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Unit 6 Special Education Support Guide

Teacher Guide varies

This guide provides specific accommodations and modifications for Unit 6 activities. All suggestions maintain access to grade-level content while adjusting the path to demonstrating understanding. Consult individual student IEPs and collaborate with special education staff for student-specific adjustments. Note that Unit 6 is the capstone unit and includes the highest-stakes assessment in the course. Extra attention to executive function supports and anxiety management is warranted.

Extended Time

Skill Synthesis Map (6.1a)

  • Time allowance: 60-90 minutes (instead of 40-50)
  • Priority: The Growth Statement is more important than the visual map format.

Voice Discovery Portfolio (6.2a)

  • Time allowance: 75-90 minutes
  • Priority: Voice Statement is the essential component; reduce writing samples to 2 instead of 3-4 if needed.

Collaborative Scene Building (6.3a)

  • Time allowance: 60-75 minutes
  • Strategy: Coordinate with group members on pacing; consider pre-writing the paragraph before the group session.

Campaign Pitch (6.4a)

  • Time allowance: 90-120 minutes
  • Priority: The pitch content matters more than polish.

Capstone Project (6.6)

  • Time allowance: Extend timeline by 3-5 additional days
  • Approach: Break into smaller milestones with check-ins
  • Priority activities: Brainstorming and first draft are essential; final polish can be lighter.

AI Evaluation (6.7)

  • Time allowance: 60-75 minutes
  • Modification: Reduce comparison essay to 200-300 words while maintaining analytical depth.

Priority Ranking if Student Cannot Complete All Work

  1. Capstone Project
  2. Campaign Pitch
  3. Voice Discovery Portfolio
  4. Unit Reflection
  5. Collaborative Scene
  6. Synthesis Map
  7. AI Evaluation
  8. Quiz

Modified Assignments

Skill Synthesis Map

  • Reduce to 3 skill areas instead of 5
  • Accept bulleted connections instead of full paragraphs
  • Growth Statement can be 2-3 sentences instead of 3-5

Voice Discovery Portfolio

  • Reduce to 2 writing samples (instead of 3-4)
  • Voice Statement can be 100-125 words
  • Accept audio recording of Voice Statement as alternative

Campaign Pitch

  • Reduce to 300-400 words (written) or 2-3 minutes (multimedia)
  • Focus on hook, setting, and tone
  • Session Zero outline can be simplified to 2 expectations

Capstone Project

  • Reduce word count to 600-800 words while maintaining the same rubric categories
  • Accept hybrid formats (e.g., partly written, partly visual/audio)
  • Focus assessment on Creative Voice and Synthesis criteria

AI Evaluation

  • Reduce comparison to 200-250 words
  • Provide a structured graphic organizer with comparison categories pre-filled

Quiz

  • Allow open-note format
  • Reduce extended response from 5-8 sentences to 3-5 sentences
  • Provide sentence starters for short answer questions

Alternative Assessments

Capstone Project

  • Student may record a 5-8 minute oral presentation of their project instead of writing
  • Provide same rubric criteria assessed through oral delivery
  • Student may also create a visual portfolio (slides, comic format, illustrated version) with written captions

Campaign Pitch

  • Accept a recorded "elevator pitch" (2 minutes) as minimum viable alternative

AI Evaluation

  • Student may complete as a recorded verbal analysis comparing the two excerpts

Unit Reflection

  • Accept audio or video reflection responses

Reading Supports

Lesson Pages

  • All lessons are instructional text at approximately 9th-grade reading level
  • For students needing additional support, provide text-to-speech access and chunked versions with stopping points

AI Evaluation Excerpts

  • Pre-read both excerpts with the student
  • Highlight key differences before independent analysis

Campaign Pitch Examples

  • Provide visual examples (images of D&D settings) alongside text descriptions to support comprehension

Executive Function Supports (CRITICAL for Capstone Unit)

Executive function supports are especially important during the capstone unit. Structured checkpoints, templates, and visual organization tools help students manage complex, multi-week projects.

Capstone Project

  • Break into 5 explicit checkpoints with due dates:
    1. Choose option + brainstorm
    2. Complete first draft
    3. Reflective wait day
    4. Revise using rubric
    5. Final submission with process evidence
  • Provide a fillable checklist for each checkpoint

Campaign Pitch

  • Break into 3 checkpoints:
    1. Choose concept + hook
    2. Draft full pitch
    3. Write reflection

Skill Synthesis Map

  • Provide a pre-formatted template with labeled sections for each skill area

Voice Discovery Portfolio

  • Provide a sentence-completion template for the Voice Statement

Graphic Organizers

  • Comparison chart for AI Evaluation
  • Project planning template for Capstone
  • Pitch structure template for Campaign Pitch

Sensory and Environmental Supports

Online Async Format

  • Online async format provides natural flexibility for students who need to manage their environment

Collaborative Scene Building

  • Allow students to participate asynchronously rather than in real-time if group dynamics create anxiety

Multimedia Pitch Option

  • Ensure screen readers can access all content
  • Provide captions for video content

Social-Emotional Supports

Collaborative Scene Building

  • Student may work with a single trusted partner instead of a group of 3-4
  • Alternative: Student may write a solo scene that responds to a provided opening paragraph, practicing "yes, and" independently

Peer Feedback Activities

  • Student may share work only with the teacher for feedback instead of posting publicly
  • Provide additional sentence frames for giving feedback

Capstone Anxiety

  • The capstone is high-stakes. Normalize anxiety.
  • Remind students that process evidence shows growth, and growth is what's being assessed — not perfection

Unit Reflection

  • If reflecting on growth is emotionally difficult, offer a structured alternative: "Three things I learned, two things I'm proud of, one thing I want to keep developing."

Communication Supports

AAC-Friendly Sentence Frames

  • Simplify all sentence frames to 5-7 word stems
  • Example: "My writing has ___" instead of "When I compare my early work to my recent work, the biggest change I notice is ___."

Visual Supports

  • Provide icons/images for key vocabulary terms:
    • Synthesis = puzzle pieces connecting
    • Voice = fingerprint
    • Collaboration = people building together

Simplified Directions

  • Break multi-step directions into single-step cards with checkboxes

IEP Goal Connections

IEP Goal Connections table showing common IEP goal areas and corresponding unit activities that address them
Common IEP Goal Area Unit Activities That Address It
Reading Comprehension Lesson reading, AI evaluation excerpt analysis
Written Expression Synthesis Map, Voice Statement, Campaign Pitch, Capstone Project
Social Skills Collaborative Scene Building, peer feedback activities
Self-Advocacy Capstone choice, Voice Statement, growth reflections
Executive Functioning Capstone planning, project milestones, self-management SEL
Self-Monitoring Unit Reflection, formative checks, process evidence

Collaboration Notes

  • Consult with SpEd staff before the capstone begins
  • Identify students who may need additional check-ins during the multi-week project
  • Coordinate with counseling staff if reflection activities surface emotional responses about the course ending
  • For students with anxiety, consider providing the capstone rubric early with a low-pressure walkthrough