CONTENT AREA: ​ Ecology

OBJECTIVE: SEC1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information on how biotic and
abiotic factors interact to influence the distribution of species and the diversity of life on
Earth.

How can you address the UDL principles for the selected information above?
Determine what tools can be used to support and enhance student learning
BY ALL students.

Mild Intellectual Disability (Micah)

Low Tech ideas:
● ​Highlighter tape​ - removable; same as correction tape but comes in many
colors; emphasize words/phrases in text; laminate to make a student reading
guide that highlights/focuses in on text

● Play music in the classroom. Music has been shown to help students with
ID’s stay motivated to complete their work as well as to retain information.

High Tech ideas:

● Offer the use of audiobooks for completing readings. Students with
intellectual disabilities can have a hard time getting through readings,
especially when they have to keep up with the pace of instruction. Using
audiobook sources such as Unabridged and Playaway will allow students to
keep up with the reading more easily and obtain the information without
forcing themselves to stay motivated throughout a reading.

● Freeform Database Software- ​This a computer software that students can

use to take notes during class. After taking the notes, they can access them
by typing any fragment of the notes into the database. This allows students
to keep their notes organized without having to worry about keeping an
organized notebook or other more traditional method for note-taking.

Supportive APPS:
● Idea Sketch App- ​This app allows students to easily draw out mind maps in
order to connect similar ideas and thoughts throughout a lesson. This will
help students to more easily make connections to material and build smaller
ideas into larger concepts.
 ● Read2Me - ​This app allows the user to import whole text files and reads
them aloud.

UDL Strategy (Wheel):

Options for Comprehension:
-Activate prior knowledge, using advanced organizers, and re-teaching critical
models, concrete objects
- Bridge concepts with relevant analogies and metaphors
-Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas and relationships
-Emphasize key elements in text, graphics, diagrams, formulas
- Use cues and prompts to draw attention to critical features, explicit prompts for
each step in a sequential process
-Chunk information into smaller elements
- Use checklists, organizers, sticky notes, electronic reminders, and mnemonic
strategies
-Explicit opportunities for spaced review and practice

Attention Difficulties (Suzie)

Low Tech ideas:
● Koosh ball​ – This allows sensory input, kinesthetic, stress reliever, identifies
speaker in group. This allows them to relax and more easily ​obtain and
evaluate​ the information.
● Easy reading text guides​- Use plastic signature guide or Finger Grip Ruler
to ​obtain​ and guide the student in reading papers.
High Tech ideas:
● Khan Academy​- Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional
videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empowers learners to go
at their own pace. This offers a student with attention difficulties/all students
time to ​obtain​ the information at their own speed.
● Claro Text-to-Speech​-Allows students with attention difficulties who often
lack fine motor control, to ​obtain, evaluate and communicate​ note-taking
easier on the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors on the diversity of life.
Supportive APPS:
● NSF Science Zone​- Science zone ​will ignite your imagination, and give
students with attention difficulties the desire to learn more about our world.
 Students have the ability to ​communicate​ the information that they have
learned on ​interactions of biotic and abiotic factors.
● Magnifier app​- This apps allows people with attention difficulties to focus
more on the questions at hand and ​evaluate​.
UDL Strategy (Wheel):
● Options for Language and Symbols​:
○ Pre-teach vocabulary and symbols- promote connection to the
learners’ experience and prior knowledge. All students want to ‘see’
themselves in what they are learning, and they might be excited to
share or ​communicate​ the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors.
● Options for Comprehension​:
○ All students can use checklists, organizers, sticky notes, electronic
reminders, and mnemonic strategies to solidify (​Obtain, evaluate​) the
information in their heads.

Physical Disabilities (Alicia)

Low Tech ideas:
● Finger grip ruler​ – allows the ruler to be grasped by raised center grip bar;
also can be used for focusing on words/lines while reading for students with
fine motor skills. This helps students ​obtain​ information on the interactions
between biotic and abiotic factors.
● Evo pen​ – oval pen that fits in the palm of the hand. This allows some
students with physical disabilities to better grip a pen in order to
communicate ​information about the factors influencing species interaction.

High Tech ideas:

● Electronic text (etext)​ – text files found online, scanned, etc., to use with
text readers. This allows readings for students with physical disabilities to be
read aloud in order to ​obtain​ and ​evaluate​ information more accessible.
● Big Keys​ – one of several alternative large letters, abc order keyboards for
students with motor or cognitive challenges to better ​communicate​ the
interactions of biotic and abiotic factors on the diversity of life.

Supportive APPS:
● Otter - For those with their dominant hand incapacitated, allows
speech-to-text. ​Otter records and takes meeting notes for you in real-time, so
you can stay focused on the conversation and rest assured that all
 information (e.g. actions, highlights, photos, attendees) is captured, easily
searchable, and shareable with your team.​This would allow students with
physical disabilities that cannot take notes quickly or cannot hear to ​obtain
information.
● Ava- 24/7 Accessible Life - ​Ava is an app designed to empower people who 
are deaf or hard-of-hearing by allowing them to follow conversations in 
real time. The app provides 24/7 real-time captioning (with up to 95% 
accuracy, based on artificial intelligence), on your smartphone. This would 
allow students to actively ​communicate​ with classmates and teachers in 
real time about influences on the distribution of species.  
● Avaz App for Communication​: Avaz AAC is an augmentative and 
alternative communication app that empowers children & adults having 
speech-related difficulties with a voice of their own. This would help 
students ​communicate​ the new knowledge obtained about interactions of 
abiotic and biotic influencers.  

UDL Strategy (Wheel):

● Multiple means of REPRESENTATION: The WHAT
Options for Perception: Use text equivalents in the form of captions or automated
speech-to-text (voice recognition) for spoken language. Provide visual diagrams,
charts, notations of music or sound.
● Provide written transcripts for videos or auditory clips Vary the display of
information in a flexible format including: The size of text, images, graphs,
tables, or other visual content
● The contrast between background and text or image
● The color used for information or emphasis
● The volume or rate of speech or sound
● The speed or timing of video, animation, sound, simulations, etc.
● The font used for print materials

English as a Second Language (Alicia)

Low Tech ideas:
● Inquiry Box -​ Access Tech has developed a fun, inexpensive, interactive,
multi-purpose teaching/learning tool for the classroom using a cardboard
mailing carton. The box has plastic page protectors/pockets on all 6 sides,
allowing you to address a wide variety of content areas by inserting pictures,
words, numbers, etc., inside the pockets to be used in a variety of creative
ways. The Inquiry Box handout provides directions for making the box and
strategies for its use. It is important for ESOL students to connect images
with content. This tool could allow for opportunities to ​evaluate​ interactions
with different factors placed on each side of the box.
● Word rings –​ create your own from index cards, can laminate; or purchase
pre-made packages (Top Notch Teacher/school supply) - words, words &
definitions, words & pictures, etc. This can serve as a tool to help ESOL
students obtain information about abiotic and biotic factors and their
influence on the diversity of life.

High Tech ideas:

● BoardMaker​ – Picture Communication Symbols software; create stories with
text/symbols; picture dictionaries, supplement text with symbols, substitute
text with symbols, create communication boards, etc. This tool could help
students better ​communicate​ their knowledge on influences on the diversity
of life.
● Text readers​ - e.g., Kurzweil 3000 (Kurzweil Educational Systems), Read &
Write Gold (TextHelp) - read all text files, e.g., from the web, scanned, etc.
This could help ESOL students that have better listening skills rather than
reading to ​obtain​ information.

Supportive APPS:
● iTranslate Translator:​ iTranslate is the leading translation and dictionary 
app. Easily translate text, websites, or start voice-to-voice conversations in 
over 100 languages.This would allow for students to find vocabulary words 
they don’t fully understand in English and obtain information through 
websites via translations if needed.  
● Conversation Builder Teen:​ ConversationBuilderTeen is a teen version of 
the popular and award winning ConversationBuilder virtual conversation 
simulator. It is designed to help teenaged children learn how to have 
multi-exchange conversations with their peers in a variety of social 
settings. The auditory pattern of conversation is presented in a visual 
 format to help students recognize and master the flow of conversation. 
This would help ESOL students develop skills in ​communication​ through 
structured patterns.  

UDL Strategy (Wheel):

● Multiple means of REPRESENTATION: The WHAT
Options for Comprehension: Activate prior knowledge (e.g. using routines), using
advanced organizers (e.g. KWL methods, concept maps), and re-teaching critical
models, concrete objects
● Bridge concepts with relevant analogies and metaphors
● Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas and relationships Emphasize
key elements in text, graphics, diagrams, formulas
● Use cues and prompts to draw attention to critical features, explicit prompts
for each step in a sequential process
● “Chunk” information into smaller elements
● Use checklists, organizers, sticky notes, electronic reminders, and mnemonic
strategies
● Explicit opportunities for spaced review and practice

Sensory Impairment (Alison)

Auditory Visual

Low Tech ideas: Low Tech ideas:

● Manipulatives
Giving students models in order
to learn and digest information.
For example giving a student a
flower model to see how it
functions
● Picture print out
Printing out flowcharts and visual
representations of subjects can
let the student take in
information in a different way
● Easy reading text guides
Use plastic signature guide or
Finger Grip Ruler or regular ruler
● Braille integration
​ se and adapt assignments with
U
braille
High Tech ideas:
● Loc Dots
raised plastic dots that are used to
actually identify keys on a
 keyboard or objects, e.g., house
High Tech Ideas: keys
● Captions on videos ● Text to Speech
When picking a video to show ​Shareware, e.g., Tex-Edit (Mac) &
the class make sure closed freeware, e.g., Read Please (PC);
captions are available and if not some Some commercial word
add to the data base and make processors have text-to-speech
some features, e.g., IntelliTalk III
(IntelliTools) and Write Out:LOUD
Supportive APPS: (Don Johnston) - read text aloud &
highlight words as spoken
● Decibel X
Supportive APPS:
● T​ he MD_evReader App
"​Decibel X​" is one of very few  The MD_evReader is a free app
noise meter apps on the market  for the iPad or Android tablets,
which has been developed to help
that has highly reliable,  people with a central vision loss
pre-calibrated measurements  read. It presents text from eBooks
in a scrolling stream across the
and supports dBA, dBC. It turns  screen, in a similar way to a news
your iOS device into a  ticker or a display board on a train.

professional sound level meter,  ● Be My Eyes

precisely measures the sound  This app lets those with a vision
pressure level (SPL) all around  impairment request the help of
someone who can see through
you. their phone. Weather it be
sorting through mail or choosing
the right milk.
● Rogervoice UDL Strategy (Wheel):
Multiple Means of EXPRESSION – The
HOW
Rogervoice​ subtitles phone calls.  ● Compose in multiple media
Call anyone, and get a real-time  such as text, speech, drawing,
transcription of the conversation.  illustration, comics,
storyboards, design, film,
UDL Strategy (Wheel): music, visual art, sculpture, or
video
Multiple Means of EXPRESSION – ● Use sentence starters, sentence
The HOW strips, story webs, outlining
● Compose in multiple media tools, concept mapping tools,
such as text, speech, drawing, Computer-Aided-Design (CAD),
illustration, comics, and music notation (writing)
storyboards, design, film, software
music, visual art, sculpture, or ● Provide alternatives for
video physically interacting with
● Use sentence starters, materials (e.g. by hand, voice,
sentence strips, story webs, switch, joystick, keyboard, or
outlining tools, concept adapted keyboard)
mapping tools,
Computer-Aided-Design
(CAD), and music notation
(writing) software
● Provide alternatives for
physically interacting with
materials (e.g. by hand, voice,
switch, joystick, keyboard, or
adapted keyboard)