ABSTRACT

“Students will “fly” around the different centers

and activities all about Down Syndrome!

Erin Crawford, Kelsey Johnson, Marlena

DOWN Saylor
SPU 330

SYNDROME
LEARNING CENTER
“We Can All Be Heroes”
Table of Contents
General Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Overall Purpose the Learning Center Unit- ................................................................................................... 3
Research ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Reference/Resource List ............................................................................................................................... 5
Relevant PA Standards .................................................................................................................................. 6
Student Objectives ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Ten Activities ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Monday – Day 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Introduction PowerPoint about Down syndrome................................................................................. 7
Tuesday – Day 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Vision Center ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Reading and Response Center .............................................................................................................. 9
Fine Motor Center................................................................................................................................. 9
Tuesday Wrap Up:............................................................................................................................... 10
Wednesday – Day 3 ................................................................................................................................ 10
Hearing Loss Center ............................................................................................................................ 10
Breathing Center ................................................................................................................................. 11
Operation Center ................................................................................................................................ 12
Wednesday Wrap Up .......................................................................................................................... 12
Thursday – Day 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Communication Lesson ....................................................................................................................... 14
Shape Drawing .................................................................................................................................... 15
Thursday Wrap Up .............................................................................................................................. 16
Friday – Day 5.......................................................................................................................................... 17
Marshmallow Communication Game ................................................................................................. 17
Summative Activity – Day 5 .................................................................................................................... 17
Friday Wrap Up ................................................................................................................................... 18
Attachments................................................................................................................................................ 19
Monday – Day 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Fill in the Blank Note Taking Sheet ..................................................................................................... 19
Tuesday – Day 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 22
Vision Center Math Worksheet .......................................................................................................... 22
 Reading Response Center Template ................................................................................................... 23
Wednesday – Day 3 ................................................................................................................................ 24
Hearing Center Sentences................................................................................................................... 24
Thursday – Day 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Tablet Communication Device and PECS Boards Sentences............................................................... 25
General Overview
Our theme is “We Can All Be Heroes.” This learning center is designed for third grade. The
students will “fly” around to the different centers and activities all about Down syndrome. The overall
set up on day one is the students will stay together and participate in a true and false activity as well as
an informational PowerPoint about Down syndrome. On days, two and three the students will rotate in
small groups between centers. Day four is all about communication including a short lesson and centers,
and then day five is the review and summative assessment day. Students will learn facts about Down
syndrome, how to communicate with individuals with Down syndrome, understand differences between
people with and without Down syndrome and know that it is okay to have Down syndrome. This
learning center unit will occur over a period of five days, a school week. Lessons/centers each day may
vary between 40 and 60 minutes.

Overall Purpose the Learning Center Unit-

The overall purpose of this learning center is to help teach typically developing students about
people who have Down syndrome. These centers provide students with interactive games and activities
to help them become engaged while learning about students with Down syndrome. We want our
students to feel comfortable with individuals, specifically other students, with Down syndrome. We also
what students to be prepared to work with students with Down syndrome and to be accepting of them
when they come into the classroom. We do not expect the students to understand every detail about
Down syndrome but we want them to be educated at their level on what Down syndrome is and how
they can interact with people with Down syndrome comfortably.

Research
What Causes Down Syndrome?

This article, explains what causes Down syndrome. The only cause of Down syndrome is an extra
copy of chromosome 21. This article also gives many medical facts that are important but we did not use
them in our centers for this age group because it is too much information for students in third grade.
Another piece of information this article explained, was that some parents who do not have Down
syndrome could carry a translocation chromosome, giving it to their children. We used the information
in this article for our informational first PowerPoint.

What Conditions or Disorders are Commonly Associated with Down Syndrome?

In this article, it lists many of the conditions or disorders that are commonly associated with
Down syndrome. After each name of the condition or disorder there is, a short explanation of what it is
and how it is associated with individuals with Down syndrome. In this article, it discusses 14 different
disorders and conditions that individuals with Down syndrome may have. The information from this
article was used to help brainstorm learning centers that could be incorporated in the teaching. The
interesting thing about this article was that at the end, it says that many of these conditions are mostly
in children. It expresses that adults can have them as well but it points to a different article for learning
about adults with Down syndrome. We also used this information in the introduction PowerPoint.

Ear, Nose and Throat Issues & Down Syndrome

 This article was used to dig deeper into our breathing, surgery and hearing centers. In this
article, it discusses that students with Down syndrome have trouble breathing when they are sleeping
which may also cause sleep apnea. Students have trouble breathing when they are sleeping because
they swallow their tongue. The other piece of information that we received from this article was that
many students with Down syndrome undergo many surgeries because of many different issues. In this
article, it talks about the reasons that students with Down syndrome need surgery, specifically on their
ears. The article goes over the different options parents of students with Down syndrome have, if they
are having trouble with their ears. We used the information about surgeries in this article to develop the
operation, hearing and breathing centers. We also used this information in the introduction PowerPoint.

Retinal Detachment in Down Syndrome: Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes

In this article, it begins by discussing characteristics of individuals with Down syndrome and then
develops a focus on their vision and ocular disorders common in individuals with Down syndrome. More
specifically, this article focuses on Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment, or RRD and its surgical
outcomes in those with Down syndrome. We used this information about vision disorders in children
with Down syndrome to develop our vision center.

Human Rights Organization for Individuals with Down Syndrome

This website contains a lot of information about individuals with Down syndrome. They look into
Occupational therapy and how it can help individuals with Down syndrome develop their fine motor
skills. We used this information to develop our fine motor skills center for the students to experience
what it would be like to have under developed fine motor skills. This website also helped to further
develop the vision center. Another major component for this website was the information founded to
develop or communication center. It discusses language developments and how speech therapy may be
used to help develop their language and communication skills.
 Reference/Resource List

AlAhmadi, B. O., Alsulaiman, S. M., & Arevalo, J. F. (2016). Retinal detachment in down

syndrome: characteristics and surgical outcomes. Journal of Ophthalmology, 1–6.

https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6971591

Ear, nose and throat issues and down syndrome. (n.d.). National Down Syndrome Society.

Retrieved November 19, 2018, from https://www.ndss.org/resources/ear-nose-throat- issues-

syndrome/.

Genetics home reference - NIH. (2018, November 13). Retrieved November 19, 2018, from

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/

Human rights organization for individuals with down syndrome. (2018). Retrieved November

19, 2018, from https://www.ndss.org/

KidsHealth from nemours. (2018). Retrieved November 19, 2018, from https://kidshealth.org/

Standards aligned system. (2018). Retrieved November 19, 2018, from https://www.pdesas.org/

What causes down syndrome? (2017). The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development. Retrieved November 19, 2018, from

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down/conditioninfo/causes.

What conditions or disorders are commonly associated with Down syndrome? (2017). The

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Retrieved November 19, 2018, from

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down/conditioninfo/associated.
Relevant PA Standards
o Standard - CC.1.1.3.E
Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension: • Read on-level text with
purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate,
and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

o Standard - CC.1.2.3.A
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support
the main idea.

o Standard - CC.1.2.3.L
Read and comprehend literary non-fiction and informational text on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.

o Standard - CC.1.4.3.A
Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.

o Standard - CC.1.4.3.F
Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

o Standard - CC.2.1.3.B.1
Apply place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit
arithmetic.

Student Objectives
o Students will be able to recite facts, such as characteristics, about Down syndrome.

o Students will be able to interact more comfortably with individuals with Down
syndrome.

o Students will be able to understand the differences they may have with individuals with
Down syndrome, in and out of school.

o Students will know it is okay to have Down syndrome.

Ten Activities

Monday – Day 1

Introduction PowerPoint about Down syndrome

 This activity will be the first activity in this informational unit. The PowerPoint will contain basic

information and facts about individuals with Down syndrome. Examples of facts are, it is caused

by an additional 21st chromosome, physical characteristics, vision, hearing, fine motor skills,

communication, breathing, operations and that they are students just like the students in the

class are and it is okay to be their friends. Materials needed are the introduction PowerPoint

and the note-taking worksheet.

o A note-taking sheet will be provided to the students for them to use while following

along in the PowerPoint. This may be a file in the blank format.

 Teacher Directions:

o Introduce the topic of Down syndrome.

o Begin the lesson by playing a short true and false game on the computer with the

students.

o After going through each question walk through the PowerPoint.

o Spend time discussing the information on each page and leading the students in filling

out their note-taking worksheet.

o After the PowerPoint and note taking is completed, play the same true and false game

that the students played at the beginning of the lesson to show them what they now

know about Down syndrome.

Tuesday – Day 2
Vision Center

 Since many children with Down syndrome, wear glasses. In this center, there would be different

pairs of altered glasses that would make completing simple tasks harder for the students at the

center. Different tasks could be simple math worksheets and writing their name. (Find the math

worksheet under the attachments section of the document.) The materials needed are the

different pairs of glasses, the math worksheet, and writing utensils.

 Directions:

o Fly to center, once you are there put on a pair of glasses at the center.

o After your glasses are on, choose a math worksheet.

o Put your name on the worksheet and solve ten problems.

o After ten problems, switch your glasses with another pair at the table.

o Solve the remaining problems on your worksheet.

o Discuss with the people at your table what was difficult about completing the task.

Pinhole: Tunnel Vision

Tape Covered:
Color/Shape Perception

Paper Covered: Light

Blackened: Blind Perception
Reading and Response Center

 In this center, there would be children's books discussing the topic of Down syndrome. After

reading a book, the students choose from the center, they will complete a reading response

paper where they will need to write down at least three facts they learned about Down

syndrome. (Find the reading response template under the attachments section of the

document.) The materials needed are the books about Down syndrome, writing template and

writing utensils.

 Directions

o Fly to the center and choose a book from the center table.

o Read the book you choose.

o Once you are done reading your book, using the writing template, write at least three

things you learned from the book you read.

o Turn in what you have written to the teacher.

 Possible Books:

o Quinby, D. W. (2014). What's inside you is inside me, too: my Chromosomes make me

unique. Deslie Quinby.

o Sturkey, A. E., PT. (2017). D is for down syndrome: a child's view. Valdosta, GA: Gotcha

Apps.

o Stuve-Bodeen, S. (1998). We'll paint the octopus red. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Fine Motor Center

 At this center, there will be winter gloves (thick ones) that the students will wear. Once the

students have the gloves on their task is to string beads onto pipe cleaners. This is for students

to understand that individuals with Down syndrome may have a difficult time using their fine

motor skills for things like writing, simple common tasks like tying shoes and even putting on a
 coat. The materials needed are winter gloves, pipe cleaners, beads and a bin for the materials to

rest in.

 Directions:

o Fly to the center and put the winter

gloves on both of your hands.

o Now pick up one pipe cleaner and string

beads onto the pipe cleaner.

o String as many beads on your pipe

cleaner as possible.

o Discuss with your table what made this task hard for you.

Tuesday Wrap Up:

Once all of the students have rotated through all of the centers and have completed the tasks,

bring the group back together (All students can fly back to their seats!). Once all the students are back

together in a whole group, ask the students what they learned at their centers, how they may have felt,

what was challenging for them and how this relates to someone with Down syndrome.

Wednesday – Day 3
Hearing Loss Center

 Many students with Down syndrome frequently get bad ear infections and they sometimes lead

to hearing loss. In this center, the students will be paired up in twos. One student will wear

headphones that are playing some noise (or earplugs if unable to get noise canceling

headphones) and the other student will mouth or whisper a word or sentence. The student with

the headphones or earplugs will have to figure out and repeat what the student says. The

materials needed for this center are head phones and sentence cards.
  Directions:

o Fly to the center and pair up with someone.

o After you have a partner, one person should put

the headphones on.

o Once the headphones are on the one partner, the

other person should choose a card from the middle

of the table and read what is on the card in a whisper voice.

o After the person with the headphones on makes a guess as to what the person said, the

person reading the card should read the card to the person without the headphones on

to reveal what the card actually said.

o Then switch roles and complete the task until each person goes two to three times.

o Discuss with your partner what was difficult about this center.

Breathing Center

 Many students with Down syndrome have trouble breathing when they are sleeping. In this

center, the students will pretend as if they are sleeping and may only breathe through a straw.

This will provide them with a simulation of how individuals with Down syndrome may feel when

they are sleeping. The materials needed for this center are different sized straws, around three

different types, pillows (optional) to provide the experience of lying in a bed.

 Directions

o Fly to the center.

o At this center, there will be different sized straws to choose from.

o Pick one straw and lay down on the ground.

o Once you are laying down on the ground, put the straw in your mouth and try to

breathe only through the straw.

 o After you try that straw, try another straw. Try all of the straws at the table while lying

on the ground.

o After you have tried every straw, talk with the people at your center about the

challenges you faced with each straw.

Operation Center

 Since many students with Down syndrome are at the risk of having many surgeries, this would

teach students that this might occur to the person they know with Down syndrome. In small

groups (about four children), the students will play the game operation. This center will help

students understand how challenging surgeries are and how important they can be to students

with Down syndrome. The materials needed for this center are three to four operation games

and the tweezer tools.

 Directions:

o Fly to the center.

o In a group of three to four people, pick one operation game box.

o Set up the game by putting the different items in the appropriate hole on the operation

body.

o Once the game is set up, take turns using the tweezer tool to remove the objects from

the person's body.

o Play the game until all of the items are removed.

o In your small group talk about why surgery may be dangerous and scary for someone.

Wednesday Wrap Up

Once all of the students have rotated through all of the centers and have completed the tasks,

bring the group back together (All students can fly back to their seats!). Once all the students are back
together in a whole group, ask the students what they learned at their centers, how they may have felt,

what was challenging for them, what they discussed in their groups and how this relates to someone

with Down syndrome.

Thursday – Day 4
Communication Lesson

 In this lesson, the students in the classroom will learn about the different ways individuals with

Down syndrome may communicate. The topics of focus would be speaking, using a

communication device and pecs boards. The material needed for this lesson is the

communication PowerPoint.

 Teacher Directions:

o Follow the short PowerPoint to introduce the types of communication devices and

modes individuals with Down syndrome may use on a daily basis.

 During this lesson, students will have the opportunity to rotate to different centers with

communication devices. One center would have some form of communication board or pecs

board for the students to observe and try out. At the other center, there will be IPads or another

brand of tablet that has a communication app on it such as Proloquo2Go, LAMP Words for Life,

or TouchChat (technology component). The materials needed for this center are PEC boards,

IPads or other tablets with communication apps on them and the sentence cards for each

communication mode.

 Directions:

o Fly to the center one of the two centers.

o At the one center, there will be PECS Boards and the other will have tablets with

communication apps on them.

o At the center split into pairs.

o Choose a sentence from the pile at your center and do not speak it but try to type in the

sentence using the icons on the communication device or by touching icons in a row.

o Take turns communicating with the device you are at.

 o Once each person has had a turn, change to the other device.

o Take turns trying to communicate through that device (The students should not be

talking through their voices at all while communicating.)

o In your small group talk about the difficulties with using these two devices.

Shape Drawing

 This is a teacher directed activity. The teacher creates a unique shape and then explains it to the

children without them seeing it. Start with a simple shape such as a square or triangle for the

first round and then progressively make the shapes harder and less familiar to the students. The

shape could be made up with strange curves and turns. The students have to then draw it based

off the explanation and steps provided by the teacher (receptively) to see if they can draw it

correctly. This will show students that individuals with Down syndrome may need more time to

process what is being said and that processing the information and following the directions

correctly may be difficult as tasks become more complicated. The materials needed for this

center are three pieces of paper for each student, writing utensils and the sample shapes for the

teacher to model with.

 Directions:

o Fly back to your seat.

o Each student will receive three blank pieces of paper from the teacher.

o The teacher will draw a simple shape such as a triangle or a square on their paper

without the students seeing.

o The teacher will then describe the shape to the class step by step and the students will

follow the directions given by the teacher to draw the shape without looking at it.

o The teacher will then reveal the shape to the class.

o Students can compare their shape they drew to the original shape.
 o The teacher will then draw a new shape that is slightly more complex than the last by

adding more elements, curved lines, and obscure shapes.

o Repeat the steps from the above shape with the more detailed shape.

o Do the activity a final time with a much more detailed shape.

o To finish the activity, the teacher will direct a discussion about the challenges of the

shape activity, and how it compares to the difficulties in communication that people

with Down syndrome experience, such as understanding and processing what people

are saying around them.

Thursday Wrap Up

Once all of the students have rotated through all of the centers and have completed the tasks,

bring the group back together (All students can fly back to their seats!). Once all the students are back

together in a whole group, ask the students what they learned at their centers, how they may have felt,

what was challenging for them, what they discussed in their groups and how this relates to someone

with Down syndrome.

Friday – Day 5
Marshmallow Communication Game
 During this game, students will be given a small statement to read aloud and one large

marshmallow. In pairs, the students will take turns reading their card with their marshmallow in

their mouths. It is the other student's job to try to understand that their partner is saying. This

activity with show students the difficulties in communication for individuals with Down

syndrome. The materials for this center are marshmallows and the sentence cards.

 Directions:

o Each person will be given a marshmallow and a sentence.

o Read the sentence that you have been given in your head.

o Pair up with the person next to you.

o The first person should put their marshmallow in their mouth.

o With the marshmallow in your mouth, read the statement that you were given, aloud.

o The person without the marshmallow in their mouth will try to understand what their

partner is saying and repeat what they said back to them.

o Take turns with each role.

o As a class talk about the challenges this activity caused.

Summative Activity – Day 5

 At the end of the Down syndrome unit, we will conduct a Kahoot review game about individuals

with Down syndrome. In this Kahoot quiz, it will cover all of the characteristics and facts that will

have been covered over the unit. This quiz game is conducted on the computer. Each student

will log in to the quiz and play along with each question. After the game is completed, the

teacher can look back at the answers to see how each student did. The material needed for this

activity is the Kahoot quiz.

 o URL - https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/839ac83e-9674-46ce-8231-8a12c20173f1

 Directions:

o Open your laptop.

o Type kahoot.it into your web browser.

o Type in the number code on the teacher's screen.

o Put in your name and get ready to answer the questions.

o When the first question comes up, select the answer you think is correct.

o Wait for everyone to answer the question.

o The correct answer will pop up on the screen.

o Answer the rest of the questions using the same procedure.

o When the quiz is over, you can see the final scores and then put your laptops away.

Friday Wrap Up

Once the Kahoot quiz is completed, review the weeks as a whole. Talk about what the students

learned over the course of the week, how they may have felt, what was challenging for them, and how

they may feel about people with Down syndrome. Reinforce that it is okay to have Down syndrome and

to be friends with someone who has Down syndrome.

Attachments
Monday – Day 1
Fill in the Blank Note Taking Sheet
**Print one per student**

Name:_______________________________ Date:_____________

Down Syndrome Notes

1. Down syndrome is a disability caused by an extra copy of

chromosome ___________.

2. Most people have __________ chromosomes but people with

Down syndrome have ________.

3. People with Down syndrome may be ____________ in stature

than their friends who are the same age.

4. People with Down syndrome have a _____________ head.

5. People with Down syndrome may wear _______________

because they have vision problems.

6. People with Down syndrome may get ________________

infections, so they may have hearing ______________.

7. People with Down syndrome may have trouble with their

____________ motor skills; this may cause them to have trouble

using scissors and other _________________ supplies.

8. They may need extra help and ________________ to complete

their work.

9. People with Down syndrome have ______________ tongues, so

they may have trouble talking. Some people with Down syndrome

might not be able to______________ but they can use a

communication device to communicate with others.

10. They might have a hard time ____________________ what

people are saying.

11. People with Down syndrome might have a hard time

__________________ when they are asleep.

12. People with Down syndrome sometimes have

___________________ problems.

13. They may go through many _________________.

 14. It is okay to be __________________ with someone who has

Down syndrome. They want to be accepted and have friends just

like you.

Answer Key:
1. 21
2. 46, 47
3. Shorter
4. Smaller
5. Glasses
6. Ear, loss
7. Fine, school
8. Time
9. Bigger, talk
10. Understanding
11. Breathing
12. Heart
13. Surgeries
14. Friends
Tuesday – Day 2
Vision Center Math Worksheet
**Print one per student**
Reading Response Center Template
**Print One per Student**

Name: __________________________________ Date: _______________

Down Syndrome Reading Response

Book Title: _________________________________________________________

Author: ____________________________________________________________

Directions: In complete sentences, write at least three facts about Down syndrome or feelings of
characters towards Down syndrome from the book you read.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday – Day 3
Hearing Center Sentences
**There are six cards per pair of students at the center. Print as many copies of these cards as needed
for the number of groups at the center. **

In math class, we People with

are doing Down syndrome
multiplication. are awesome.

I like to eat Breakfast is an

apples and important meal.
bananas.

I like reading We eat lunch in

funny books the cafeteria at
about turtles. tables.
Thursday – Day 4
Tablet Communication Device and PECS Boards Sentences
**There are six cards per pair of students at these centers. Print as many copies of these cards as
needed for the number of groups at the center. **

Tablet Communication Device Sentences

I need to go to I want to eat.

the bathroom.

It is spring. Today is
Thursday.

I want a drink. I like the color

pink.
PECS Board Sentences

I need I feel sad.

bathroom.

I feel happy. I need a spoon.

I want to eat. It is sunny.