Social Studies
As the social studies or history teacher, it is your responsibility to teach the secondary social studies and history curriculum to all of your students, including your braille-reading student. You may be feeling a little concerned, as you may not feel like you know where to start. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you already have the most important skill – knowing how to teach in your subject area. The following information will help you in developing teaching strategies and adaptations when planning for your social studies and history lessons. There are many resources and people that will help you along the way. Your student's TVI will be one of the most important resources in helping you develop an accessible curriculum for your braille-reading student.
Considerations in Planning for Instruction in Social Studies
hen planning for your social studies lesson, begin by reminding yourself about the unique learning processes of your braille-reading student. If you are teaching a unit about Canada’s geography, you will likely need to give your class a map to review. Consider the ease in learning about the features of Canada’s landscape simply by looking at this map. You probably have a map of Canada hanging up on your classroom wall right now. Consider the extent of incidental learning that is happening every time your students look at that map. The learning process of your braille-reading student will be a little different. Your braille-reading student will need to explore the map in tactile sequential pieces to develop the same holistic understanding of it, similar to putting pieces of a puzzle together to view a whole picture.
It is important that your take a proactive approach when creating your social studies lessons. While planning your lesson, ask yourself, “How will my braille-reading student access the concepts learned in today’s lessons?” Make sure that you have an answer to this question before you teach your lesson.
Strategies for Learning
The following strategies will help your braille-reading student access you social studies curriculum.
- Use a discovery approach in your learning. Encourage your braille-reading student find answers to questions and problems.
- Use a hands-on approach to teaching social studies. Provide your braille-reading students with real objects to explore.
- Relate the real life experiences of your braille-reading student to concepts being learned in your social studies class.
- Encourage lots of dialogue during the learning process. Pair your braille-reading student with a peer to discuss issues and problems.
- Verbalize all information that is written on the board or on posters. Pair your braille-reading student with a peer who can read notes from the board for your student to braille.
- Provide an electronic copy of your notes to your braille-reading student if they use high-tech devices, such as a braille notetaker or computer.
- Speak with your braille-reading student about topics of upcoming social studies units. Be a detective and try to look for any gaps in your student’s understanding.
- Frequently touch base with your braille-reading student during your class to make sure that he or she is actively participating in your lesson activities.
- Prepare your braille-reading student for any upcoming fieldtrips. It may be necessary for him or her to be orientated to the fieldtrip site ahead of time.
- Advise your student TVI of any books or materials needed in alternate format, such as electronic or braille. Make sure that these materials are ordered a head of time, so that your braille-reading student can access them at the same time as the rest of the students in your class.
Social Studies Tools for Learning
Your braille-reading student will likely use specific tools to access your social studies and history curriculum. Your student’s TVI will help you understand how these tools are used. The following is a list of possible tools that may be used by your braille-reading student in the social studies class.
- Slate and Stylus, Perkins Brailler or other electronic braille notetaker for reading and writing.
- Computer with Jaws or other speech program.
- Social Studies textbooks or informational books available in braille.
- Tactile maps, charts or graphs.
- Hands on materials such as representatives of artifacts seen in pictures or at a museum.
Additional Resources
It is likely that you will continue to have questions about strategies and methods of teaching concepts in social studies and history to your braille-reading student. Although you may feel a little hesitant in your skills, remember that you are not alone. Your TVI will provide you with as many resources as you need. You can also find rich resources on-line.