Free 8th Grade Sign Language Lesson Plan

Topic: Introduction to Sign Language

Objectives & Outcomes

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to communicate in basic sign language and understand the history and importance of sign language in the Deaf community.

Materials:

• A video of basic sign language vocabulary
• A chart with the finger spelling alphabet

Warm-up

• Ask students to raise their hand if they know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing.
• Ask the students to share some experiences they have had with deaf or hard of hearing individuals and any questions they may have about sign language.
• Introduce the topic of sign language and explain that it is a way of communicating without speaking.

Direct Instruction

• Discuss the history of sign language and the various sign languages around the world.
• Demonstrate the basic signs for hello, goodbye, thank you, and please.
• Introduce fingerspelling and explain how it works.
• Demonstrate the alphabet and show how to fingerspell each letter.
• Introduce some basic vocabulary words and show how to sign them.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to practice signing the basic vocabulary words. The teacher can walk around and offer guidance and encouragement as needed.

Independent Practice

• Have students work on a project-based independent practice activity. Options could include creating a short sign language presentation, designing a sign language alphabet poster, or creating a sign language alphabet book.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson, including the history of sign language, fingerspelling, and the basic vocabulary.
• Ask students to share something they found interesting or surprising about sign language.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the material.
• Collect and review the short video presentations or written reports for understanding of the material and use of proper formatting and grammar.