The students at Rover Middle School had just finished a P. E. activity, which
required group work. Joe was complaining because his team didn't score as high as
the other teams. The teacher had excused one member of Joe's team from
participating in the final phase. Joe felt that this was unfair to him and the other
members of his team. "Why is he in our class anyway?," he shouted.
The teacher blew his whistle and all of the teams rushed to the center of the floor.
He held in his hand a sheet of paper on which was written "Declaration of Rights of
the Child." He dismissed all students except Joe. He was asked to stay.
The teacher then read the rest of the sheet of paper to Joe. "The child who is
physically, mentally, or socially disabled shall be given the special treatment,
education, and the care required by his particular condition."
“Tomorrow,” he said, “we will share with the group how each of us is responsible
for the success of each member of the team.”
5. Discuss the situation with the students. Ask several students to explain the message
that the teacher was trying to convey to Joe. Ask students to write in their journals
whether they agree with the declaration or not and to explain why.
7. Divide the students into five groups; be sure each group has five or fewer students.
8. Each group will have the following disabling factors:
a) Place a thimble on the thumb or index finger of one student. Ask the student to
pick up paper clips or pennies from a smooth table surface and write his name
with the thimble remaining on his thumb or index finger.
b) Have one student in the group place sunglasses with waxed paper covering over
his eyes. Have the student attempt to read something posted in the classroom.
c) Have one student in the group hold Dixie cups over each ear while another
student reads a paragraph from a textbook.
d) Have one student place several jelly beans in his mouth and try to recite the
nursery rhyme:
Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
e) Have the fifth member of the group hop on one foot (must use same foot for
each assignment) to the pencil sharpener, to the door, and return to his seat.
PROTEAM DREAMQUEST CURRICULUM
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MODULE 3:
v How does our school serve students who have special needs?
v Should persons with disabilities receive special consideration at school? Why or
why not?
v Have you ever known a person with a disability? What was special about the
person?
I Can Be Different
6. Continue the discussion by using the following questions to engage the students: