Transition Unit: Making Adequate Decisions

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Transition UnitMaking Adequate Decisions

• By Erika Kauffman
• Fall 2003

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The Class

• Northeastern Ohio School
• 7th-8th Grade
• Cross Categorical Program (Deaf, HH, Students
  with LD)
• 12 Students (8 boys and 4 girls)
• 3 Deaf, 1 HH, 8 students with LD
• Communication- Total Communication, ASL,
  Speech-English (have Interpreter)
• Level of Writing/Reading- 2nd grade 5th grade
  level

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Making Adequate Decisions Unit

• From Life Centered Career Education Resources
  Person/Social Skills Handbook. This handbook
  includes many lesson plans and examples of
  worksheet for the students to work on.
• This unit focuses on improving or help students
  to develop their person/social skills (In the
  notebook- section 15.65 to find this specific
  lesson plans)
• In this Unit, the students will recognize and
  identify the difference between positive and
  negative aspects of decision

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Making Adequate Decision Unit

• This unit addresses the question of What is the
  difference between Positive and Negative (aspects
  of decision)
• Through discussion, role-playing, mock situation
  stories (the students will be put in groups and
  discuss on the stories, the positive and negative
  aspects of the situation and to make proper
  decision to make the situation better), and
  hand-on activities, the students will become
  familiar with positive and negative aspects of
  situation.
• Students will explore/read the situation stories,
  to be able to identify the positive and negative
  aspects of the situation and analyze what they
  should do if they were in this persons position
  in the situation then make a decision with the
  reasons (include positive and negative aspects).
• Students will experience the similar situations
  in the future, they will use the positive and
  negative to help them to decide what is
  appropriate for the situation- what they should
  do, etc. They should be able to do this on their
  own, to make their own decision when they are in
  any kind of situation.

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Purpose

• Some students are not aware that they have right
  to express their opinions/views/perspectives in
  decision-making if they happen to be in a
  situation that they need to make decision.
• Many students may have experienced in some
  situations in the past but they may did not know
  what to do, how to make right decision for
  themselves and need to assert their opinions for
  decision-making.
• This unit is intended to facilitate open
  discussion with students as to how it is
  important for them to express their
  feelings/opinions about the situation with other
  students and them to view/understand others
  feelings/opinion in this kind of situation so
  that they will make a right appropriate decision
  for everyone and themselves too.
• It is anticipated that students will be able to
  participate and better understand their
  feelings/opinions, even their strengths and
  weaknesses to help them to analyze what is best
  for them in a specific situation and to decide
  which is right decision for them.
• It is only after one understands how to make good
  decision along with positive/negative aspects,
  they may develop self-efficacy/control and feel
  empowered to take control of his/her own future.

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Unit Description

• I picked and used 5 lesson plans from Life
  Centered Career Education Resources
  Person/Social Skills Handbook (Section 15.65-
  Making Adequate Decisions) but I did some changes
  on each lesson plans to match the middle school
  level (more discussion activities, group
  activities instead of individual work).
• The Lesson Plans are more student-centered, to
  help the students to take over the lesson-
  discussion/group activities (to work together
  instead of the teacher lecturing the class).
• The lesson plans includes worksheet for the
  students, the worksheet will have situation
  stories for them to read, find the positive and
  negative aspects of the situation then decide
  what should be done in the situation. (We
  (teacher and the class) will work together first
  then the students work together in group without
  teacher)

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Design Process

• Stage 1 Identifying Desired Results
• The desired, overarching understandings of this
  unit include
• Identifying/recognizing what is the different
  between positive and negative aspects from the
  situation.
• The overarching essential questions include
• How can I decide to make this situation better?
• How will positive and negative help me to make
  good decision and how will it help me for my
  future?

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Design Process continued

• Stage 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence
• What evidence will show that students make
  decision for the situation that may relate to
  their lives?
• Students will be able to express their
  feelings/opinions/ views of the situation,
  listing the positive and negative aspects of the
  situation to help them to make better decision
  for the situation.
• Verbal expression (discussion).
• Students will be able to explain/express their
  reasons for their decision of the situation (why
  did they decide what the situation should be
  done).

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Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences/Instruction 6
facets
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My Transition PlanMaking Adequate Decision

• I picked 5 lesson plans from Life Centered Career
  Education Resources Person/Social Skills
  Handbook (Section 15.65 of Making Adequate
  Decision) and did some changes to match the
  students level of comprehension.
• Click This Link to see my transition unit
• Transition Unit