Time Organisation Teaching/learning activities

0-10 mins Resources: Teacher introduces the topic that students will be
learning about – India. Prior to commencing the lesson,
Whiteboard students engage in a one-minute meditation to relax
Marker their minds and body.
Teacher assigns students in groups of 3. Each group
receives a marker and brainstorms what they know
about India on the board.
Groups discuss what they wrote on the board and
compare their brainstorm.

10-25 mins Resources: Teacher hands out a map of India and Chromebooks to
student who do not have devices. In pairs, students are
Map of India to research different places in India using their devices
and locate these on the map given.
Chromebooks Teacher monitors students use of Chromebooks closely
and reminds students to use their devices responsibly
otherwise the activity will be discontinued.

Pairs can then present what they learnt about the

different locations in a way which suits them. These
options include
- Discussing with the class
- Simple PowerPoint Presentation
- Audio clip
Teacher praises students for their efforts in this research
task.
25-35 mins Resources: Teacher plays YouTube clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juc3msgLMoc.
YouTube
Classroom discuss what they learnt from the clip. In
their books, students write all the things they knew
about India.
Graffiti Board: Students write on the board what they
think the different tools used during the Indus Valley
could be used for today. Classroom discuss their
responses.

35-50 mins Resources: Teacher hands out a worksheet with images of artefacts
from the Indus Valley Civilisation. In pairs, students are
Indus Valley to analyse these artefacts and describe them, what they
artefacts may have been used for and how.
worksheet Teacher displays PowerPoint Presentation slide with
instructions and scaffolding which contains inquiry
PowerPoint questions to assist students in deconstructing the
Presentation sources.
slide
 50-60 mins Resources: Groups share their conclusions about the images and
teacher writes student responses on the board.
Students are instructed to copy what is written on the
board if they have left a section blank.
Teacher informs students next lesson will focus on
society in Ancient India.
Students engage in a one-minute breathing exercise to
settle them before their next class.

Exit Slip: To consolidate student learning, each student

answers one characteristic of the Indus Valley
Civilisation. Teacher praises students for their good
effort during the lesson.

The student with ADHD who this lesson plan has been modified for will be named Student
A. When Student A is interested in a subject, he is highly capable and displays great skill in
the subject area. Student A enjoys physical activity such as sport, and also enjoys working
with his friends in the classroom. He often gets anxious working on an activity alone,
therefore is often paired up with a class peer to collaborate in a task. While Student A
becomes uneasy working independently, he enjoys classroom discussion because it allows

Means of Representation him to give his input, while hearing others. This often helps
Means of Expression him broaden his understanding of a topic or concept when
Means of Engagement
he listens to his peers. Student A often talks to his teachers
about facts and information he finds on the Internet,
displaying that he has a level of interest in researching about things that interest him. Student
A often loses interest in tasks quickly if they go for longer periods of time, therefore
modification of lesson plans to shorter tasks is essential. Some of the main strengths of
students with ADHD include logical thinking and reasoning and creativity (Climie &
Mastoras, 2015). Therefore, based on Student A’s strengths and areas of needs, the lesson
plan has been adjusted to a strengths-based pedagogy that meet the capabilities of Student A.
The Universal Design for Learning framework is the most malleable and adaptable concept
for students with diverse learning needs, in particular students with ADHD. This framework
maintains three key principles in order to modify content and the way that lessons are taught.
These principles include provide multiple means of representation, provide multiple means of
expression and provide multiple means of engagement (National Centre on Universal Design
for Learning, 2018). The focal principle of the framework is that instead of having the student
adjusting themselves in the learning environment, the teaching process must be modified in
order to meet the learning needs of that student. This can be done through various methods,
one for example may be a student may find reading for long periods of time too tedious. In
this instance, the teacher can change the delivery of content through a YouTube clip. The
lesson plan has been modified to essentially include the student with ADHD within the
classroom without making them feel like an outsider. The lesson plan focuses on student
collaboration and expression of ideas amongst the classroom. In the introduction of the lesson
as well at the conclusion, all students engage in meditation and a breathing exercise.
Meditation will allow for Student A to re-centre and focus on the learning that will
commence. This strategy is for all students to participate in, as having only one student
participate will draw attention on them. Therefore, all students participate in meditation to
focus and relax their minds before commencing the lesson (Ramsburg & Youmans, 2013).
Towards the end of the lesson, all students engage in a breathing activity. This activity helps
to diminish wandering thoughts and relax students for their next lesson (Ramsburg &
Youmans, 2013). To conclude the lesson, the teacher uses the method of ‘exit slip’ as
formative assessment of what students learnt during the lesson. The teacher asks students one
thing they learnt about the Indus Valley Civilisation, which can be one word or a short
sentence response. This method of consolidating information will give a sense of
accomplishment for Student A as he can wrap-up what he has learnt without too much effort
or attention on him.
As part of the UDL framework, multiple means of representation has been embedded within
the lesson plan for Student A to meet various learning needs; this includes meditation to relax
students as well as projecting a PowerPoint Presentation slide with instructions for a class
activity. “Using multi-modal teaching will increase the probability that students will acquire
the key content of a topic” (Izzo, 2012, pg. 344), therefore a YouTube class has also been
added to this lesson plan for Student A who grasps information and concepts better through
visual modes. Multiple means of expression is another key principle part of the UDL
framework, and was similarly added to the lesson plan to assist Student A’s sense of input in
the classroom. Students learn best when they actively engage in classroom discussion as it
consolidates their knowledge (Izzo, 2012), therefore there has been heavy emphasis on
classroom discussion. As previously mentioned, classroom discussion enables Student A to
give his opinion on the topic, as well as listen to others, allowing him to extend his
understanding and clarify an idea that he may not feel comfortable asking in front of the
class. Furthermore, students have options on how they decide to present their findings about
the various locations in India; this enables Student A to feel a sense of autonomy and chance
to show his skills, whether it be through discussion, an audio clip or short PowerPoint
Presentation. If Student A has multiple opportunities to demonstrate his learning through
multimedia projects, he will have a greater sense of inclusion in the classroom (Izzo, 2012).
Had there been only one option for this activity, Student A would have a limited chance to
show his skills in different ways. Furthermore, students analyse primary source artefacts from
the Indus Valley Civilisation. This allows Student A to engage in source analysis and look at
the images through different perspectives and inquiry-based learning.
The third principles of the UDL framework is providing multiple means of engagement,
which is imperative when there are students with a diverse range of learning needs, in
particular, students with ADHD. “ADHD is defined as a persistent pattern of inattentive
behaviour…children and adolescents with ADHD find it hard to persist with tasks and are
easily distracted (The Department of Health, 2000). With such characteristics, the teacher is
responsible for modifying classroom lessons and activities to ensure Student A is engaged,
which then leads to active participation and an enriched learning environment. This has been
demonstrated through having all students get out of their seats and write down what they
already know about India. An example of formative assessment, this method also gives
Student A a chance to move around in the class and be in charge of his learning by writing on
the board what he knows about India rather than writing in his books. “Watching a video,
reading a website or talking will peers about the content will enhance retention” (Izzo, 2012,
pg. 345). Furthermore, when teachers integrate the UDL framework with technology in the
classroom, students with diverse learning needs have access to a more accessible and
engaging learning environment (Coyne, Dalton, Pisha, Smith & Zeph, 2012). Rather than
having worksheet for students to read off, the lesson plan has been adjusted so students have
access to technology, enabling interest and engagement in the activity. In a 21st century
classroom, the use of technology is imperative as it enhances students researching skills, and
also caters to students various learning needs, such as Student A who displays an interest in
research about different topics on the internet. While teacher monitors student’s use of
technology in the classroom closely, Student A can work with his peers in finding valuable
and reliable sources online, extending on his interest in online research.