Deaf Culture & History Activity Pack, Grades 3-5

Give your grades 3-5 students a respectful, story-filled introduction to Deaf history and culture with this 30-page print-and-go activity pack. Students begin by reading about American Sign Language as a complete visual language with its own grammar and word order, learning how the hands, face, and body all carry meaning, and why different countries have different sign languages. A second reading passage explores Deaf culture in everyday life: getting attention visually, name signs given by the Deaf community, Deaf schools and clubs, captions and interpreters, and what Deaf Pride means. Six reading pairs follow, each with a one-page story and five comprehension questions: Laurent Clerc, the French teacher who crossed the Atlantic in 1816; Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the hearing ally who founded the first permanent American school for deaf children with Clerc in 1817; Gallaudet University and the 1988 Deaf President Now protest, when students won a Deaf president; Andrew Foster, who built more than thirty schools for deaf children across Africa; Marlee Matlin, the youngest Best Actress Oscar winner; and Nyle DiMarco, model, dancer, and activist. Students then put their knowledge to work: ordering eight milestones from 1816 to 1990 on a timeline, sorting eight myth-or-fact statements, matching seven people and places in a map activity, solving a twelve-word word search, and completing a ten-answer crossword. A writing page with three thoughtful prompts and a ten-question review quiz round out the pack, and full answer keys are included for every keyed activity, along with teacher notes and a closing page on being a good ally. The pack teaches about ASL and Deaf culture and does not teach signs, so no handshapes are drawn or described, and the language throughout is respectful and person-first. Black-and-white friendly and ready to print on US Letter paper, it works beautifully for social studies centers, morning work, fast finishers, substitute plans, and Deaf Awareness Month activities.