Lesson Plan - The Fight for Disability Rights

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act and choose a way to respond or extend their learning.

Curriculum Connections

• Disability Rights

• Discrimination

• The Americans with Disabilities Act

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Activism

• Judy Heumann, George H. W. Bush, and Franklin D. Roosevelt

• Social and Emotional Learning: Social Awareness and Empathy

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Identify processes that lead to change within societies

• Analyze the causes and consequences of events

• Understand basic freedoms and rights

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Write for a task, purpose, and audience

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.2, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.7, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.2, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.7, SL.6-8.1, SL.6-8.6

1. Preparing to Read

Engage, Connect, and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: What’s something that makes you unique, special, or different from most people? How do you feel about that difference? What do you wish other people knew about you? Invite students to share responses. Then use Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms in the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to mark changes that have made the world better with a C.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How has the Americans with Disabilities Act improved people’s lives? (Cause and Effect)
The act has improved lives by making discrimination against people because of their disabilities illegal. It requires public places to be accessible and has helped people with disabilities fully participate in society. Ramps, Braille signs, curb cuts, and closed-captioning are some of the accommodations that have become common in the 30 years since the law was passed.

• What are some of the challenges people with disabilities still face? (Key Details)
People with disabilities are bullied at high rates and are less likely to have jobs. Only 31 percent of working-age people with disabilities were employed in 2019, compared with 75 percent of those without disabilities. People with disabilities also continue to face barriers because many places aren’t fully accessible.

• What does Judy Heumann mean when she says “disability is a normal part of life”? (Social and Emotional Learning)
Heumann means that disabilities aren’t something that people should feel ashamed of. She has fought to help make the world better for people like her and to promote understanding that disabilities are common. She also says disabilities can make people stronger.

3. Skill Building

Watch a Video

Ask students to think about these questions as they watch “What’s Good, Jordan Reeves?”: What is a lesson you can learn from Jordan Reeves? How can you apply what she says to your own life? Discuss responses.

Write for a Task, Purpose, and Audience

Use the Choice Board Skill Builder to have students choose from eight activities related to the article.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Printable Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Lesson: The Fight for Disability Rights

A step-by-step guide to teaching this article in your classroom

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Interactive Slide Deck

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Slide Deck - The Fight for Disability Rights

Share an interactive version of this lesson with your students.

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Text-to-Speech