Tuesday, December 3, 2019

December 2019

Continue with Around the Solar System (Earth and Space Science)
Explores relationships and motion within the solar system.

Ancient Communities
(History / World History)

Investigates how communities and cultures have changed over time.
How are holidays celebrated in different cultures?

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

November 2019
Around the Solar System
(Earth and Space Science)

Explores relationships and motion within the solar system
Do I Need a Doctor?
(Daily Living)

Explores how to handle common illnesses and get good medical care.

Monday, October 7, 2019

October 2019

October 7: Fall Festivals
In our Leveled Book, Mark learns how to make his flashlight work. Flashlights can be helpful tools to have when you are outside after dark. For which of the following fall activities would a flashlight be helpful? Why? making apple pie trick or treating carving pumpkins hayride
October 14: World Series
In our Chapter Book, we learn about science. Science can help us learn about many things in our world, including baseball. Read the n2y Library Book, The Physics of Baseball, by Kathy Staugler, to learn about force, speed, friction, trajectory and gravity. Then watch for examples of each of these things as you enjoy this year’s World Series.
October 21: Celebrating Dinosaurs!
In this unit, we learned about some famous scientists. Some scientists study dinosaurs and other plants and animals from long ago. These scientists are called paleontologists. Interested in learning more about paleontologists and what they do? Visit this site where Mark Norell tells what it’s like to be a paleontologist: https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/paleontol ogy/being-a-paleontologist-mark-norell  
October 28: Awesome Kids’ Museum
At the National Children’s Museum, kids get to participate in activities that help them learn about science and other subjects. Choose one of the scientists you learned about this month and design an activity that teaches about this person. Then turn your classroom into a museum and invite students from another class to come learn about the scientist. Assign each student a job to do at the “museum.” For example, students might greet visitors, present information or answer questions. 

Thursday, August 22, 2019

 August/ September
The unit stories help young adults learn the importance of thinking before making a decision. In the first story, Zach goes to the amusement park and is able to choose the activities he wants to try. The story covers the thought-process that Zach uses to make decisions that are right for him. In the second story, Aaron and Adele are faced with many opportunities to make decisions at amusement park concession stands. After choosing to eat too much junk food, Adele gets sick and misses out on the fun. Three articles offer more information and activities that give our young adults the opportunity to learn about making choices for themselves by exploring healthy food options and thinking about their likes and dislikes.  Regular monthly lessons are provided which offer the opportunity to practice making choices about nutrition and recreation-leisure activities in various daily life situations. Making good financial decisions is explored as team members pay bills and budget to go on a trip. Five recipes are offered to allow our young adults to express their likes and dislikes and get hands-on with nutrition skills. Social and communication skills are the focus of lessons presenting daily social trivia scenarios that offer more opportunity for our young adults to think about their choices before making a decision.  Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Simple, realistic scenarios address job skills and interactions at work. The final lesson highlights volunteering as a way to practice job skills and gain practical work experience. This month's volunteer activity is helping with the school’s Midway Field Day event. The activity can be role played if it is not practical to participate in a real life situation. Job skills are emphasized as team members take on various tasks.  Related topics can be researched using the internet or interviewing others about the topic. The News-2-You weekly newspaper provides a variety of relevant current event topics in several simple reading formats. Supporting activities such as jokes, recipes and games are included as well. The newspaper features a new current event topic each week.

Monday, April 15, 2019

April 2019

The topic of making good decisions is presented in this month's unit titled, "What to Do, What to Do". The unit lessons will provide tools and a process for making effective decisions including activities in the Transition Passport: Personal Life/Making Decisions. As we assist our young adults in the transition from school to work, it is necessary that they receive training in thinking through the good and bad consequences that can happen with the choices they make and the importance of learning from our mistakes. Understanding what can affect our decisions and reflecting on our decisions are important skills.

The unit stories help young adults learn about the importance of having a process to make good decisions. The first story stresses the importance of thinking about the good and the bad that can happen before making a decision. A young man wants to be a good worker, and has learned that a good worker is always on time. When he realizes that he missed the bus, he makes a quick decision that gets him in trouble.

The second story follows a young man that forgets to pick up soda, and decides to bring wine coolers to his class party instead. The emphasis of this story is on learning from our mistakes and asking for help when making a decision. Three articles offer more information and practice activities that will assist our young adults in making effective decisions.

Regular monthly lessons are provided, which offer the opportunity to practice good decision-making skills while solving practical math and money skills. Banking and budgeting are addressed. Daily living skills involved in cooking, including shopping for ingredients and following a recipe, are also part of a regular monthly lesson, offering five recipes. Social and communication skills are the focus of lessons presenting social trivia and everyday scenarios where using effective decision-making skills is emphasized.

Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Simple, realistic scenarios address job skills and interactions at work. Job skills are emphasized as team members take on various tasks.

Monday, March 4, 2019

March 2019

The topic of first aid as presented in this month's unit titled, "Ouch, That Hurts!" The unit lessons cover various aspects of dealing with injuries including activities in the Transition Passport: Daily Living/Safety. As we assist our young adults in the transition from school to work, it is necessary that they receive training in taking care of themselves and others at home and in the workplace. It is important to understand how to treat minor injuries with first aid as well as when a situation is an emergency and requires more help.

The unit topic stories help young adults learn about first aid and emergency procedures. The first story shows how quickly an emergency can arise. Two friends take a walk in the woods on a sunny day. When one of the friends is seriously injured, the other must act quickly to get help. What to say to a 911 operator, and the importance of staying calm during an emergency are emphasized. The second story follows a young man as he experiences a series of minor accidents at home. The emphasis of this story is on what to do for a minor injury as well as prevention measures that should be taken to avoid accidents in the future. Three articles further define first aid and emergency procedures.

Regular monthly lessons are provided with a focus on practical math and money skills. Banking and budgeting are addressed using real-life scenarios and situations. Daily living skills involved in cooking, including shopping for ingredients and following a recipe are also part of a regular cooking lesson. Social and communication skills are the focus of lessons presenting social trivia and everyday communication scenarios. This month’s everyday communication scenario introduces strategies for compromising when a disagreement occurs.

Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Simple, realistic scenarios address job skills and interactions at work. The activity can be role played if it is not practical to participate in a real-life situation. Job skills are emphasized as team members take on various tasks.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

February 2019

This month’s unit focuses on one of the  topic of Getting Along With Others. As we assist our young adults in the transition from school to work, it is necessary that they receive training in getting along with other people in a variety of relationships. The unit provides a focus on how relationships are different and how our behavior should reflect these differences.

The unit stories help young adults learn about how to get along with others. The first Topic Story follows a young man who begins his first job. He has the skills needed to do the job, but understands that his social skills are just as important as his job skills. The story emphasizes appropriate ways to treat co-workers, supervisors and customers. The second Topic Story addresses the social skills that are used when meeting new people. Three articles further explore how to get along with others as each focuses on different types of relationships. Close relationships, work relationships, friendships and interactions with acquaintances and strangers are covered. The aligned activities cover socially acceptable interactions, including understanding when trust has been lost, sending appropriate text messages and following community rules.

Other monthly lessons support practical application of math concepts with content that addresses time calculation, money problems, banking and budgeting. Realistic content and practical application are emphasized in these lessons. Social skills are stressed using a monthly calendar of social trivia as well as communication scenarios that supplement the unit topic.

Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Positive attitudes on the job are addressed with simple, realistic scenarios that present examples of how to interact with co-workers and supervisors.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

January 2019

This month's unit's stories help young adults learn about safety through instruction about routine and appropriate use of household appliances and tools. The first story shows how a young woman learns about making simple home repairs alongside her grandfather. Basic household tools are introduced in this story. The second story focuses on safety rules that must be followed when completing household tasks, like cooking or cleaning. In this story, a brother and a sister surprise their mother by completing her daily list of chores while adhering to simple safety rules. Each story is followed by comprehension questions that address key points and help facilitate discussion. Three articles further explore home safety issues by providing information about calling a professional for large home repairs, using household tools safely and establishing a cleaning routine. Each article is followed by an activity designed to emphasize important content.

Other monthly lessons support practical application of math concepts with content that addresses time calculation, money problems, banking and budgeting. Realistic content and practical application are emphasized in these lessons. Social skills are stressed using a monthly calendar of social trivia as well as communication scenarios. This month addresses how to be a good listener.

Employment continues to be a regular focus for several lessons each month. Lessons include exploring different jobs, reading job ads, completing job applications and practicing interview skills. Positive attitudes on the job are addressed with simple, realistic scenarios that present examples of how to interact with co-workers and supervisors.