This artifact was designed for a 9th - 10th grade English class with a total of 7 students.

This is a

self-contained classroom with IND (intellectually disabled) students and one ESOL Level 1

student. Building on the topic of drunk driving in the novel Tears of a Tiger, students were asked

to elicit prior knowledge and analyze various drunk driving scenarios as well as describe what

they would do in said scenario. This instructional event would then be followed with a video, and

students inferring and discussing situations in pre-selected groups. Students were told to actively

listen to the video on drunk driving and the importance of getting out of certain situations in

which there would be a drunk or impaired driver. Afterwards, they would get in groups and

identify the various ways that they could get out of drunk driving situations. Students were asked

to get up and move around reading and analyzing the scenarios displayed around the room. The

purpose of the video and “gallery walk” activity was to solidify the information on drunk driving

and the dangers that come along with it. Ultimately, a video and interactive activity on drunk and

impaired driving would facilitate comprehension, as well as show some ways to get out of a

dangerous situation.

The video on drunk driving was meant to be informative as well as brief and to-the-point. The

students seemed engaged and inquisitive when it came to answering questions about the video

and listening to the information that was being presented to them. Drunk driving is a topic that

the students were already familiar with, but this video provides some added information on

impaired driving and the different debilitating ways of driving. The students had no problem

asking questions during the video and afterwards. They responded well to the mini-discussion

and appeared to understand the content material. The students seemed incredibly receptive to the

note-taking strategy. It was simple and easy to follow giving them a cohesive outline of the way
notes should be taken. The interactive activity also gave them a way to organize and structure

their answers, as well as enhance their ability to work together as a group.

The video/interactive activity strategy is connected to my goal for internship because it is a new

and fresh way to introduce a concept and help maintain it in the student’s long-term memory. As

a pre-service teacher, there are several interesting and innovative research-based instructional

strategies that I plan on implementing in the classroom. This visual stimulation (YouTube video)

paired with interactive class work paired is a helpful way for students with intellectual

disabilities comprehend a story, major historical event, or concept. As I progress through

internship, utilizing a variety of research-based instructional strategies as well as tweaking them

based on student needs are two very important goals that will tie to my professional growth.

The challenges were scaffolding and using more ELL appropriate strategies for the student as

well as tying the lesson back to the novel that was being studied. While the students enjoyed the

activity as well as being able to analyze their response to certain situations, they were missing a

key element to solidify and crystallize their understanding. They required some form of tying the

activity back to the book. There must be a link between the activity as well as the novel to

enhance relevancy with the lesson. The successes took place due to the lesson’s simple and

accessible structure. The challenges took place due to a language barrier present with the ESOL

student as well as the need for more visual components.

The students responded well to the activities and strategies utilized throughout the lesson. There

was several new information that the students were introduced to concerning drunk driving and

the ways in which one could avoid it. Based on the observations made of the students,

engagement was up, and the students responded positively to the use of a more interactive lesson

that gave them the chance to move around and work together. Using the interactive and
constructive “make your own” strategy helped facilitate comprehension of the severity of drunk

driving. Researching and being able to supply the students with more background information on

certain ideas within the topic is a strategy that I will continue to work on as I move forward in

the internship.