Assistive Technology Curriculum Activities

by

Kirsten Haugen,
Kids Can!  Eugene, OR

The curriculum activity files contained on this page are free for you to download and use in your own classroom.   The ideas were developed by Kirsten Haugen.  They have been used in her training seminars and have received wide acclaim by educators.  We hope that you may put these ideas to good use with your students.

If you have any questions about these activities, if you'd like permission to use them in a workshop, or to make more than 25 copies of any one item, please email Kirsten (khaugen@darkwing.uoregon.edu)  We would like to receive your feedback.

You will need to have Acrobat Reader on your computer in order to read and print the "pdf" files.  If you do not have Acrobat Reader you may download it for free from the following site: Download Acrobat Reader. If the files are in another format (such as AppleWorks) you will need to own the original software in order to use the activities.

If you wish to print out an activity sheet just click on the printer icon on the menu bar.

Some of the activities are under construction.  If you are having problems with downloading a file please contact Kirsten.

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New! AppleWorks 5 Tips (pdf files)

New! AppleWorks 5 Curriculum Files

Multiple Intelligences and Technology

Multiple Intelligences, as described by Howard Gardener, can help us make good decisions about creative and appropriate uses of educational and assistive technology, whether we want to tap into a student's strengths, or support students who struggle with a particular approach to learning.  (pdf file)

Activities for Single Switch Toys and Appliances

Learn how to adapt battery operated or electrical toys and appliances using a single switch  . . .And learn terrific activity ideas for using them! (html file) (pictures under construction)

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Strategies Using Low Cost Voice Output

Learn the advantages of simple, low-cost voice output, and creative ideas for putting them to use in cooperative and group activities (html file)  (pictures under construction)

KidPix Worksheet Ideas

Use Kid Pix (or any favorite graphics program) to make fun and accessible worksheets.  Your student with disabilities can complete the activity on the computer while peers do the same activity on printed copies.  (pdf file)

Math Focus: Money Magic

Kids at all developmental levels can learn about coins together when you plan accessible activities.  Try some of these ideas on or off the computer (pdf file)

Developing a Thematic Unit with Accessible Activities

Guidelines for choosing accessible materials and activities when setting up thematic units for your early childhood classroom.  Options and ideas for low-tech to high-tech in every area of your classroom.  (pdf file)

Thematic Unit Planning Outline

Use this blackline master when planning materials and activities for your favorite thematic units.  (pdf file)

Brainstorm for a "Trains" Theme

Here are my favorite books, software, toys and activities for a thematic unit on trains -- add your own ideas, and you're ready to leave the station! (pdf file)

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AppleWorks 5 Tips (pdf files)

These helpful handouts for AppleWorks 5 (a.k.a ClarisWorks 5) are loaded with tips specifically designed to help students with disabilities and their teachers make the best use of AppleWorks as a learning and productivity tool.  These handouts are made available for personal and school use only.  Please keep them in their original form, including headers and footers. If you would like to use them in a workshop, please email Kirsten for permission and so we can share professional development plans and strategies!

AppleWorks 6 Users: These tips were designed for AppleWorks 5. The illustrations and most step-by-step procedures will not match AppleWorks 6. However, some of the general strategies may apply to AppleWorks 6 and other word processors, etc.

  7 Word Processing Strategies that Work (AWWPTips.pd f) (132 K) Making and Using Custom Stationery (AWStatn.pdf) (62 K) Three Ways to Modify What You See on the Screen (AWScreen.pd f) (36 K) Make the Most of the Button Bar (AWButn1.pdf) (44 K) Create Custom Buttons and Macros (AWButn2.pdf) Working with Bookmarks and Links (AWLinks.pdf) (66 K) Custom Databases as Study Tools (AWDatabs.pd f) (62 K) To Learn More About AppleWorks 5 & 6 (ApWkInfo.pd f) (35 K)

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AppleWorks 5 Curriculum Files

The AppleWorks 5 files below are for classroom use only, and may not be used for workshops or published in any form without written permission from Kirsten Haugen (khaugen@afn.org).  You must own AppleWorks to open and use these files.
 

• Cuisinaire Rods - Color-coded cuisinaire rod graphics, with or without numbers, let you build worksheets or can be used as on-screen manipulatives. A sample worksheet idea is included. (29 K) CuisRods.cwk
• Dinosaur Database - this database includes facts on dinosaurs, and different layouts provide clues for a dinosaur guessing game. (195 K) DinoData.cwk
• Dinosaur Songs - several verses to the tune of Frere Jacques, some handed down from my son's Montessouri school. This document (WP) uses bookmarks and links to let children click and choose verses of the song. (21 K) DinoSong.cwk
• Edible Poetry - This creative writing activity (WP) helps kids generate descriptive vocabulary and word banks while writing poetry. Extension activities for cooperative groups included. Uses color-coding, cue words, underlined blanks that grow as you type, and a name header. You can personalize it with clip art from the Library in the File menu. (88K) EdibPoet.cwk
• Homework Log - a database for tracking assignments. Lets you view a list of assignments and sort by subject, due date and/or whether itís complete. Detail view also lets you track grades and time spent on each assignment. (129 K) Homework.cwk
• Lab Report - this science lab report (WP) uses headers and footers so name, lab number, and page numbers appear on every printed page. It also uses an instruction box, cue words, and graphic cues to guide students through a pre-formatted assignment. Students stay organized and save time. (18 K) Lab_Rept.cwk
• Maps & Flags - this geography worksheet (DR) uses flag graphics from the AppleWorks Library, and maps of the world to let students label countries and flags. Some items are locked so they cannot be moved, while other items can be dragged into place. MapsFlag.cwk (92 K)
• Melting Ice Experiment - This mock lab report (SS) shows how changing data in a spread sheet is reflected immediately in associated graphs, made automatically by AppleWorks. It also uses a header, and both text and graphic frames to add details and descriptive information. Spreadsheet cells were formatted with the line and fill tools on the toolbar.  IceExper.cws (41 K)
• Polygons w/ Links - this math worksheet (DR) lets you drag names to their respective shapes to demonstrate knowledge of polygons. Turning "Live Links" on allows you to click on a polygon name to see its shape highlighted by the object "magnets," so students can study and explore before completing the worksheet. Polygons.cwk (14 K)
• Word of the Day - a database for a common vocabulary building activity at the middle school level. Lets you print WOD assignments to turn in, and still have study word lists to study from. You can sort by ABC, part of speech or how well words have been learned. WordODay.cwk (102 K)

Helpful Hints on Downloading These AppleWorks Files:

1. If you're using a Mac, you may need to hold down the [option] key as you click to download the AppleWorks files themselves.
2. The first time you open a downloaded file, you may need to open it from within AppleWorks, rather than from the desktop.  Go to File and choose Open, then navigate to where you saved the downloaded file (Tip:  Save it to the Desktop).  Save the file again before you close the file in AppleWorks.
3. You may want to save each file as stationery so you can customize and reuse them.
4. The ".cwk" and ".cws" file names enable Windows computers to recognize the files. They will still open on the Mac, and you can change the file names to anything you like once you've downloaded and saved them.

Attention AppleWorks 6 Users:  most of the AppleWorks 5 files above should work in AppleWorks 6, except the databases, which will not work well.  Custom buttons will be lost (& the new button bar doesn't make it worth rebuilding them), and AppleWorks 5 databases seems more likely to crash in AppleWorks 6.

Attention Users of ClarisWorks 4.0 or older: e-mail KIrsten for handouts and stationery you can use with older versions!  If you don't know whether or not to upgrade, take a look at Claris Works 4.0 and 5.0 and AppleWorks Informally Compared

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