100 Transition Activities for the Classroom

1. 100 Transition Activities for the Classroom

2. Transition Activity #1 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Students interview one of the following types of people. (Politician, Preacher, Teacher, Professional, Worker) • Student then describes personal lives, social activities, early and later goals in life of those interviewed.

3. Transition Activity #2 Self Determination/Self Advocacy Activity: Share the results of the interview from Activity #1. Discuss these questions: • Which of the lifestyles do you want for yourself? • What are characteristics of that lifestyle that appeal to you? • What does your lifestyle say about you?

4. Transition Activity #3 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Have each student write 5 positive things about every student in the class on separate sheets of paper. Review with individual student to help build self concept and self esteem.

5. Transition Activity #4 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Read the Dr. Suess book, Oh, The Places You’ll Go (Examine the various places life may take you.)

6. Transition Activity #5 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Facilitate a classroom discussion of the difference in “Wants and Needs.” After discussion, have student generate a T chart of 5 “needs” and 5 “wants.” (This list will later be used in developing goals.)

7. Transition Activity #6 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: From your list of wants, develop 3 goals. (Goal setting)

8. Transition Activity #7 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Choose one of the goals, prioritize a list of activities to be done to achieve the goal. (How to prioritize)

9. Transition Activity #8 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Develop a plan for monitoring the activities from the previous goal. (Monitoring progress)

10. Transition Activity #9 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Divide class into 2 groups and allow 5 minutes to generate a list of activities we use to self manage. (grocery lists, to do lists, calendars) Group with most activities wins. (Teaches self management skills)

11. Transition Activity #10 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Partner with another student and verbally sequence the plan for their day’s activities. (Teaches planning and self management)

12. Transition Activity #11 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Give each student a blank sheet of paper. Each student then stands and closes their eyes. Have student follow directions. 1. Fold sheet in half. 2. Tear off bottom right corner. 3. Fold in half again 4. Tear off left top corner 5. Tear bottom right corner 6. Fold in half again. 7. Tear off top right corner. Everyone unfolds their paper. Each should be the same, but all are different. WHY? (Importance of active listening)

13. Transition Activity #12 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Partner with another student. While one student sits on his/her hands, the other student tells the story of his/her previous day. The listener must display appropriate listening behaviors, i.e., nodding, eye contact, gestures with appropriate verbal feedback, etc. (Active listening)

14. Transition Activity #13 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Volunteering KWL – Discuss: What do you know about volunteering? What would you like to know about volunteering? Each student decides on a volunteer activity to do in the next week.

15. Transition Activity #14 • Self Determination/Self Advocacy • Activity: Question the teacher/principal Students formulate questions to obtain information relating to that individual’s personal career choices. (Learning to ask the “right”questions)

16. Transition Activity #15 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Round Robin for Health Each student names one way to improve or stay healthy as we go around the room taking turns. For each one named, the student gets 1 point. Tally scores at end.(Why health is important)

17. Transition Activity #16 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Divide into small groups and discuss what is known about health insurance. After a 5 minute discussion in the small group, share with the large group while teacher charts responses.

18. Transition Activity #17 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Who’s Important??? Each student will make a list of 5 most important people in their lives. This list must include identifying information. (Begins Address Book or Reference List)

19. Transition Activity #18 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Personal Strengths and Limitations – Each student needs to recognize 3 strengths and 3 limitations. Write on separate index cards.

20. Transition Activity #19 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Limitations – Conference with individual student (may partner students together) on ways to overcome or compensate the identified limitations.

21. Transition Activity #20 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Charades Write various emotions on pieces of paper. Each student draws and acts out that emotion. (Effect of non-verbal behavior)

22. Transition Activity #21 • Self Determination/ Self Advocacy • Activity: Group students in groups of 3. Students in the group discuss their own disability and how it affects them. Then each student talks about the accommodations that work best for him/her.

23. Community

24. Transition Activity #22 • Community • Activity: Each student consults a family member about their hobbies. Have a “Show and Tell” about the various hobbies identified.

25. Transition Activity #23 • Community • Activity: Have each student interview 2 community leaders.

26. Transition Activity #24 • Community • Activity: Identify adults they respect by job titles.

27. Transition Activity #25 • Community • Activity: With a partner identify 3 skills needed to participate in community activities.

28. Transition Activity #26 • Community • Activity: Have each student draw a map of their community.

29. Transition Activity #27 • Community • Activity: RACE – Divide into 2 or 3 teams. Allow 5 minutes to brainstorm all the jobs within their community. Team with most jobs is the winner.

30. Transition Activity #28 • Community • Activity: Divide into groups and write a song about a community place, person or people.

31. Transition Activity #29 • Community • Activity: Make a list of people in your community you might ask to help you find a job.

32. Transition Activity #30 • Community • Activity: Divide class into 2 groups. One group makes a list of things needed for daily living (i.e., stamps, bread, milk, towels, gas, medicine, etc.) The other group makes a list of places in the community. Then make a match game.

33. Transition Activity #31 • Community • Activity: Write a community activity on an index card. Partner with another student and draw one card. Each pair discusses appropriate dress for that activity.

34. Transition Activity #32 • Community • Activity: Each student develops a daily menu demonstrating a well balanced diet. Each student then swaps with another student to evaluate work. Discussion should be about the importance of daily nutrition.

35. Transition Activity #33 • Community • Activity: Each student makes a list of 3 leisure activities he/she enjoys. Each student then chooses one activity and shares with another student the preparation needed to participate in that activity.

36. Transition Activity #34 • Community • Activity: Divide the class into 2 or 3 groups. Each group then makes a diagram of government officials (i.e., local, state and federal) demonstrating the top official down.

37. Transition Activity #35 • Community • Activity: Game of places. Write names of places in the community on pieces of paper. Each student draws one and has to give a verbal description of that place. Student who guesses it goes next.

38. Transition Activity #36 • Community • Activity: Yellow Pages – Make a list of services that one would need. Students use phone book to locate the name and number of service providers in their community.

39. Transition Activity #37 • Community • Activity: Divide class into 3 groups and have them brainstorm community services or activities that are paid for with tax dollars.

40. Transition Activity #38 • Community • Activity: Invite a community leader to visit the classroom.

41. Transition Activity #39 • Community • Activity: Stump the panel – Have 3 people volunteer to be a community expert panel. The audience then tries to stump the panel by asking questions about community/government services and their location. (court house, bank, jail, pharmacy, grocery, etc)

42. Transition Activity #40 • Community • Activity: Role Play – Each student assume the role of a “community helper”. (nurse, doctor, policeman, fireman, mailman, etc.) While portraying this person, other students may ask questions about this type of job. (Research required)

43. Transition Activity #41 • Activity: Assign the students to discuss three jobs they are interested in for a career with a partner.

44. Transition Activity #42 • Activity: Develop a Three Column Chart for each Career Cluster with headings – “Careers”, “Skills” and “Courses” on each. Assign students to transfer their career choices onto a Post It note (one for each career) and place it on the related Career Cluster chart.

45. Transition Activity #43 • Activity: Divide students into Career Cluster groups according to their career choices. Assign the groups to brainstorm 10 or more skills needed for the Career Cluster, and place/write them under the “Skills” section of the Career Cluster chart.

46. Transition Activity #44 • Activity: Assign students to complete a Learning Styles Inventory (ex: CITE).

47. Transition Activity #45 • Activity: For a journal activity, assign students to explain a minimum of 3 ways their Learning Style fits their career choices.

48. Transition Activity #46 • Activity: Invite high school counselor to discuss course requirements with the students.

49. Transition Activity #47 • Activity: Obtain copies of the high school catalog. Assign Career Cluster groups to examine the high school catalog to locate course offerings that are beneficial to the cluster and place/write them on the Three-Column chart labeled, “Courses.”

50. Transition Activity #48 • Activity: Assign students to individually determine the courses they will need to take for their own personal career choice.