2024 Gotta Dig It Sample K-5 Program Model
INTRODUCTORY 1-WEEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM HANDOUT:
FIRST YEAR PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS WHO PARTICIPATE ANNUALLY
PROGRAM IS LEAD BY DIVERSE TEAM; WITH VARIED DISABILITIES
INTRO PHASE: This new model for 2024 can be applied virtually. We recommend using videos from your school to prepare staff and students. Students will be prepared by teachers and counselor/s about the GOTTA DIG IT ONE WEEK Program, and open discussion will be encouraged in classroom, whether virtually or in person. We do NOT recommend doing this asynchronously, as the real time group involvement is critical to building human connection. Three packets will be provided: Parent Packet and Teacher Packet will be distributed prior to program. Student Gotta DIG It Journal will be given at onset of program.
PARENT PACKET: Is sent home to provide info about the program and what students will be learning. Students are encouraged to discuss program with a parent or guardian. The intent is to prepare all students, both in mainstream and special education classes (if applicable to your school), for the upcoming program and topics that may arise. Includes form to participate in a WALK FOR INCLUSION, in which all students may invite friends and family to attend. WALK will take place on Day 5 of program. (For students with disabilities who are unable to walk – a BUDDY or BUDDY GROUP will help throughout the walk to ensure fully inclusive participation).
SAMPLE TEACHER PACKET:
Hello NAME OF SCHOOL Teachers & Staff:
We are participating in the GOTTA DIG IT program at NAME OF SCHOOL. The objective is to break social barriers for people with disabilities and create an inclusive society. This year’s program will take place on DATE OF EVENT/PROGRAM.
For more info about the program, please go to: www.disabilityinclusionguild.org
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Please read this packet and discuss it with your students prior to Date (should be 4 weeks prior to date of program).
- Please send the STUDENT GOTTA DIG IT PACKET home with students prior to Date (should be 2 weeks prior to date of program).
- OPTIONAL: Please ask students to have parents sign and return the consent forms if they wish to be part of our GOTTA DIG IT videos and photos. Date (should be 2 weeks prior to date of program).
- Please see directions and 7 page GOTTA DIG IT JOURNAL provided:
DAY 1 MONDAY:
MINDFULNESS OPENER : WE RECOMMEND STARTING WITH OUR FIVE MINUTE BASIC MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: Optional guided meditation and breathing activity can be customized to any age group. Children are most open to new ideas when they are relaxed and focused. This also creates an atmosphere of safety and kindness. This activity, or an abbreviated one, can be done every day if time constraints are not an issue. K-2 may include "Get the Giggles Out" preface to meditation.
TEACHER SCRIPT – May adapt in his/her own words:
"This week we are going to participate a one week program to help us better understand our friends with disabilities, or different abilities. Today, we are going to discuss what we observe about people in different pictures., and then complete a Self-Observation in our Gotta Dig It Journal First we will start with an opening mindfulness activity."
ACTIVITY #1 A) PHOTO OBSERVATIONS: Students are shown 2 sets of photos. The first shows people playing basketball. The children are asked to describe what they see in the pictures. Encourage them to describe people, emotions, and details, and create a narrative about the individuals. Next, students are shown the same pictures of people playing basketball, who happen to be in wheel chairs. Students are again asked to describe what they see, and create a narrative about the individuals. The different reactions to the 2 photos are discussed. Research from prior programs suggests the second photo often elicited an emphasis on the wheelchairs and the inferred disabilities which took on its own narrative, which we named THE INVISIBLE CHAIR PROJECT. Discuss the students' own reactions, explaining that the goal of this activity is to make the wheel chairs (metaphor for disabilities) become invisible. The intent is that the students learn to see the people, and not the chairs (or disabilities).
ACTIVITY #1 B) GOTTA DIG IT JOURNAL ACTIVITY: Students start out the program with individual Self-Observation in their "GOTTA DIG IT" journals. After explaining that this is a JUDGEMENT-FREE ZONE, the students rate how they feel interacting with people with disabilities, at the onset of the week. It will be a 10 point scale, to answer the question, "How comfortable am I interacting with people with disabilities?" The students record their ratings in their journals. Rating is kept private only for each individual student to see. At the conclusion on Day 5, the students will rate themselves again. (K-2 can do this as a group activity).
DAY 2 TUESDAY:
TEACHER SCRIPT – May adapt in his/her own words:
"Today we are going to talk about how we do the same activities as people with disabilities. For example, visually impaired people like to read books, just like me. Can you think of other activities that we do, that someone with a disability would like to do as well?"
ACTIVITY #2 - "JUST LIKE ME" ACTIVITY. Students will discuss daily life activities, emotions, hopes, dreams, and objectives that people with disabilities or differences do "just like me." (I.e. "They go to school JUST LIKE ME." "They need help sometimes, JUST LIKE ME.", "They get sad when their friends call them names JUST LIKE ME," etc.)
DAY 3 WEDNESDAY:
TEACHER SCRIPT – May adapt in his/her own words:
"Today we are going to take a step toward including people in our day, who we consider different. We are going to make a deed or "promise" of inclusion. An example of this may be to hold a door open for someone who is not able, or to get to know fellow students with disabilities or special needs from our school. Perhaps you have someone in your life with a disability or with something that you feel makes him or her different from you. It could be a neighbor or relative who is blind or speaks or walks differently. You could make your deed of inclusion to do with him or her. Think of what you could do to reach out and make that person feel included. Remember, all people have feelings JUST LIKE ME."
ACTIVITY #3 DEED OF INCLUSION - Each child will commit to one important "Deed of Inclusion" – to do one random act of kindness that will promote inclusion. Teacher will discuss social responsibility to be kind to others and include them, and how it feels when someone has done something kind for you unexpectedly. Students will write about their Deed of inclusion in their GOTTA DIG IT journals.
DAY 4 THURSDAY – CAN BE IN ASSEMBLY FORMAT:
TEACHER SCRIPT – May adapt in his/her own words:
"Today we are going to experience a small taste of what it’s like to have various limitations on our abilities. Keep in mind, for us this is just a short temporary activity, but for people with disabilities, this is their everyday life all the time. That’s something to think about. It makes us realize how "able" they are and how much harder they have to work to do the things that are so easy for us. We are also going to learn about what accommodations, devices, or processes they use to help meet their needs and make their tasks more accessible. Remember, people with disabilities are people JUST LIKE ALL OF US and we have many things in common."
FURTHER DISCUSSION - PREFACE TO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES : Brief class discussion about what students learned about the experience of having a disability and about speaking openly with panel members. An emphasis will be placed on what we have in common.
ACTIVITY #4 -EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING STATIONS : This can be done by grade, and is best run by people with the specific limitation on ability that is being simulated. Parent and staff assistance is needed. We recommend a maximum of 6 students at a time per station.
(***If time is an issue due to number of students, this can be set up in an ASSEMBLY FORMAT instead of STATIONS FORMAT, allowing only a few students to volunteer and perform activities on stage in front of rest of students in audience.***)
INTRODUCTORY STATION FORMAT: There will be 5 stations set up to simulate various types of disabilities. The basic format is: VISUAL, COMMUNICATION, AUDITORY, FINE MOTOR, and SENSORY. Each student will take turns participating in the activity at each station. It is essential that the students partake with an intention of mindfully observing and focusing on all their senses and emotions. This activity is best lead by people with the disability that is being simulated. The simulations will be done as follows:
1.VISUAL: 4-6 Students are blindfolded. They are each given a paper bag containing one different object each. (Such as a coin, a granola bar in wrapper, a colored pencil, a yogurt, nail polish).They are asked to identify the objects by each sense. Feeling each one carefully, smelling it, evaluating weight, texture, features. Then ask for detail, is it a nickel, what kind of granola bar, color of pen, flavor of yogurt, color of nail polish). They can open packaging to reveal new smells, more textures, etc.
- You can also pass around a notation in braille and have students feel it. Discuss these activities, and talk about how hard or easy each item was to identify, and how other senses played a greater role when they couldn't use vision.
- Students are given sun glasses covered in Vaseline. They are asked to read a paragraph in small print (for K-2 group they can be shown small pictures and asked to identify what’s in them).
2.COMMUNICATION: Students are placed in pairs, and each will take turns communicating and listening. Both partners will actively participate by seeking ways to understand and be understood.
- Student will be asked to convey a long phrase to partner while maintaining 1-2 marshmallows in his or her mouth.
- Student will convey a phrase (i.e. "I love GOTTA DIG IT week.") to partner without words, using gestures, facial expressions, and movements.
3.AUDITORY: Teacher will recite a paragraph (from at least 10 feet away) while mouthing the words silently. Students will try to read teacher’s lips and repeat the phrase verbatim.
4.FINE MOTOR: Students will perform intricate activities (such as tying a shoe, zipping a bag, picking up one cheerio at a time, etc.) while wearing snow gloves. Whomever succeeds can then try with boxing gloves.
5.SENSORY: We will simulate sensory overload. Students are placed in groups of 6. Each student will have a chance to be the designated reader once. The reader is directed to read an excerpt from a book for one minute while distracted, and will then be asked to share what he or she retained from the reading passage. The distractions are created by the other 5 students who each engages in one of the following behaviors toward the reader, both simultaneously and continuously for the full minute:
- Taps reader on each shoulder from behind
- Sings in reader’s one ear
- Holds a phone (or device) playing loud music in reader’s other ear
- Shines a flashlight (can use phone flashlight) visible in reader’s eyes (not directly into eyes)
- Kicks the seat on which reader is sitting
FOLLOW UP: Discussion on disabilities/differences and inclusion. We recommend starting with this script, or teacher can use his/her own words:
"Now we've experienced a taste of what it’s like to have some limitations on our abilities. Many people live every day with these limitations. They affect how they learn and process information, and how they perform normal everyday tasks, which can be incredibly difficult.
For instance, children with Down Syndrome often have much larger tongues, making it harder to speak. Perhaps it feels like there’s a bunch of marshmallows in their mouths. People with Cerebral Palsy, nerve damage, or neurological disorders often have less physical control of their bodies, and tying a shoe could be like doing it with boxing gloves on. People with visual impairments cannot read what flavor yogurt they are holding. People with cognitive or developmental disabilities may find it so hard to communicate how they feel that it feels as restrictive as conveying a message without any words. In fact, some people cannot speak or use their bodies to communicate how they feel. People on the Autism spectrum, or even with ADHD to some extent, can experience sensory overload, making it feel just like the reader did while five people were engaging in distracting behaviors.
People with disabilities are often made to feel like they ARE their disabilities, instead of being a person who happens to have a disability. They may feel different and are often ignored or made fun of. Think about how hard it must be to have a disability AND not feel included. That’s where we can change things. In fact, we can change the world. You can help educate people about what you’ve learned this week. Now that you know a little bit about how it feels to be different, you have more in common with people with disabilities or differences. You also know they’re just people JUST LIKE US."
Students will have a discussion about what the hardest parts were for them during the simulated disability activities. Students will then write about their experiences in their journals, and how they’ve changed their thinking after this week. (K-2 can do this as a class activity)
DAY 5 FRIDAY:
OPEN DISCUSSION OF LIFE WITH A DISABILITY: Q and A SESSION: A panel of two to five individuals with different disabilities will speak briefly about living with their disabilities. After all panel members have spoken, students will be given the opportunity to ask open and respectful questions. (Although questions may be prepared in advance, spontaneous ones in response to speakers tend to make most impact). Compassionate and open dialogue is greatly encouraged.
After speakers leave, teachers will have a final discussion with students about what the hardest parts were for them during the simulated disability activities. Students will then write about their experiences in their journals, and how they’ve changed their thinking after this week. (K-2 can do this as a class activity)
TEACHER SCRIPT – May adapt in his/her own words:
"You have now learned a lot about how to include people with disabilities in our everyday life. Now I want you to ask yourselves: How comfortable am I interacting with people with disabilities?"
ACTIVITY #5A CLOSING ACTIVITY : Students revisit the Self-Observation that they initiated on Day 1 of the week, and respond again to the question, "How comfortable am I interacting with people with disabilities
ACTIVITY #5B WALK & WHEEL FOR INCLUSION – PLEDGE & KICK OFF: Students will meet in front of school. The program leader will recite the GOTTA DIG IT PLEDGE (see below), stating " I encourage you to join in and repeat after me line by line." Students will then repeat one line at a time:
- Students will proceed outside with teachers and parent volunteers for WALK & WHEEL FOR INCLUSION
- GOTTA DIG IT cuffs will be distributed (pre-ordered) – SCHOOL FUNDRAISER - percentage of sales goes to school
- Children hold hands and form a chain of inclusion (Children/adults with disabilities are assisted by peers/buddies or buddy groups during walk)