Instructional Objectives

1. Students will become aware of a different mode of communication --manual language --used by deaf individuals to communicate with one another.
2. Students will become familiar and gain a basic understanding of deafness.

Concepts
Every distinctive handshape represents a specific letter of the alphabet.

Procedures

1. Read aloud of children's book, I Have a Sister -- My Sister Is Deaf, by Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson. (Alternate book, Moses goes to School, by Isaac Millman.)
2. Discuss the book and define what "deaf" means. Creating a KWL (what you Know, what you Want to know, and what you have Learned) is also an option.
3. Explain that deaf people communicate differently than hearing people and talk about the reason why they use a different form of communication.
4. Introduce the alphabet diagram, which can be easily obtained at teacher stores or online websites.
5. Model and have students look at your hand to form the letter. Have students who quickly catch on to help others.
6. Play games listed below.
7. Have students come up individually in front of the class and spell their first names using sign language. They can refer to the sign language alphabet diagram.
8. The lesson can be concluded by a brief discussion of what they have learned about deafness and how deaf people communicate. Complete the KWL chart that you started in the beginning of the lesson.

Activities
Games:

1. Identify the letter

A. Sign a letter of the alphabet and have students identify what letter it is. The first student to identify the letter gets to come up and sign a different letter for the other students to identify.

B. Say the letter of the alphabet and have students sign the letter. The first student to sign the letter correctly gets to come up and say a different letter for the other students to sign.

2. Sing the ABC song in addition to using sign language

3. Spell their first names in sign language. Students can come up and use sign language to spell another student's name and students will try to figure out who that person is by identifying the letters.

Follow-Up
1. Take a trip to a school for the Deaf, for example, St. .Joseph's School for the Deaf (Bronx), Lexington School for the Deaf (Queens), St. Francis School for the Deaf (Brooklyn). (For a listing of other schools for the deaf visit the website: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/InfoToGo/schools-usa.html)

2. Invite a deaf individual or young student to your classroom and have him or her teach some basic signs such as the alphabet to your classroom. If you would like for your guest to talk about the topic of deafness and his or her experiences, invite a translator as well who will be able to translate orally to the students of what your guest is saying in sign language. (Contact the schools for the deaf listed above.)

3. Have students visit online websites to learn more signs and to do research on deafness.

http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html
http://www.where.com/scott.net/asl/

4. Have students borrow books on American Sign Language and about deafness.

5. Show videotape, "Talking Hands: A Sign Language Videotape for Children."

Homework
Have students teach their family member or friend the alphabet in American Sign Language. (Give them a copy of the alphabet chart to take home.)

Assessment

• Students will produce the alphabet in sign language.
• Students will express a basic understanding of why there is another form of communication, especially that of American Sign Language.
• Students will communicate an understanding that they need to appreciate and accept the differences amongst individuals.

Standards

1. Understands that people are alike in many ways and different in many ways.
2. Understand that different languages use different patterns to communicate and applies this to the target and native languages.

Tips for Teachers
This lesson can be implemented in any classroom, from very young children to older students. This lesson helps students to understand what it means to be deaf and that there exists another mode of communication other than oral/spoken language. It helps students appreciate and accept differences in individuals and how such differences create the wonderfully diverse community that we live in. Based on my experience, this lesson can support and benefit hearing students as well who have difficulty remembering the alphabet orally. Many of the handshapes of the alphabet in ASL are similar to actual letters in print so children may be able to visualize letters by looking at the handshape. It may also help students with attention difficulties because it is very stimulating and engaging. The fun activities listed above really get students' attention for a long period of time.

Look at the alphabet diagram before teaching the lesson but do not over-work or drill yourself to memorize the entire alphabet. Study and learn it together with the students. It will be much more fun that way!