: reading skills, reading comprehension, math calculation, math reasoning, and written expression which has affected her progress toward the standards at the same rate as her peers. Student A is entitled to be in a small teacher to student ratio program, with structured setting/routine and minimal distractions. This will help her adequately receive 1:1 help from the teacher for specific skills.

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Instruction needs to be presented in small steps and often repeated; also the use of verbal prompts/cues will be needed to help reinforce an understanding, especially for independent work. She needs to be reminded to focus and pay attention to detail in her work. She can receive and is encouraged to use additional time to complete tasks/assignments in mainstream classrooms. She is required to take class notes independently, however she needs to be given a copy of them at the end of class. Homework and vocabulary needs to be modified by 25-50% to focus on key concepts and terms. A graphic organizer and word process is required to help aid her with organization and ideas. In any case where mathematics is presented student A needs to have access to a calculator to help aid with calculations. Student A is a middle school student with reading, writing, and mathematical difficulties. She is an extremely hard worker and will give you all she can. She is respectful towards adults and her peers, and is always pleasant in the classroom setting. She is also very reliable to ask about social situation where someone was misbehaving. She tends to be bothered by comments of others and will report them to a trusted adult. She is also able to adhere to all classroom and school rules. The modifications that were made in the still-life unit for student A were minor. Student A is in my smallest 8th grade group of students which benefits her greatly because it gives me more individual time with her, which her IEP requires. She is a capable student; however she struggles in art with complex thinking and minor fine motor skills such as drawing. At the beginning of the unit I taught a lesson using a PowerPoint presentation, short lecture, and I handed out a graphic organizer to go along with the lesson. The graphic organizer is a great tool for students with learning disabilities because it helps them to practice skills, remember information, stay organized, and pay attention to the information being taught. To go along with

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student As graphic organizer I also printed off the power point slides and wrote a few notes with it so she could refer back to if needed. It is required in her IEP that she takes class notes on her own but they need to be distributed to her at the end of class. As a closure to the lesson and a launch to the next one I asked all the students questions based on what was already taught , this way not only where all the students getting involved but the information was being reiterated to both student A and the rest of the class. For the entire still-life projects I made sure to allow student A extra time to work on them, extra time in her other general education classes is required. I feel that allowing her the extra time it will prevent her from rushing, and she will be less stressed and more focused on completing the task at her own pace. Student As IEP stressed encouragement and guidance. Throughout the unit I provided consistent encouragement, guidance, and reward to help her stay on task, and feel competent with her work. Students who struggle with learning need to be reminded to stay on track and constantly need encouragement and reward so that they do not feel worthless or incapable. At the end of the Unit I required the students to participate in a group critique. I modified this part of the lesson by pairing Student A with a high achieving student. I felt by doing this Student A would benefit by working with someone who understood and knew the information. This way that student could interpret it to her in a way that she would understand it. STUDENT B: Student B is identified with the disability of emotional disturbance, his distractibility and behavioral/emotional concerns affect his ability to progress towards the learning standards and appropriate social relations. Student B has a 1:1 aide, because he needs supervision to function appropriately in the general educational setting. He needs teacher redirection, proximity, and refocusing to stay on task to ensure academic success. Re-teaching is necessary and firm, direct,

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consistent expectations and consequences are essential. He requires a highly structured program yet he needs a flexible approach to allow him the feeling of having choices and options. The 1:1 aide helps him to remain aware of and follow the clearly defined rules, expectations, and consequences with a consistent approach. I make sure to discuss both the objectives and provide extra handouts to the paraprofessional so that she is informed of the information being taught ahead of time and has the examples to reiterate or guide student B as well as others in any way possible. Student B is in the process of learning and coping with the responsibility of being in charge of himself and his own actions. He responds well to positive praise, rewards and encouragement. Therefore modeling, prompting and praise/encouragement are important for student B to see the benefits of positive/social interactions and to find better choices. He can easily get frustrated with his behaviors and will give up on himself, so he needs to develop an understanding that the adults who may provide correction for inappropriate behaviors still like him and care about him. He needs to continue to learn appropriate coping skills when feeling frustrated and angry, encouragement to seek support to talk out his frustrations and anger is important so that he will avoid displaying it in the classroom. Fresh starts and a creative environment are important for him to continue his day when something goes wrong. Student B is a capable student academically, he struggles with the motivation and desire to put forth the best of his ability. He demonstrates a quick wit, average capabilities, and a creative mind, his struggle is focusing those skills in the proper direction. He has personal inner issues that tend to overshadow the importance of academics within his school day. His lack of self-esteem, feelings of being odd, creepy, and dark make him feel like he doesnt fit in. His desire to perform for his peers interferes with his success in the classroom. He can be disruptive by demanding attention in a negative way. Before the addition of his 1:1 aide he would often

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display tantrums where he was defiant. Those episodes involved threats to self/others, swearing, violent statements, and aggression. His 1:1 aide provides support and encouragement when behavior issues arise. Student B enjoys computer use, free time, reading, music, and competitive play. Any type of activity that involves physical contact with others needs to be supervised at this point. He is an active child, therefore can be easily distracted. With prompting, he can be cooperative, creative, and personable. He is aware of privileges and consequences when he is feeling settled. Impulsive and oppositional behaviors have interfered with his selfcontrol and strongly affected peer situations and settings. If he makes a negative choice, he will rationalize his inappropriate behavior by placing blame on others. When he feels wrongly blamed, he has retaliated through physical means or verbally venting. Student B is a high functioning student, he is very intelligent and capable of completing the same tasks as his peers. This unit would need slight modifications to fulfill his needs. The modification that would need to be made would be strictly to help prevent behavior problems. The goal for this student to learn best and produce successful work is to maintain his behavior by avoiding distractions to him and to help prevent him from distracting his peers within the classroom. To help maintain this students constant attention he will be placed away from certain students and in a direct view of the still-life away from distracting stimuli. This will not only help control him from being distracted but also keep him from distracting others. Placing him in a direct view point will also help him to focus on what he is working on. He will need to be reminded about basic behavior; such as touching the still-life objects. If behavior does become an issue it is vital to be direct and firm and most often times use non-verbal cues to avoid embarrassment. Avoiding embarrassment will help the student maintain and control his behavior in the classroom. His IEP stated how he needed to focus on discovering behavior problems on

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his own and correcting them, embarrassing him will only make or cause worst issues. One of the most important aspects to remember is to give this student constant praise and encouragement. He strives to achieve acceptance/ attention so it is important to check on him frequently and display constant praise and self-assurance to this student throughout his work. When the project is completed a class critique will be done to close the lesson. The students will be asked to work in pairs and critique another students art work based on specific points. To modify this particular part of the lesson for the student, I will go over vocabulary and specific characteristics that relate to the project. This way he can be competent in critiquing the drawings. He will also be paired with a student I feel will be a positive influence on him. This student will include someone who models good behavior and does not distract others. I will also be paying close attention to this students discussion with the other student to avoid inappropriate behavior. This unit has been almost completed and student B has done an outstanding job. There was a few times during class I had to remind him of his behavior, but he was quick to recognize it and remained back on task. STUDENT C: Student C is identified with visual impairment, known as Aniridia (absence of irises), and mild myopia (near sightedness). Student C needs to have access to her adaptive materials and devices. In addition, she needs a copy of the class notes and other distant information presented to her near-point. Notes can be provided either in advance (copied for her) or on the spot by an adult in the classroom. Student C can see best 3- 4 away and is encouraged to sit very close to any presentations or demos. She should be allowed to bring books and materials close to her face. Large print materials are needed throughout the school day. Any visually busy classroom materials (i.e. crosswords, math fact sheets, matching activities) should be modified to provide

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appropriate spacing, or avoided altogether, to help her be more successful with class work. Colored papers to cover distracting worksheets or other materials may assist with eye fatigue. Specific details from graphs and maps should be described and pointed out to her. Throughout the school day, student C should be encouraged to use her reading stand/slant board or hand held magnifier as appropriate (if print/detail is too small or busy, and cannot be made enlarged otherwise). She wears glasses, mainly for their ability to tint light (transition lenses). She often needs prompts as to when she will need to wear her glasses because she will consistently choose not to use them. She needs to be seated near instruction, with her back to window light, as light interferes with her vision. Reading or other instruction involving intensive use of her eyes over a long period of time begins to become difficult for her, breaks should be provided as necessary. To be successful on exams or other printed work student C needs them printed in a large font (18), she is given permission to go to a special location with minimal distractions, and double the time. Student C seems to put forth her best effort in any and all given tasks. She participates in class activities and discussion regularly. She completes most of her homework assignments successfully, and does well on most of her exams. She is such a hard worker and loves to please her teachers. Socially she is an appropriate student. Shes polite and friendly to both her peers and adults most of the time. Although she does not share personal/private concerns or thoughts with her teachers, she has grown in her ability to seek out her councilor in times of stress. Student C is very proud of her accomplishments and makes a great leader in various group or classroom situations. Before I began teaching the still-life unit I approached student Cs special education teacher with a few questions, and for her advice after reading her IEP; the teacher was

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very helpful and gave me a few suggestions that helped greatly. There were several modifications I had to use during the still-life unit to help benefit the needs of student C. During the beginning of the unit I showed a PowerPoint presentation, lectured information, and handed out a graphic organizer to all of the students. For student C I discreetly asked her to move up close to the front of the room where I was lecturing and showing the PowerPoint presentation. She does not like to be viewed different so I tried to make everything as normal as possible for her while knowing it would still assist her individual needs. I gave her a copy of the PowerPoint slides enlarging both the font and images this way she could follow along and have the comfort of seeing the information 3-4 away from her. Her IEP stated how her vision could only focus on seeing things up to 3-4 inches away. I also made her graphic organizer a minimum of 18 point font size so she could clearly read the information. With the graphic organizer I gave her a sheet of colored construction paper to help her focus and avoid distractions, this helped her to focus on one question at a time. When I would give directions/instructions or do a demo I would have her sit close to the front of the room to see both my examples and the demonstration better. When I was done explaining things I would then bring my examples directly to her so she could see them up close, and often ask her if she needed me to show the demonstration again or re-explain things, because her IEP said she often will not ask for help on her own to avoid embarrassment. Before she began drawing the actual still-life I set it up ahead of time and had her come in on her own time to discuss what would work best for her. Student C likes to be very independent, she tries to avoid being seen as different or impaired. Therefore private discussions and suggestions help her and her teachers figure out the best scenario for her. I gave her a few options; 1) setting up her own still-life so she could move it close to her, 2) having her sit closest to the still life set up at her table, or 3) taking a photograph of it for an up close visual reference. I wanted student

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C to feel as comfortable and independent as possible by giving her options that I knew would all benefit her visual impairment. She choose to have a photo reference and sit close enough to the still-life that she could use both to guide her when drawing. During the process of drawing her still-life I would often remind her to take a break to rest her eyes because drawing can be very straining. I would also remind/encourage her to use her adaptive materials such as her glasses, slant board, and magnifier when I felt they were appropriately needed. She is required to use these materials; however she often will avoid it so encouragement is essential. Student C was also given extra time to finish her work, however because she is such a hard worker she finished everything that was asked of her on time along with the rest of her class. For the unit critique I had the student get into group of two. For student C I planned it so that she would be paired with a student that I knew would be capable of reading and helping explain information in regards to the critique. For this particular student because she had a physical impairment that interfered with her learning I made sure to follow the needs that were listed in her IEP in the most creative way that would benefit her best. Reflection: Since it is summer time I chose this lesson that I was able to complete this past school year, which showed modifications that were made to address the various learning needs of this group of 8th graders. Overall the lesson went very well and I only had to make some minor changes from my original lesson, which was made to address behavioral issues. I had to move several students around during the anticipatory set because some students would not stop talking to each other during my lectures. I also had to make sure that I was in close proximity to these students throughout the activity to keep them focus and stay on track.

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Having an understanding of the learning styles of this particular group of students from previous units allowed me to create numerous learning approaches. The multiple approaches in the anticipatory set, like using the Smartboard, PowerPoint, and hands-on activities definitely captured the students attention and met the needs of my three special education students. Using visual and verbal strategies to present information seems to be very effective with this group of students. As I mentioned in the student breakdowns/descriptions for my students with special needs, several modifications were made to help these students get through this activity. Student B was very engaged in the activity and remained focused most of the time which allowed his 1:1 aide to help support several students next to him and made sure that those students were focused. I made sure to give student A a lot of verbal praise and by placing student A next to two of my higher level students seemed to really help her confidence. Even though I allotted extra time for her, she did not end up needing it and was able to produce quality work. All of the students were able to complete the still life drawing lesson, even though it took student C an extra day to complete the drawing, which I had planned for. Due to her vision problems she was given her own small still life to draw, which helped because the rest of the class was still able to clean up and complete their drawings. I feel that the modifications that were made for this lesson were appropriate and allowed for all of these students to be productive. However, having already taught this lesson I included changes from my original version for this assignment, such as seating arrangements, and use of multiple instructional activities. I would definitely use these modifications or similar ones for future units with this group of students.