Lesson Plan: Talking with Our Hands - Animal Signs!

Materials Needed

• Stuffed animals or animal figurines (specifically a dog, cat, and bunny)
• A picture book featuring common animals (e.g., Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.)
• Optional: Animal-themed coloring page and crayons
• Optional: A mirror for Grace to see herself making the signs
• Optional: Animal crackers for a themed snack

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Grace will be able to:

• Gently pat her ear and say "hear" to show a basic understanding that ears are for hearing.
• Attempt to correctly form the American Sign Language (ASL) signs for at least two animals (e.g., dog, cat).
• Connect an animal sound (e.g., "woof") with the corresponding animal sign.

Lesson Activities

Introduction (The Hook) - 2 minutes

Goal: To introduce the concept of hearing and not hearing in a simple, physical way.

Talking Points:

• "Hi Grace! Let's play a quiet game. Put your hands on your ears. Cover them up tight! Can you hear me now?" (Whisper something like, "Grace is my favorite girl.")
• "Now, take your hands off! Wow! That was quiet, wasn't it?"
• "Some of our friends can't hear with their ears. Their ears are quiet all the time. This is called deaf (point to your ear). But guess what? They have a super special way of talking. They talk with their hands!"
• "Today, we are going to learn how to talk with our hands, too! We are going to make some fun animals!"

Body (Content & Practice) - 5-7 minutes

Goal: To teach and practice simple animal signs using the 'I do, We do, You do' model.

1. I Do (Educator Models)

Show one sign at a time. Be expressive and repeat the word, sign, and sound multiple times.

• Dog: "My turn first! Watch me. This is a dog. I pat my leg, like I'm calling a puppy. Dog! Woof, woof! Look, here is our doggy!" (Hold up the stuffed dog).
• Cat: "Now for a kitty cat! I use my fingers to make whiskers on my cheeks. Like this! Cat! Meow, meow! Here is our soft kitty cat!" (Hold up the stuffed cat).
• Bunny: "Look! A bunny has long ears. We put two fingers up like long bunny ears. Bunny! Hop, hop, hop!" (Hold up the stuffed bunny).

2. We Do (Guided Practice)

Do the signs together. Use hand-over-hand help if needed.

• "Let's do it together! Can you pat your leg with me? Let's call the doggy! Dog! Woof, woof! You did it!" (Give lots of praise).
• "Okay, let's be kitties together! Show me your whiskers. Wiggle, wiggle. Meow! Good job!"
• "Now for the bunny! Put your bunny ears up high! Wiggle them! Hop, hop! What a great bunny you are!"

3. You Do (Play-Based Practice)

Turn practice into a game to check for understanding in a fun, low-pressure way.

• The Animal Game: Place the three stuffed animals in front of Grace. "Grace, where is the doggy? Can you show me the sign for dog?" (Wait for her attempt). "Yes! Woof, woof! You found the dog!" Repeat for the other animals.
• Guess My Sign: "My turn to be an animal! What am I?" (Make the sign for 'bunny' with a big smile and hopping motion). Wait for her to guess. "A bunny! You're right!"
• Book Time: Open the animal picture book. When you see an animal you practiced, say, "Look! It's a cat! Let's make our cat whiskers together!"

Conclusion (Recap & Closure) - 2 minutes

Goal: To summarize the key ideas and end on a positive, encouraging note.

Talking Points:

• "Grace, you did such a good job talking with your hands today! It was so much fun!"
• "We learned that some people are deaf and use their hands to talk, and we can too!"
• "Let's do our favorite sign one more time. Which one did you like best? The dog, the cat, or the bunny?" (Do the sign she chooses with her).
• "High five! You are a great signer!"

Assessment

• Formative (During the lesson): Observe Grace's engagement during the 'We Do' and 'You Do' sections. Does she try to imitate the signs? Does she smile or show interest? Is she able to point to the correct stuffed animal when prompted?
• Summative (At the end): During 'The Animal Game', success is Grace attempting the correct sign for at least two of the three animals when prompted. The focus is on communication and effort, not perfect sign formation.

Differentiation and Adaptability

• For a shorter attention span: Focus on only one or two animals. Keep the entire lesson to 5 minutes. Use a favorite stuffed animal to maintain engagement.
• Scaffolding for younger learners: Use gentle hand-over-hand guidance to help Grace form the signs with her own hands. Accept any approximation of the sign as correct and give lots of praise.
• Extension for advanced learners: Introduce one or two more animal signs (e.g., fish, bird). Ask Grace, "Can you make the dog sound? Woof! Can you make the dog sign?" to reinforce the connection. You can also ask her to "teach" the signs to a doll or another family member.