Skills and Strategies in Focus: Gist listening and detail listening
Age and Level: High school, B2-C1
Length of Lesson: 90 minutes
Materials Needed:
Whiteboard or chalkboard (with markers and chalk)
Markers
Large poster board or large posterboard-sized piece of paper
"What Exactly is Neurodiversity?" video (Appendix A)
"What IS Neurodiversity?" worksheet w/ answer key (Appendices B & C)
"What Exactly is Neurodiversity?" transcript (Appendix D)
Students need a piece of paper and a writing utensil
For the Kahoot (Appendix E):
Students need access to a smartphone or computer
Teachers need access to a computer and projector
Alternatively, use a white/chalkboard and have students write their answers on a sheet of paper
Lesson introduction:
This lesson aims to introduce students to the concept of neurodiversity as well as specific conditions that fall under the neurodiversity umbrella.
In this lesson, students will:
Provide information for a KWL chart that the teacher can use to guide the rest of the unit (warm-up)
Expand on the information they gave for the KWL chart in a spontaneous discussion (pre-listening task)
Watch a video explaining the concept of neurodiversity (listening task)
Complete a written assignment that will require critical thinking (post-listening task)
Demonstrate their understanding through a Kahoot quiz (wrap up)
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Think critically about neurodiversity
Identify specific details from an aural text and convert it into writing
Identify the main idea from an aural text and convert it into writing
Use critical thinking to explain concepts and expand on ideas from the listening text
Demonstrate an understanding of concepts surrounding neurodiversity through a Kahoot quiz
Teachers should familiarize themselves with the concept of neurodiversity as well as be able to identify neurodiverse conditions like tourette's, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, and others.
Teachers should also familiarize themselves with the stigmas, misnomers, and offensive terminology surrounding neurodiversity (e.g., calling someone with ASD "high" or "low functioning").
Teachers must also understand that this subject may be upsetting for some students. Bullying is a real issue, and neurodiverse students should not be put on the spot or "outted."
Activity: KWL Chart
Time: 15 minutes
Materials:
Large Posterboard or large posterboard-sized paper
Markers
Instructions:
Set up a poster board or posterboard-size piece of paper in a spot that is easily seen by all students.
Create three columns on the paper or board.
Write ‘K,’ or ‘Know’ at the top of the leftmost column.
Then, write ‘W’ or ‘Want’ at the top of the middle column.
Finally, write ‘L’ or ‘Learned’ at the top of the rightmost column.
Tell the students they will be asked about a topic. We will write what they know in the ‘K’ column, what they would like to know about the topic in the ‘W’ column, and later we will write what they have learned under the ‘L’ column.
Posit this question to the class: “What do you know about neurodiversity?” It is likely students are unfamiliar with the word, so don’t be surprised if they are quiet.
If they are quiet, you could also posit the questions: "Why do people think differently? Why do people act differently?"
Steer them toward the idea that people’s brains are “wired” differently and that some differences have names.
Ask them if they’ve ever heard of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and write these terms down on the whiteboard or chalkboard. Students should hopefully be more familiar with these terms.
Explain to them that all of these conditions are different forms of neurodiversity.
Then ask them again: “What do you know about neurodiversity?”
Write down anything the students say in the ‘K’ column.
If students bring up any additional forms of neurodiversity like dyspraxia or dyscalculia, write those down on the board as well.
Then, ask them what they would like to know about neurodiversity. Write down any questions in the ‘W’ column.
Remind students we will be coming back to this chart at the end of the unit and suggest to them that they keep track of main ideas and key terms in a notebook to remember for later.
Transition into the pre-listening activity.
Activity: Student-Led Discussion
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: N/A
Instructions:
Instruct students to sit in a circle (This may require moving desks or chairs).
Tell students that they will be having a short discussion about neurodiversity. They are encouraged to talk as much as possible. The teacher should only talk when necessary to keep the conversation flowing.
Students should be encouraged to expand on what was brought up while creating the KWL chart. Here are some guiding questions that can be used to begin the conversation or when there is a lull in the discussion:
What does neurodiversity look like?
Why do we need to talk about neurodiversity?
Can you describe one of the conditions we mentioned earlier? (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, OCD, etc.)
What experiences have you had with neurodiversity or neurodiverse people?**
**Teachers should use their professional judgment and discretion before proposing this question to the class. Neurodiverse students may have been bullied for their neurodiversity and might feel embarrassed or ashamed of their differences. They should not be pressured to put themselves on the spot.
**Similarly, students should be explicitly told not to mention the names of any classmates, present or not, when giving examples, for the above reason.
The teacher should take notes while the students are talking to get a clear picture of what students understand, what they are interested in knowing, stereotypes they may subscribe to that can be addressed later, etc.
Wrap the discussion up by giving a brief oral summary of what students discussed.
If chairs or desks were moved, have students replace them. Then, transition to the listening activity.
Activity: Video Watching & Worksheet
Time: 20 minutes
Materials:
"What Exactly is Neurodiversity?" video
"What Is Neurodiversity?" worksheet
"What Exactly is Neurodiversity?" transcript
Instructions:
Pass out the activity worksheet (see Appendix B) to students. Explain that they will watch a video (Appendix A) that provides more information about neurodiversity. Ask them to look over the worksheet and ask questions/make comments about anything they don’t understand and/or recognize.
Explain to the students that they will be watching the video two times. The first time they will be listening for the gist as well as a few key vocab words.
Play the video at 0.75 speed until it reaches 3:48.
After the video has played, ask students to write down the main idea of the video and any initial thoughts or questions. Allow them to consult with each other for a minute or two to discuss what they wrote down.
Tell students that they will be watching/listening to the video a second time. This time, they should concentrate on circling the vocab that they hear/see. Play the video again.
After it has played, ask students what they circled, then ask if they can provide a definition for any of the words. Review definitions from the WS Answer Key (see Appendix C).
Tell students that they will be watching/listening to the video a second time, this time they should concentrate on filling in the blanks of the second part of the worksheet.
Play the video, but this time stopping at the timestamps listed on the worksheet for around 30 seconds to allow students time to fill in the blanks on their worksheet.
After each pause, check the students’ work by reading aloud the sentences on the worksheet, but stopping before each blank to see if the students filled in the correct response. Their responses can be checked using the WS Answer Key (see Appendix C).
Students may require or desire a third listen; this is up to the discretion of the teacher.
Additionally, you may offer the students a copy of the video transcript to help them see any ideas or words that they missed (Appendix D).
After finishing watching the video for a second time, ask students to turn to a neighbor and share at least one new/interesting thing that they learned from the listening activity. After students have talked for about a minute, ask for a few volunteers to share aloud to the entire class.
Activity: Critical Thinking Writing Assignment
Time: 20 minutes
Materials:
Whiteboard/chalkboard
Students will need a piece of paper and a writing utensil.
Instructions:
Instruct students to get out a piece of writing paper and a pencil.
Tell them they will complete a short writing assignment about neurodiversity. Additionally, tell them they will not be graded on “correctness” but instead on their critical thinking skills and ability to justify their answers.
Their answer to each question should be a few sentences long.
Write the following questions/prompts on the board and give students around 20 minutes to finish their responses.
Define neurodiversity in your own words.
What does it mean for a classroom to have neurodiverse students? Do things need to be done differently compared to a class with just neurotypical students?
What could we do to understand better what life is like for someone who is neurodiverse?
How can we show more empathy for people who are neurodiverse?
**The focus of this part should really be on having the students try to understand people who are neurally diverse and step into their shoes, as well as to build tolerance and compassion towards individuals who are different from them and who process things differently.
Students, peers, friends, family etc. who express neurodiversity should not be victimized, shamed, or exiled. They should have a seat at the “table” too
Diversity, in any form, should be celebrated!
Activity: Kahoot Quiz
Time: 15 minutes
Materials:
Students will need access to a smartphone or computer
The teacher will need access to either a computer and projector or a smartboard.
Alternatively teacher could write questions on the board and students could record their answers on a piece of paper
Instructions:
Students will individually complete the Kahoot quiz (see Appendix E) to reinforce the ideas that were discussed during the lesson.
Students will spend 5-7 minutes playing the Kahoot to wrap up the lesson
After the Kahoot quiz (if there is time), the teacher will then spend the remaining time asking any clarification questions as well as asking students their thoughts on the discussion. Example questions include:
“How do you feel about neurodiversity after this lesson?”
“Do you think you could explain to someone what neurodiversity is?”
**The focus of this section is to make sure the students know the basic concept of neurodiversity as well as to clear any confusion that may have arisen. Furthermore, the Kahoot quiz results for each question will give the teacher a better understanding of where the group is as a whole in terms of understanding the material.
Appendix A: Video
Appendix B: Worksheet
Appendix C: Worksheet Answer Key
Appendix D: Video Transcript
Appendix E: Kahoot Quiz