Astrophysicist Dr. Wanda Diaz-Merced: Introduction to Sonification
This is a lesson about Astrophysicist and Computer Scientist Dr. Wanda Diaz-Merced who is a blind scientist who studies the stars by listening to data converted into sound through a process called sonification.
Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data. To put it more simply, Sonification is the process of using sound to convey information or turning data into sound. Sometimes, sonification can convey more detailed information better than visual representation can.
Sighted and blind people use sonification to gather information. And blind people can use sonification to study the stars and the universe.
This lesson can supplement Science units about Sound, Space, or Technology. It can even be adapted to supplement Music lessons about pitch and tone.
Image Description: The image is a digital artwork featuring a black and white photo of a Wanda Diaz Merced, who is wearing a headset with a microphone and appears to be speaking. She is set against a colorful, abstract background that includes a large orange circle, a smaller yellow circle, and a blue brushstroke. There are also various abstract shapes and patterns, including dots and lines, scattered around the image. On the left side, vertically, it says "SONIFICATION OF STARS" and on the right side, horizontally, it reads "WANDA DIAZ MERCED" in yellow text.
Calculating the Distance Lesson by Rick Hansen Foundation
In this lesson, students complete grade-appropriate math problems using facts and figures from Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. Students will examine mathematical problems evolving out of the day-to-day challenges of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. Students will apply multiplication and division skills to real-life math problems. Students will apply conversion skills to real-life math problems.
Image Description: Logo of Rick Hansen Foundation.
Circles Lesson Plan
This lesson will use wheelchair wheels to teach the concept of circles. Students will identify circles in wheelchair wheels and then draw/sculpt their own.
Image description: 2 wheelchairs and 4 circles
Designing with Disability in Mind
This lesson plan combines geometry with social awareness by exploring some of the principles of universal design and accessibility.
Over two class periods, students review key geometric concepts such as area, perimeter, and volume, and apply these concepts to redesign public spaces to meet accessibility standards. Through video content, class discussions, and hands-on design activities, students learn the importance of creating inclusive environments for people with disabilities. To share their work and demonstrate their learning, students will engage in a “gallery walk” to debut their group presentations of redesigned floor plans.
Image Description: Graphic showing 9 features of accessible design used at the Ed Roberts Campus
How to be a Kind Helper Lesson
This lesson teaches students the qualities of being a Kind helper and how to put them into practice. Students will listen to a person with a disability and their personal assistant about what it means to be a Kind helper. After the talk, students will have a chance to ask questions about helping. Students will learn that open communication is key to a Kind helper relationship. Students will learn that a person with a disability can live full productive lives with the help of their personal attendant.
Image description: 9 raised hands with the words “How to be a Kind Helper”
It Feels Like Spring: How We Experience the Seasons Through Our Senses
After listening to the book, “Naomi Knows It’s Springtime” by Virginia Kroll, the students will consider how Naomi experiences springtime, and how they experience springtime with the senses they have. Then, they will further explore the tactile experience of springtime objects combined with a Math lesson.
Image description: Cover of the book “Naomi Knows It’s Springtime" showing a grassy field, someone pushing a lawnmower in the background, a girl with braided hair and a dog to her side, tail in the air, facing us seated at a garden
Measurement Lesson Plan
This lesson will help teach measurement by having students estimate the width of doorways and then measure doorways to determine if they are wide enough to meet ADA standards.
Image description: 5 wheelchairs with a yellow tape measure curled over them
Mechanical Engineering: Wheels and Gears - How One Invention Can Lead to Another featuring Ralph Teetor
This lesson is a STEM lesson followed by a History lesson with an ELA activity. The STEM lesson explores basic concepts of mechanical engineering and physics while showing that the parts, knowledge and skills used to develop old, even ancient machines can be used to create new machines.
The students will learn that machines are made up of smaller parts and that often the same parts are recombined to make sometimes very different machines. These parts operate according to standard scientific principles. The students will explore wheels and gears as they think about the small parts that machines like bicycles and cars have in common. They will think about how the same parts can be combined to invent new machines.
During the next part of the lesson, the students will learn about Ralph Teetor, the blind mechanical engineer, who built on his knowledge of bicycles and used his degrees in Mechanical Engineering to become a successful businessman and automotive engineer. He invented modern cruise control among many other things, often—but not exclusively—leading to improvements in the design of automobiles.
Students will gain a better idea about how inventors use their existing knowledge and education to invent new things. They will learn that sometimes prejudice leads people to be resistant to new ideas, while imagination, work, and education can lead to new opportunities and inventions. When these students are older, when they think about cruise control, they’ll remember that blind people—just like sighted people—can have a variety of talents, skills, and interests.
Image Description: 4 gears in shades of blue on a background of grey gears
New York Times: Learning With: ‘Adaptive Video Game Controllers Open Worlds for Gamers With Disabilities’
This lesson explores how adaptive video game controllers are transforming gaming for players with disabilities. Students will first reflect on their own gaming experiences before analyzing a commercial and reading an article about accessibility in gaming. Through discussion questions, they will examine the challenges faced by disabled gamers, how technology has evolved to be more inclusive, and the broader impact of adaptive controllers. The lesson encourages critical thinking about accessibility in technology and invites students to consider how they would design more inclusive gaming experiences.
Image Description: "The Learning Network Teaching & Learning with the New York Times" Below the text is an illustration of a green chalkboard with a lightning bolt.
Play Map: Designing Inclusive Spaces
Students will map out where they have recess. Students will be asked to reflect on the physical accessibility of their environment (i.e. 3 steps to go from classroom to outside, playground has woodchips and a step up). They will draw out a map for their current environment and then create new map that is a inclusive play area.
Image description: wheelchair accessible playground equipment and people playing on it
Racialization of Disability Lesson
In this lesson, students will read and discuss Douglas Baynton’s Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History. Students will participate in a discussion about the racialization of disability and the intersections of ableism and racism.
Image description: Photograph of James Baldwin and the quote “We can disagree & still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression & denail of my humanity & right to exist” - James Baldwin
Social Model and Accessibility Proposal
In this lesson students will survey their school environment, learn from a person(s) with a disability and research accessibility in schools. Students will have a chance to ask the speaker(s) questions and have a discussion with speaker(s) about the Social Model of Disability. They will use the information collected to design a brand-new school building with full accessibility for people with disabilities.
Image description: Illustration of a person seated in a wheelchair at the bottom of a set of stairs. There is a sign at the bottom of the stairs pointing to the stairs that says “WAY IN Everyone Welcome!”
Statistics and Disability Representation
This lesson integrates statistics with disability acceptance to enhance both mathematical understanding and social awareness. Over the course of three class periods, students analyze statistical data related to disabilities such as employment rates, educational attainment, and media representation. Students will then create various types of graphs, and discuss the representation and treatment of people with disabilities in society.
The lesson includes a mix of video content, group discussions, data analysis, and presentations, culminating in a reflection activity to deepen students' empathy and awareness. By engaging with real-world data, students develop their skills in calculating mean, median, mode, and range, while also promoting inclusivity and acceptance.
Image Description: Person in wheelchair pointing to a stylized web browser with various graphs and charts on it. The accessibility icon is in the bottom left-hand corner.
The Toy Box: Introducing Disability Lesson
In this lesson students will get to explore and examine toy and adult versions of accessibility devices. The idea is to introduce disability to students using tactile and observational learning. Students will learn that all these devices are for people with disabilities to live their lives, enjoy themselves and access the community. It is no different from the everyday tools we use throughout our lives.
Image description: a photograph or an open toy box with the word “TOYS” on the front
Understanding Ramp Slope and Disability Accessibility
In this lesson, students will explore the concept of slope, learn to calculate it using coordinates, and graph linear equations. They will apply this knowledge to real-world scenarios, such as designing wheelchair ramps, and emphasizing accessibility. Additionally, students will learn about universal design principles and the importance of considering people with disabilities in their designs.
Image Description: graphic of a person seated in a wheelchair at the base of a ramp with a handrail. A faded city skyline is in the background.