Analyzing Text Structures with "Everyone Can Play" Lesson by CommonLit

Analyzing Text Structures with "Everyone Can Play"

*This lesson was developed by CommonLit and links to an external source.

Summary:
In this text, students will learn about how video games are being adapted to meet the needs of players with disabilities. Students will practice analyzing text structures. They will understand how paragraphs build on one another and how authors organize their writing using specific text structures such as subheadings.

Our suggestion when teaching this lesson:

The caption above the photo in Part 1 says “Video games are being changed so that everyone can play, even people with disabilities!”

We recommend adding this question to the analysis of the article, and for you as the teacher to consider on your own:

The photo in Part 1 has a caption that says “Video games are being changed so that everyone can play, even people with disabilities!”

What does the use of the word “even” in this sentence tell us about the author’s unconscious bias?

Though your students may not come up with this answer, it’s important for you as the teacher to understand this:

This word use, though subtle, reveals an unconscious bias by implying that people with disabilities are an unexpected or less likely group to be included in gaming. The word "even" suggests that including disabled people is somehow extraordinary or outside the norm, which reinforces a notion that people with disabilities are a separate group from "everyone." This reflects a perspective where accessibility for people with disabilities is seen as an afterthought or an exception, rather than a natural and expected aspect of game design.

Subject and topic: 

ELA, Diversity and Equity, Social and Emotional Learning

Grade level:

3rd

Duration: 

35 - 55 minutes

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See the lesson plan on CommonLit: Analyzing Text Structures with "Everyone Can Play"