Lesson Plan: Sharing Her Story

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about a teen who is using film to help others understand life with cerebral palsy; describe her challenges and successes; identify issues related to a lack of disability awareness.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 8: Advocate for personal, family, and community health.

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

documentary

physical therapy

adaptive

Faith made a movie to show what life is like with cerebral palsy.

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Building Comprehension and Vocabulary

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

1. Preparing to Read

Before you read the article “Sharing Her Story,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What is it like having cerebral palsy, and how can those who have this disability be affected when others misunderstand it?

2. Reading and Discussing

Have your students read the article “Sharing Her Story” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students take turns reading the three sections out loud (The Inspiration, The Action, The Outcome).
After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?
Next, have your students answer the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, either working in small groups or independently.

Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab.

What are some activities that can be more complicated for Faith because of cerebral palsy? List at least two activities.
What do some people mistakenly assume Faith cannot do because of her disability, and how does this make Faith feel?

Critical-Thinking Questions

In your opinion, why are there misunderstandings about disabilities in our world today?
Is there anything that can be done to help people become more aware of facts and myths about disabilities?

3. Building Comprehension and Vocab

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

Quiz
Vocab Builder

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

Have students research DISABILITY MYTHS and design a post for social media to spread awareness about misunderstandings that are often associated with disabilities.