|
|
|
|
1. Happy Birthday, Louis!
|
|
|
Have a celebration in honor of
the inventor of braille on January 4. Decorate cookies,
cupcakes, or a cake with braille letters made of M&Ms,
gum drops, red-hots, chocolate chips, or other candy.
Decorate with a braille banner or posters, and balloons
arranged to form braille letters. And, of course, play
braille games!
|
|
|
2. Follow the Trail of Braille
|
|
|
Write a simple message in
braille, and cut between the words. Mount each word on a
sheet of colored paper and post them randomly throughout
the room, or around the school (e.g., above the water
fountain, on the office door, etc.). The first student
to figure out the message wins. You can do one each
week, gradually increasing the complexity and length of
the message.
|
|
|
3. Play Braille-O Lotto
|
|
|
Duplicate a lotto sheet
containing 5 rows of 5 squares for each student. Players
print the letters of the alphabet in random order in the
empty squares. Round pieces of cereal can be used for
markers (or other game pieces can be used). The game
can be played with varying levels of difficulty:
|
|
|
- The teacher writes a braille letter
on the chalkboard. Children consult the braille
alphabet key, and place a marker on the correct
print letter on their lotto page. First child to
have five in a row (down, across, or diagonally)
calls, "Braille-O" and becomes the next game
leader to write braille letters on the board.
- The teacher calls out the dot numbers that
constitute a braille letter. Children scan the
braille alphabet key, identify the letter, and
place a marker on their corresponding print letter.
Play continues until a winner calls, "Braille-O."
- For variety, play Braille Bingo. Students print
numbers in random order: 1-15 under the B, 16-30
under I, 31-45 under N, 46-60 under G, and 61-75
under O. The caller writes a braille number on
the board (don't forget the number sign!) and
players locate the corresponding print number.
|
|
|
4. Poster Contest
|
|
|
Conduct a classroom—or
schoolwide—poster contest with the theme of braille
and what it means to those who use it. Award prizes for
the most creative poster in each designated age group.
Display posters on bulletin boards around the school.
|
|
|
5. "I Spy" Contest
|
|
|
Contestants can be individuals,
teams, or classrooms. The object is to find as many uses
of braille in the community as possible. For younger
children, the contest can begin on Monday and end on
Friday; for older students, the contest can run for a
month. Students receive an "I Spy Braille" scorecard with
entry spaces for date, where the braille was found and
what it communicated (e.g., elevator floors, ATMs at
specific banks, soft drink cup lids, etc.), and a space
for an adult signature. Points can be earned for the
greatest number of places braille was found, as well as
for unique entries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
