Inclusive Lesson Plans: using Wordwall and Scratch

Lesson Plan 1 - Fashion Shows

This is an upper-intermediate to advanced lesson concentrating on fashion shows. The language area covered is: describing outfits. It is important to mention that this lesson plan is best used in projects related to fashion . Learners will also learn about Ralph Lauren’s Spring collection in 2011. The class uses the website Wordwall. For more information on Wordwall and Inclusive education click here.

Warmer

Introduce the subject by talking about the learner’s favourite supermodel and their work. The teacher will ask follow up questions relating to the FashionShows.

These questions will function as “introductory activities, interest-generating ideas” (Hockly, n.d.). A simple discussion on the topic will work fine since “this part of the lesson is best done in the familiar environment of the normal classroom” (Hockly, n.d.).

Web

Have your students watch these videos on Youtube. Then, students will examine how these descriptions were expressed by discussing the questions in this Word Wall game in pairs.

If the school is not supplied with computers in the classroom, you can change the logistics and move the class to the computer room although “moving from the traditional classroom to a computer room does have the potential to disrupt your class” (Hockly, n.d.) or you may use a print version of the website even though it is not “as exciting as using computers themselves” (Hockly, n.d.).

With this activity, students reached the Augmentation stage in the SAMR model. In this stage, “The technology provides a substitute for other learning activities but with functional improvements” (PowerSchool, 2013). In this case, the improvement in function would be the fact that students get a more dynamic way of learning and there is no need to complete a task sheet, which may waste too much time.

Also, Wordwall is a great tool to use to create a more inclusive classroom since it integrates “learners with a disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” (Delaney, M., 2016). The format in which questions are presented expands the learner’s attention span.

What next

Follow up activities help to “give each learner a chance to report back on what they listened to” (Hockly, n.d.):

• Speaking activity: Give each pair a role (supporter or opponent of the brand you are describing) and have them describe some outfits present in this video.

Lesson Plan 2 - Physical Appearance

This is an upper-intermediate to advanced lesson concentrating on physical appearance. The language areas covered is: describing what someone is like. Learners will also reflect on the term “beauty”. The class uses Portrait Avatar Maker.For more information on Portrait Avatar Maker in the Inclusive Classroom click here.

Warmer

Introduce the subject by asking students what physical differences they can find between their classmates.

The differences learners may point out function as “introductory activities, interest-generating ideas” (Hockly, n.d.).

Web

Have students watch this video about what different countries think beauty is. Then, let them discuss in groups why they think the notion of beauty changes in the different countries and have them share their conclusion orally. The teacher will lead them to use different vocabulary related to physical appearance (such as eye colour, skin colour, hair style, thinness, etc.).

Students will enter Portrait Avatar Maker and create their own avatar. The idea is that they create a character with what they consider “beautiful”. Then, learners will describe their avatars.

In this part of the lesson, students are creators of content. Therefore, it can be assumed that they achieved the Modification stage of the SAMR model. Here, “The technology allows the learning activity to be redesigned” (PowerSchool, 2013).

Moreover, using Portrait Avatar Maker in the language classroom helps SEN students with motor skills challenges since it provides the user with a simple way of creating an avatar. According to Hockly (2017), these types of exercises "can improve writing skills over time". It also helps to enhance the student's creative skills since drawing may be difficult for them.

What Next

Let students reflect on the fact that physical appearance does not define who you are or how beautiful you are by watching this video. The main conclusion students should arrive at is that our differences do not separate us; at the end of the day we are all people.

Last but not least, the topic of this lesson is inclusive in itself. Reflecting on the differences classmates may have led students to be inclusive too.