Teaching Blind students how to determine Shapes

Summary

In this educational lesson, Mrs. Collins, along with her team, teaches young students about three basic shapes: the triangle, rectangle, and circle. Through tactile activities, students are guided to feel the corners and sides of each shape, with emphasis on recognizing them by touch. The lesson includes hands-on practice with food items, where students identify and describe shapes by feeling them. Tracing exercises are also incorporated to reinforce learning. The focus is on making shapes accessible and understandable, especially for visually impaired students, through engaging, interactive methods.

Takeaways

• 😀 The lesson introduces three basic shapes: triangle, rectangle, and circle.
• 😀 The instructor emphasizes that shapes are all around us in daily life and can be identified at home or in the classroom.
• 😀 The triangle has three sides and three corners. Students are encouraged to feel the corners where two sides meet.
• 😀 The rectangle has four sides and four corners, with opposite sides being of equal length.
• 😀 The circle is unique because it has no corners, no straight lines, and no sides. It's a continuous curve.
• 😀 Students are guided to feel and identify the corners and sides of the shapes as they are passed out by helpers.
• 😀 The lesson involves tactile interaction, where students place their hands on the shapes and trace along them to understand their structure.
• 😀 The importance of tactile learning is emphasized, as visually impaired students are encouraged to use their sense of touch.
• 😀 After identifying the shapes, students are given crackers in different shapes (circle, triangle) to further reinforce their learning.
• 😀 The next activity involves tracing the shapes with fingers or a pencil to further familiarize students with their characteristics.

Q & A

What are the three shapes introduced in the lesson?

The three shapes introduced in the lesson are the triangle, rectangle, and circle.

How can students identify corners in the shapes?

Students can identify corners by feeling where two sides of the shape meet.

What is the unique characteristic of the triangle in terms of corners and sides?

The triangle has three corners and three sides.

What are students asked to do with their hands while exploring the triangle?

Students are instructed to place both hands on the corner where two sides meet, and then trace the sides to find all three corners.

What makes the rectangle unique compared to the triangle?

The rectangle has four corners and four sides. What makes it unique is that the two opposite sides are the same length.

How are students supposed to feel the rectangle?

Students are asked to find a corner, then trace along the sides and corners to feel all four corners of the rectangle.

What is the key difference between the circle and the other two shapes?

The circle has no corners, no sides, and no straight lines. It is round, and students are asked to trace the outside of the circle with both hands.

What activity helps students further understand the shapes after tactile exploration?

Students are asked to trace the shapes with their fingers first, and then with a pencil or marker, to further understand their characteristics.

What food items are used in the lesson to help students identify shapes?

The food items used in the lesson include vanilla crackers and graham crackers, which are shaped like the triangle and circle.

What should students do once they identify the shape of the cracker they have?

Once students identify the shape of the cracker, they are allowed to eat it. They are also encouraged to describe how they know what shape it is.