My Curriculum Barrier Template Discovery

In my last post I completed a tutorial on curriculum barriers and shared information I learned on this topic.  I decided that I would apply my new knowledge concerning curriculum barriers to one of my own lessons and see what my findings are.  Since I am a substitute teacher and I am in different classrooms and grade levels daily, I have created several of my own filler lesson plans pertaining to each grade.  One lesson that I use with my first graders is to listen to a story and complete a graphic organizer which includes the setting, the characters, the beginning, the middle, and the end of a story.  One of the first grade students is mainstreamed into a regular education class and also, goes to a special education classroom for part of the day.  When I had him participate in this activity, I didn’t take into consideration the accommodations that I might need to make in order for him to complete the assignment.  However, after the completion of the curriculum barrier template I realized that I was not meeting the particular needs of this student.  Once I modified the lesson, had the student work with a partner, and use picture representation for some of the information, he became engaged and completed the assignment. 

The curriculum barrier template is useful for identifying students who may need some accommodations to lessons being taught because there are some components that may be too difficult.  I learned with this activity that sometimes a lesson may seem simple for all students; however, it really is not. 

http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/curriculumbarrierstutorial.com  (curriculum barrier template)

 

Curriculum Barriers                                                 Blank Template

 

Grade:  1        Teacher:  Ms. Allen                           Subject: Language Arts    

Standard: CC.1.2.1.B Answer questions about key details in a text.                                       

Goal:    The student will identify the characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of a story.

 

Materials and Methods	Student Qualities	Potential Barriers/Missed Opportunities
Worksheet (Graphic Organizer)	Darwin- organizational problems	May have trouble keeping track of what he learned
Individual Seatwork	Darwin- works well with other peers	Individual work doesn’t allow for Darwin’s strong social interaction
Pen/Pencil	Darwin- Fine motor problems	Writing is difficult especially in small areas
Lecture	Darwin- loses focus	May be distracted from listening