Functional Academic

Lesson Plan
You will be creating a lesson for each topic for students with special needs/ in the Functional Academic classroom. The activities must be
interactive and hands-on. You can create a game, stations, bring them into the real world, etc. NO WORKSHEETS!
Write detailed directions
How do you start the activity?

What are all of the steps in between?

What are they learning from this activity?

How are you going to reflect on the activity with the students

Poor example:

Go to Main Event and have the students spend $20

Good Example:

1. Review ways to properly budget with the students

2. At Main Event, the students must purchase one arcade game, one food item, and one game of bowling
3. Students will record their purchases on an itinerary sheet
4. Teacher will review each students’ purchases when they return to the classroom and discuss any difficulties the students may have faced
while trying to purchase items
Money- Budgeting : Students have $20 to spend (where
can you bring them to practice budgeting)
Activity Name: Concession Crazy

Materials: $20 provided by the teacher, piece of paper, pencil, somewhere to put their change (pocket, wallet,
etc), and just in case a calculator.

Directions:

1. The day of the school game of the student’s choice (volleyball, basketball, soccer, football, etc), in class, we will review
the techniques when dealing with money (spending and receiving, change, smart shopping, etc).
2. At the school game of their choice, each student will be assigned a para just in case for assistance.
3. Individually, the student and their para will approach the concession stand with $20 and purchase what they want to
buy.
4. Before they hand the money to the cashier, they will have to write down, on their paper, how much they are spending
and how much they will be getting back.
5. Finally, they will purchase their concessions and evaluate how well they did, while enjoying watching the school game
with their friends.
Money- Debit vs Credit Cards (simulate that with a debit card, the
money comes out instantly, and with a credit card, you get a bill at the end of the
month)
Activity Name: Smart Cards

Materials: Fake debit and credit cards (provided by the teacher), a bag or basket to hold their “purchased” items,
plastic grocery items.

Directions:

1. The day before the “Smart Cards” activity, in class, we will go over what a debit and credit card is, when to
use them, and the consequences of not using them wisely.
2. The day of the activity, the class will be set up as a grocery store (with plastic food and items)
3. The students will each receive a fake debit and credit card, and their balance in their checking account: $50
4. The students will have 20 minutes to walk around and collect the items they want (they will put the items in
their basket)
5. At the cash register (the teacher’s desk) their total will be rung up and they will have to decide whether they
want to use their debit or credit card to purchase the items.
6. At the end of the day, the students will evaluate their financial situation after shopping.
Life Skill- Laundry: Sorting, measuring detergent,
folding, and/or hanging clothes on a hanger, etc.
Activity Name: Laundry Lollapalooza

Materials: One piece of clothing (shirt, pants, socks, etc), detergent (provided by the teacher), hanger, teacher
checklist for the informed and uninformed group.

Directions:
1. The teacher will prepare a live demonstration to half of the class, the class before, on how to properly handle laundry (washing, drying,
folding, hanging, measuring detergent). The other half will be in another room.
2. The day of the event, the other half of the students (uninformed) will bring one clothing item from home.
3. The informed group will then instruct the uninformed students through the entire laundry process.
4. NO TEACHER SHOULD INTERRUPT THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE STUDENTS UNLESS COMPLETELY NECESSARY.
5. While the informed and uninformed students are participating, the teacher will be going through a checklist of the laundry process on a
sheet of paper (grading how each group of students did).
6. After the activity, the teacher will go over what the students did good and could work on.
Life Skill- Cooking: Measuring Ingredients (Be descriptive if using
a recipe. Don’t just say “follow a recipe for mac and cheese”)

Activity Name: Cookie Monsters

Materials: Flour, Caster Sugar, Butter, Vanilla, Baking Powder, Egg, Lemon Juice, Soap, Wisk, Bowl, Cookie Pan

Directions:

1. Before the baking begins, print out the Sugar Cookie recipe for each student:
https://mykidslickthebowl.com/simple-sugar-cookies/
2. Have the students partner up with another student, along with a para (for assistance if needed).
3. Before they start baking, instruct them to wash their hands.
4. Have the students collaborate and follow the sugar cookie recipe.
5. After the students have baked the cookies, as a group, take them to deliver the cookies to the teachers (let
them initiate the conversation with the teacher).
Behavior: Personal Space

Activity Name: Bubble Besties

Materials: Hula hoop, long pieces of strong string, paper, pencil.

Directions:

1. This is a two day activity.

2. The first day will be demonstrating the violation of one’s personal space through the use of string.
3. Partner the students up and tie a string around both of them so that they are connected and cannot leave each other.
4. They will be attached all class. Towards the end of class, unconnect them and have them write their experience and
feelings down on a piece of paper regarding the day’s activity.
5. The next day, provide each student with a hula hoop.
6. They are to hold the hoola hoop around themselves all class. This will demonstrate a lot of personal space.
7. At the end of the class, collect all of the hoola hoops and have them write down their experiences and feelings
regarding this activity.
8. Finally, allow them the opportunity, if they want, to share their “notes” with the class.
Behavior: Proper hygiene (brushing your teeth, washing
your hands, etc.)
Activity Name: Musical Teeth

Materials: Sheet of paper per student and a pencil.

Directions:

1. Print out simple steps for brushing teeth:

https://www.lawrencevilledentalassociates.com/blog/how-to-brush-your-teeth-correctly-in-6-easy-steps/
2. Hand each student the printed directions and go over them.
3. As a class, assign a group project where the students have to collaborate and create a song that outlines each
of the steps in a musical and creative way.
4. The students will use blank paper to draft their song.
5. This project should take 2 class periods.
6. When they complete the song, have them perform the song together as a class.
Vocational Skills: Leaving a Voicemail

Activity Name: Phone Madness

Materials: 2 teacher phones and scenario cards.

Directions:

1. The class before, go over what a voicemail is and the correct way to send an effective voicemail.
2. The day of the activity set out a stack of cards with scenarios (Ex: Leaving a voicemail with family, friends,
boss, etc).
3. Have one teacher go into another room with their phone, while the students pick a scenario card.
4. One at a time, each student will individually use one of the teacher’s phones and call the “teacher” number
provided for them.
5. Once it is time to leave a voicemail, they are tasked to properly leave a voicemail according to their scenario.
6. After every student has participated, the teacher will return back to the classroom, and listen to the
voicemails and provide feedback to the students.
Vocational Skills: Customer Service (how to respond to a
customer complaint, or greeting customers, etc.)
Activity Name: Library Fun

Materials: No physical materials needed for this activity.

Directions:

1. Talk to the school librarian first, in order to let them know about the activity and schedule a good time.
2. The day of the activity, take all of the students down to the library.
3. For about 30 minutes, have the students observe how the librarian interacts with the students coming in and
out (customer service example).
4. After the 30 minutes is over, let the students ask questions regarding customer service skills.
5. Take them back to the class and partner the students up.
6. Have one of them be a customer and the other be the “responder.” Allow them to practice what they have
learned.
7. Observe the simulations and provide helpful feedback to the students.
Vocational Skills: Dressing for an Interview
Activity Name: Going to Work!

Materials: A doll for each student and doll clothes.

Directions:

1. The day before the activity, provide useful examples on what to wear to an interview and what not to wear
for an interview.
2. The day of the activity, provide each student with a doll and a pile of doll clothes (professional and
unprofessional)
3. Set the timer for 20 minutes, and let the students decide on how they want to dress their doll for an
“upcoming interview.”
4. After the 20 minutes is up, sit the students in a circle. Go around and have them each explain why they chose
to dress their doll the way they did for the interview.
5. During this discussion, provide useful feedback, and maybe, if you have time, dress your own doll in proper
interview attire, in order to provide a beneficial example of how to dress for an interview.
Vocational Skills: Teamwork
Activity Name: Blindfolded Buddies

Materials: Blindfold per student and a safe and empty room.

Directions:

1. Assign each student to a para for additional assistance.

2. Blindfor the students and instruct them to line up from tallest to shortest.
3. Allow the students to walk around, communicate, and participate in this activity.
4. They will have to communicate with one another, in order to successfully complete
this activity.
5. After they think they have finished, instruct them to take their blindfolds off to see
how they did.