Lesson Cycle

Lesson Title/Topic: 6th Grade Adventures in Learning

Concept: Explore the field of Occupational Therapy
Standards/Rationale: Exploring Careers 127.3 (3) D
Learning Target:
The student will experiment with various
activities and identify functional life skills
in the field of Occupational Therapy with
at least 80% accuracy.

Assessment: Complete an exercise.

Materials:
Activity #1
Jumping frogs with pond
Toy hammer, golf tees, circular foam
Tweezers, fruit loops, small paper containers to sort
Gumball machine, water beads, small container
Straws, dart board
Spatula, sponges
Fabric loops
Tongs, toy food, 2 small containers
Ribbon, beads
Sharpened pencils, 3/8 hex nuts, rubber bands
Activity #2
Elmers glue
Plastic bowls, plates, spoons
Craft sticks
Plastic cups
Food coloring
Water
Borax
Ziplock bags
Wet wipes
Lesson Cycle: (Direct instruction)
The teacher will:
Focus/Mental Set: Play a video

The student will:

Watch video.

introducing the field of Occupational

Therapy. Discuss with the students the
different degree options for working in
Occupational Therapy including obtaining
a 2 year associates degree and working as
an Occupational Therapist Assistant or
achieving a 6 year masters degree and
practicing as an Occupational Therapist.
Explain to the students that all
Occupational Therapists must complete
supervised field work and pass a national
certification exam, a license is also
required and yearly continuing education
hours must be completed. Some schools in
Texas for Occupational Therapist
Assistants include South Texas College,
Navarro College, and South Plains College.
Schools in Texas that a Masters in
Occupational Therapy could be achieved
are Texas Tech, University of Texas, and
Texas Womens University. Occupational
Therapists and Occupational Therapists
Assistants can work in a variety of setting
including hospitals, schools, rehab centers,
nursing homes, mental health facilities, and
private practices.
Teacher Input:
Open Prezi presentation and share with
students. Hand students a blank graphic
organizer to label throughout the
presentation.
Begin by explaining the textbook definition
of Occupational Therapy- Occupational
Therapy is a form of therapy that assists
individuals in independently performing
activities of daily life. Occupational
Therapists help people with illnesses,
injuries, conditions or disabilities of all
ages. They can work with newborns who
are having a hard time feeding, they can
help toddlers develop new skills, and even
school age children with developmental
challenges. Adults and geriatrics can also
benefit from Occupational Therapy.
-Ask a student Did you know what
Occupational Therapy was before today?

Ask questions.

Take notes.

Fill in a graphic organizer about what they

learn, and what they believe to be the pros
and cons concerning Occupational
Therapy.

Explain to students that some people ask

why they need Occupational Therapy if
they dont have a job, it makes sense if
they are not familiar with the term. The
word occupational means job and
occupational therapy works with
individuals at their job of living.
-Give the students examples of children
who may benefit from Occupational
Therapy: sensory processing disorders,
traumatic brain injuries, learning problems,
autism, mental health or behavioral
problems, developmental delays, birth
injuries and birth defects. Even broken
bones, orthopedic injuries, cancer, multiple
sclerosis and cerebral palsy may benefit
from Occupational Therapy.
Occupational Therapy might help kids on
fine motor skills so they can grasp and
release objects, or develop handwriting,
also they may address hand-eye
coordination by hitting a target. Some
children need to learn basic life skills such
as dressing, zipping up pants, and feeding
themselves. Children can also greatly
benefit by improving focus and social skills
if they suffer from sensory and attention
issues.
Tell the students that it is time to complete
a few exciting activities that an
Occupational Therapist may use in her
therapy for a patient.

Ask questions

Fill in graphic organizer with benefits of

Occupational Therapy in people.

Discuss with their shoulder partner

something they remember about
Occupational Therapy and something they
want to learn more about.

Guided Practice: Have 9 stations ready to Follow instructions from the teacher.
explore.
Display station instructions on prezi
presentation. Direct students to pair up
with someone and begin at a station of their
choice when I say begin. As students work
through each activity tell them to ask
themselves
What is my body doing?
When would I move my body this
way?
Why is this movement important in Ask questions if confused.
daily living?

Instruct the student to try and match the

daily life skills on the exercise with the
numbered activity at each station. Write
the number they believe to be the basic
skill in the space provided.
Remind the students that they are exploring
each station and when a 1 minute timer
goes off to switch to a new station. If they
dont know an answer, its ok to talk with a
classmates or make an educated guess.
After all stations are completed, go over
answers with class. Break students up into
small groups of 3-4. Have the students
discuss with each other each of the topics
listed below and set a timer for 2 minutes.
What was the most challenging life
skills to figure out and why?
Give examples of daily activities
that could be used with
-pinch strength
-hand-eye coordination
-crossing the midline
-forearm rotation
-index finger manipulation
Have the students put their name on the
exercise and turn in.

Grab an exercise from teacher, 3 students

to each stations. Rotate to another table
every 3 minutes after exploring each
activity and numbering it to the functional
skill on the exercise.

Independent Practice: Inform the students

that we will be completing this activity
together and to not skip ahead, also follow
directions closely and their slime will come
out perfect. Remind them to clean up after
themselves, be careful with the food
coloring and do not throw the slime.
Have a bucket of supplies in the middle of
each table.
Instruct everyone.
-Grab a bottle of glue and plastic bowl and
hold up.
-Pour the entire glue bottle into their bowls.
-Fill up glue bottles with water and shake.
-Pour into bowl and stir with craft stick.
-Add NO MORE THAN 5 DROPS of their
choice of food coloring and replace top and
put back in the center of the table. Tell the
students if more food coloring is added it

Follow instruction from the teacher.

Work individually to create a homemade
slime from elmers glue.

Have a small group discussion after

stations are completed.

Turn-in completed exercise.

Mix glue, water, and food coloring in bowl

and stir.

will stain hands and clothes.

-Set aside bowl and grab a plastic cup and a
plastic spoon and hold up.
-Fill cup with warm water to fill line and
add 1 teaspoon of borax and stir until borax
is dissolved.
-Pour contents into glue mixture and stir
with spoon until gelatinous mixture starts
to form.
-Grab slime with hands and transfer to
plate and continue squishing with hands to
better form.
-Place slime into zip lock and clean tables.
When finished let everyone take their slime
back out and borrow one students slime
and discuss the benefits of slime in
Occupational Therapy.
1. Touch Processing- tell the students
to notice how their slime is wet,
cold, and slimy.
2. Strengthening- inform students that
playing with the slime can help
strengthen hand muscles.
3. Creativity- everyone used their
imagination by creating the slime.
4. Sequencing- we all had to organize
our materials and sequence project.
5. Bilateral coordination- explain to
students that the mixing required
both sides of the body to work
together.

Grab a cup and mix warm water and borax

and stir.
Add contents of cup into glue mixture and
stir.
Grab slime with hands, transfer to plate and
continue mixing to form slime.
Put away slime to clean up tables and wipe
down with wet wipe.
Take slime out and actively participate in
group discussion.

Closure: Ask students to provide feedback

on what they thought about the activities
and what they learned on an index card.
Options:
Enrichment:
In their journals:
Create 3-5 fun activities you think
could be used in occupational
therapy to help someone with daily
life skills.
Write a plan for college and the
steps needed to become an
Occupational Therapist or
Occupational Therapist Assistant.
Modifications/Correctives:
Follow IEP
References:

Provide feedback using a 3x5 index card

Reteach:
Have students fill in their graphic
organizers with a partner for 5
minutes.
Organize a group of 3 students and
answer questions about what they
do not understand about
Occupational Therapy.