Reading & Making a Comic Strip: Language Arts Activities for Inclusive Classrooms

Reading & Making a Comic Strip: Language Arts Activities for Inclusive Classrooms
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Inclusive classrooms have become more of a norm than an exception in today’s schools. Creating lesson plans for inclusion can mean a little extra work, but planning out differentiated instruction will enrich your classroom environment. This plan is an example of how to split a language arts plan into levels to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom.

Group 1: General Education students

Group 2: Students with access needs (i.e. students who receive the same curricular content, but receive accommodations in how information is presented or skills are evaluated due to a learning difficulty.)

Group 3: Students with curricular content adjustments.

Lesson 1 Objectives:

  • Students will show reading proficiency according to their reading level.
  • Students will demonstrate understanding by correctly portraying the story plot line.

Materials:

  • Book
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Leveled reading books
  • White paper for students to create comic strips
  • Typed up plot points for group 2
  • Pictures of plot points for group 3
  • Assessments

Lesson Procedure:

1. Group listening activity. Read a story to the class and tell them to listen for a particular word. Give each student a Popsicle stick to raise up whenever they hear the particular word read in the book. This activity is great for students with more challenges since they will be able to imitate the rest of the class and participate without needing teacher intervention.

2. Differentiated instruction

  • Group 1: This group will read their leveled book in small groups or with partners. Once finished, students will work individually on a comic strip. Have them choose 4-5 main points in the story plot and put them in the correct sequence. For each plot point, have them draw a picture and write a sentence in the caption.

  • Group 2: This group will read their leveled book in a small group with a teacher. Teacher will guide the students as they read. Once finished, students will receive paper strips of plot points that were previous typed up. Have students choose the most important 4-5 plot points and glue them onto another piece of paper in sequence. Draw a picture for each strip.

  • Group 3: This group will listen to the teacher read as they follow along. Once finished, students will receive paper strips with pictures from the story. Have the students put the pictures in the correct sequence and paste them onto another piece of paper. Have students dictate as the teacher writes what each picture was about.

Assessment:

  • Group 1 Format: Short answer. Ask questions that students can answer with 1-2 sentence responses.
  • Group 2 Format: Multiple Choice. As the same questions as the test for group 1, but have multiple choice answers so that students aren’t penalized for any writing difficulties.
  • Group 3 Format: Use the same pictures from the activity and have students put the plot pictures in the correct order from memory.

This plan can be accommodated according to each child’s needs. Knowing your students skills and abilities, as well as understanding their 504 plan or IEP will help you as a teacher know how to plan for your class successfully!

This post is part of the series: Differentiated Instruction for an Inclusive Classroom

Many teachers now experience classrooms with students of all abilities. This series includes activities for language arts, social studies, science and math.

  1. Differentiated Instruction for an Inclusive Classroom: Language Arts
  2. Working with Fractions in a Centers-Based Environment
  3. Differentiated Instruction for an Inclusive Classroom: Social Studies
  4. Tracking the Growth of a Plant: Science Activity for Inclusive Classrooms