This strategy is part of a series on Adapting Worksheets. Please see the introductory post for an overview of adapting worksheets for students who are blind or visually impaired.
Thought Process in Adapting the Worksheet
The learning objective is unclear for this worksheet- I have assumed that it is to understand what life in the trenches was like, although it could be different such as understanding primary and secondary sources. The sheet is very cluttered with a very blurry picture and a complicated layout.
For a sighted child I have produced a source booklet. I started with Source D, which is the picture. This picture is difficult for anyone to make out so I decided to find different pictures to aid understand. I found a simple line drawing of a soldier in full uniform and a scene from the war of a group of soldiers. I have then provided a detailed description of each picture to assist the child’s understanding of what is happening in each picture. These pictures are also printed on Zychem paper for a non sighted child. The remaining sources have been split to provide a source per page to make it clear to the child that they are separate. I have also provided a simple line drawing of the German gun that is accompanied by a written description. This can also be produced on Zychem paper for non sighted children.
With these sorts of concepts I feel it is really important to provide concrete material and real life examples. I would seek real artifacts such as a soldiers uniform and helmet, shells, shrapnel and old weaponry to explore. I would also try to provide a real life experience such as recordings of the noises heard in war; I might also provide some mud in a pot for smells and textures.
Adapting the Worksheet
The original worksheet is shown on the left and adapted materials are shown on the right and below. The worksheet was adapted by rewriting and reformatting the sources (stories) in large print documents.
