At level four, students learn more about independent lessons. These lessons require student teams to solve problems and learn concepts on their own, without staff intervention or guidance. With each lesson, the amount of time that student teams spend on independent activities increases.
At this level, we also stress self-familiarization; the process of figuring out a building layout based on previously learned concepts. For example, students learned Fashion Square Mall very well over the first two years. We tell them this year that if they know one mall well, then they already know a great deal about any other indoor mall. The same is true for other building layouts. If you know one grocery store (supermarket), you know a lot about all the others. This year, we send students into unfamiliar buildings (malls, department stores, grocery stores, and hyper-markets) and require them to function (navigate through and use the facilities) in these new environments.
Because a team can be independent even when individual members of the team might not be, we stress the increased importance of working together. This theme is repeated before each lesson.
A. Familiarization with an outdoor mallThe student will attain the following knowledge (be able to repeat to the teacher):
B. Familiarization with a grocery store
C. Familiarization with a department store (hyper-market)
D. Familiarization with the Bay City, Midland, Genesee, and Frankenmuth Malls
A. The difference between outdoor and indoor mallsThe student will demonstrate competence in the following:
B. The location of major food groups in a grocery store
C. The location of major departments in a hyper-market
D. How to self-familiarize yourself to a new building
A. Travel on independent lessons with minimal (decreasing as the year progresses) staff involvement
01. Understand and experience a semi-independent lesson01. Ride the bus independently to Fashion Square Mall
02. Understand and demonstrate self-familiarization
03. Understand the Millet savings accounts: earn one dollar each for doing checklists as a team and for getting on the bus at the end of the day without being told
04. Determine personal objectives
05. Decide the role that each teammate will play on the team. Here are the roles:
Handler: students good with their hands so they can help others
Reader: good readers who can read lesson plans
Walker: students who can help where walking is needed
Writer: good writers to record the groups answers to lesson questions
Transporter: A student with a good tray on their wheelchair or who is stable while walking
Navigator: A student good with directions and layouts
Monitor: A student who pays attention to others and circumstances; someone who can help organize others
High reacher: Students with power wheelchairs that rise up.
Low reacher: Students good at bending over to pick up dropped objects
Traffic cop: A student who monitors wheelchair driving
Time cop: Responsible for team time management
A. The problem of the day: When we travel to a new mall next time, what will we already know about malls?03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
B. Decide what roles you will play on the team
C. Decide personal objectives
D. Determine the difference between an independent and a semi-independent lesson
E. Tell us what "self-familiarization" means and how you go about doing it
Each lesson of the year begins with self-familiarization to a new location. Each lesson also will feature "store familiarization independence/exploration time". Students will be given increasingly larger amounts of time to explore a location on their own- and then report their findings. This lesson begins with 15 minutes of exploration time; every new lesson adds five minutes to this baseline. Students agree on a time and place to meet after they have explored a location (as a group- with a designated leader). They also discuss their strategy for self exploration and their reporting/recording method (write notes).
After students check in they are given the following assignment:
1. Call the Millet Center on a cell phone and check in04. At Millet: This is the routine after each lesson: Upload and print pictures for the journal. Fill out the journal for the day. Leave the journals at Millet but take home copies for parents and teachers2. Study a mall map; how do we look at a map and read it; how do we direct our eyes?
3. Locate a store on the map that you have never been in, go to that store and take a picture of the store with the digital camera
4. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left? How much money would you have left if you bought a small drink or no drink at all? How much does water cost?
7. Eat lunch
8. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time; earn one dollar each if you do this. If you don't, you must bond for five minutes next lesson
A. Take receipts to Sally
B. Return everything borrowed
C. Get your notes to take home
D. Go to the bathroom, cath, change as needed
E. Play in the gross motor room or gym if available
F. Make purchases if you have money left (pop, candy)
G. Learn to tie your shoes, zip and unzip, use snaps, etc. (OT issues)
H. Read, color, listen to music, play with the marble machine
I. Get on the internet and surf
J. Center; relax
K. Fill out a journal page
02. Meet in food court; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson? (what an independent lesson is, how it is different from a modified independent lesson)
What do you already know about this mall?
What do we already know about the department stores in this mall?
Check out a walkie talkie and use it during the lesson.
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day (different leader for each task, check in with the walkie talkies after each destination/objective is reached):
1. If anyone has a coat, put it away in a locker2. Find a map. Locate Radio Shack; go there and price head mounted walkie talkies
3. Go to Sears; price a camcorder
4. What is the large department store at the other end of the mall from Sears. Go there and price a Monopoly game
5. Locate a store on the map that you have never been in, go to that store
6. Price one item in the store
7. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left? How much money would you have left if you bought a small fry or no fry at all?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Put coats in the locker; meet in the food court; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson? (practiced being independent, how all malls are alike)
What do we already know about this mall?
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. If anyone has a coat, put it away in a locker2. Find a computer software store and price Microsoft Word for Windows
3. What are the large department stores at the end of the hallways? Find them on a map. Go to the one on the north end of the mall and find a shirt or blouse that will fit you. How much is the shirt or blouse?
4. Find a CD you like in Target. How much is it?
5. Find something chocolate. How much is it?
6. Go to the south end of the mall. Put your back to this store. What is the third store on your right? What is across from this store?
7. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Meet in the food court; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson? (practiced being independent, how all malls are alike)
What do we already know about this mall?
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. If anyone has a coat, put it away in a locker2. Find the largest sporting goods store in this mall; find and price a warm hat
3. Find a map of the mall. Locate section 5; go there, call us on the walkie talkies and read us the names of the stores in section 5
4. Find a large CD/DVD store. Price a CD or DVD that you would buy if you had the money
5. Find the fudge store. How much is the fudge?
6. Locate section 8. Each member of the team pick out their favorite store in section 8
7. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Put coats in the locker; meet in the food court; problem solve on your own
What do we already know about this mall?
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. If anyone has a coat, put it away in a locker2. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
3. Find customer service. Ask where the arcade is. Follow the directions to get to the arcade. Play one and only one video game (if you have enough money and only if you want to)
4. Find the Montgomery Ward Store. How much does a washing machine cost?
5. Locate a store on the map that you have never been in, go to that store
6. Price one item in the store
7. Put your back to Marshall Fields. What is the fourth store on the left? What stores are on either side? What store is across the hall?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Meet in the cafeteria; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson?
Define hypermarket; how is it different from an indoor mall?
What are the major food groups? Give an example of each.
Plan a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. Get a shopping cart2. Use your calculator to subtract as you go. "Buy" everything on your list for a healthy breakfast. Put items in your cart as you go
3. Put everything back where you got it and return the cart
4. What section of the grocery store is located on the north end of the store. Go there and price an item.
5. Decide what you will eat in the cafeteria, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Meet in the cafeteria; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson?
If you are having problems (finding something, losing something, etc.) where can you go for assistance?
Hypermarkets have "greeters" What is a greeter?
Could you work as a greeter?
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. Price the least expensive can of cat food in the store2. How much is a dictionary?
3. How much is a hammer?
4. Price an item in the far north east corner of the store
5. Price an item on the west wall of the store
6. Price an item on the east wall of the store, south wall, north wall
7. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Meet in the grocery store by the deli; problem solve on your own
What did you learn on the last lesson?
Define "outdoor mall"; how is it different from an indoor mall?
01. AccessibilityIf you are having problems (finding something, losing something, etc.) where can you go for assistance at an outdoor mall?
02. Climate control
03. Bathrooms, phones, lounges
04. Information access
05. Accessibility by city bus
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. List ten stores; and give an example from each store of something you could buy (price, brand name)2. What stores are at either end of the mall?
3. Where are the mail boxes? Telephones?
4. Price a purse and wallet in JC Penneys
5. Price a camera in Rite Aid
6. Price one item in Big Lots
7. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?
8. Eat lunch
9. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time
02. Meet in the arcade building; problem solve on your own
Why is it important to think about others? Tell us about an important person in your life and tell us what that person likes (to do, to wear, to go, to make, whatever).
03. Here is your independent lesson for the day:
1. Decide where you will eat lunch, go there, decide what you will eat, and how much it will cost. How much money will you have left?2. Take turns being the leader to various stores in the mall (leaders choice)
3. Eat lunch on your own
4. Free time; get on the bus without our having to remind you of the time