Ideas for Deaf Awareness Month?

CSign

CSign

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I'm in the early planning stages of celebrating Deaf Awareness Month at my sons elementary school. I'd like to be thorough; and include games, activities, discussions etc., about deafness.

I'm hoping to bring in some speakers to discuss their experiences.

I'm looking to all of you for ideas for activities, topics, or anything you can think of that will make it a success.

My ultimate goal is to help educate the students, and encourage them to appreciate that which makes us all unique.

Any ideas or suggestions?
 
Coloring pages are popular with the younger kids.

You can make cookies in the shape of ears and let kids decorate?

ASL Bingo?
 
Shoshana said:
Coloring pages are popular with the younger kids.

You can make cookies in the shape of ears and let kids decorate?

ASL Bingo?
Click to expand...

I used to make cookies in 5 handshape, and before baking, form them into the ILY handshape and various alphabet handshapes when my son was in grammar school.

There are numerous curriculum available that address different age groups on disability awareness issues that can be specifically adapted to the deaf.
 
jillio said:
I used to make cookies in 5 handshape, and before baking, form them into the ILY handshape and various alphabet handshapes when my son was in grammar school.

There are numerous curriculum available that address different age groups on disability awareness issues that can be specifically adapted to the deaf.
Click to expand...

THATS A WAY BETTER IDEA!!

I remember how embarassing it was for me in elementry school when technology was HUGE. I had two large hearing aids (pink and purple tie dye ear molds), Atenas from both hearing aids for the FM which was a bulky box on my hip.

One good thing to teach is not to judge a book by its cover and acceptance, it applys to everyone.
 
maybe have the kids do a simple fun song in asl? I like the cookie idea! maybe finger painting?
 
Have them wear ear plugs, turn on some bass music, and have them try out different things like holding an empty bottle, sitting on a wood pallet or box, etc and feel the vibrations.

If the kids are older like 3rd, 4th grade, bring in some assistive technology. For example, ask the kids how their parents wake up in the morning (with an alarm clock) and then how do deaf people wake up. Show them the different types of alarm clocks deaf people use. Technology is always cool for all age groups :)

For the younger kids, teach them the ABCs and then have them paste pictures of letter handshapes for their names.

Just a few ideas...
 
nah, viberations from music only gives distorted confusions that Deaf people are 'followers' of hearing culture (of music), lets focus on raiding their expensive stereo shops armed with baseball bats and smash it all up shall we?
 
what about name signs for the kids? to show how if they were deaf in Deaf school, what would their names would be, not the fucking fingerspelling shit, its too close to hearie, like if you want to show WHAT IS deaf culture, start treating them like as if they were deaf so they'd feel the experience as more 'real' than just trying to memorise boring letters , kids gets bored with ABCs already, keep them interested? show them if they would be called curly sue "ok wee bit of fingerspell but dont over do it' for it pushs them to lose the plot of Deaf culture...
just my wasted cyber cents
 
oh smashing up stereos is just a joke, obviously. but the point was, forget MUSIC its doesnt resemble Deaf culture. That is, if you gonna do Deaf awareness, why do the boring fingerspells where you'd know 80% of hearing population as loosely already aware of it - they woudnt tell you in being polite (or being sensitive ,sic) but they'd think of it as a learning tool for the 'poor deaf children (sic), come on get realistic about what you'd want the hearies to be understand. That is, not to understand that Deaf children learns at school, how about sometime more at home or in the playgrounds of Deaf schools?, like sign-names, this would elict a more realistic reaction like; "hey! thats what Deaf people do". This is way better than that unwanted stereotyping is not what we wanted, Right?.You see, on the other side of fingerspelling, it has a danger of making one to immediately think of Helen Keller, since she is sooo famous for learning fingerspells that provided her awareness that things had names. Fuck this, im not gonna allow this sneaky "oh thats for Deaf children because they need to know what things are called, lets help them' sort of mentality to recycle. Granted, she didnt do sighted fingerspells but the myth but overcoming 'loss of hearing' pervade in the similar sort of myth...i dont like fingerspelling to take over Deaf awareness, as i think i had mentioned why as above, does it make sense or not?
Show them we have our own lives and what kind of fun we have. Not the pesky 'teachers' fun' duh
 
I like the finger spelling idea for the young kids, not sign names. First, if there are 4 classes of 25 kids how do you expect to give them all a name? A sign name should be conected to the person and im sure she dosent know every kid. Plus fingerspelling will help them learn the ABCs.

Id go with teaching the kids fingerspelling and have them spell their name--if you wanted to teach some basic sign, show them how to introduce themselves in ASL and spell name.

I do not think if they already know the ABCs that they will be board of fingerspelling if its the first time they ever seen it or are learning it for first time. (my boyfriend is learning sign for me, and I still see him reviewing the ABCs fingerspelling sometimes--nothing wrong with that!)

then once they know fingerspell, you can do fingerspell alphabet bingo. All kids love bingo :) you can offer small prize like sign "I LOVE YOU" lolly pops.
 
it should be more easyer to get involed in deaf culture i want to meet more deaf people and i want to go on a deaf cruse and how many deaf people live in orlando ?
 
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