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Chapter 7: Lesson Plan 1: Education of People With Disabilities - Historical Perspectives

Course Level: Undergraduate and Graduate Education Studies

Estimated Time: 2-3 hours

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Trace the historical development of education for people with hearing, visual, and intellectual disabilities in America
2. Analyze the role of key pioneers (Gallaudet, Howe, Séguin, Itard) in establishing special education
3. Explain how the medicalized theory of deviance and eugenics influenced the separation of special education
4. Evaluate the emergence of psychological testing and its impact on disability classification
5. Connect historical developments to the normalization movement and early legal foundations for inclusion

Lesson Structure

Part 1: Setting the Historical Context (30 minutes)

Opening Activity (10 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share: "Before 1820, how do you imagine children with disabilities were educated?"

• Individual reflection (2 min)
• Pair discussion (3 min)
• Class sharing (5 min)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and surface assumptions about historical attitudes toward disability.

Mini-Lecture: The Reform Era (20 minutes)

Content to Cover:

• Early attitudes toward disability (varied cultural interpretations)
• Alexis de Tocqueville's observation about American institution building
• The reform era (1820-1860): abolition, prison reform, mental health, public schools
• Why separate institutions emerged: corporate voluntarism model

Teaching Strategy:

• Use Slides 3-4
• Show images of early 19th-century institutions
• Create a visual timeline on the board
• Ask students to consider: Why did reformers choose to create separate institutions?

Check for Understanding: Quick poll: "What motivated early reformers to establish separate schools for students with disabilities?" (Humanitarian concerns? Economic factors? Medical beliefs? All of the above?)

Part 2: Pioneers in Disability Education (45 minutes)

Activity: Pioneer Gallery Walk (25 minutes)

Setup: Create four stations around the room, each focused on a pioneer:

1. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet & Laurent Clerc (Hearing disabilities)
2. Alexander Graham Bell (Oralist approach)
3. Samuel Gridley Howe (Visual disabilities)
4. Édouard Séguin & Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (Intellectual disabilities)

Each station includes:

• Brief biography
• Key contributions
• Philosophical approach
• Impact on disability education
• Discussion question

Process:

• Divide class into four groups
• Each group starts at one station (5 min per station)
• Groups rotate through all stations
• Take notes on contributions and approaches

Discussion Questions at Stations:

1. Gallaudet/Clerc: How did sign language become central to deaf culture?
2. Bell: What were the controversies surrounding the oralist approach?
3. Howe: How did raised-letter printing change education for blind students?
4. Séguin/Itard: What was revolutionary about viewing intellectual disabilities as "developmentally delayed"?

Video and Discussion: The Wild Boy of Aveyron (20 minutes)

• Show 10-minute documentary excerpt on Itard's work with Victor
• Facilitate discussion (10 min):
• What teaching methods did Itard use?
• Why did Itard consider his work a "failure"?
• How did this work influence future special education?
• What ethical questions does this case raise?

Transition: "Now we'll explore a darker chapter: how did the promising beginnings of special education lead to increased separation?"

Part 3: The Medicalization and Separation (35 minutes)

Small Group Analysis: The Medical Model and Eugenics (20 minutes)

Divide class into 3 groups, each examining one aspect:

Group 1: Medicalized Theory of Deviance

• How did viewing disability as a medical condition affect education?
• What were the intended benefits? Unintended consequences?

Group 2: Psychological Testing Movement

• How did Binet, Goddard, and Terman change special education?
• What were the promises and pitfalls of intelligence testing?
• Case study: The Stanford-Binet test

Group 3: Eugenics Movement

• What was eugenics and how did it influence education?
• Case study: Henry Goddard's "The Kallikak Family"
• How were class, race, and immigration tied to eugenics?

Materials for Each Group:

• Relevant chapter excerpts
• Primary source documents
• Analysis questions
• Chart paper for presentation

Group Presentations (15 minutes)

• Each group presents key findings (5 min each)
• Class discussion: How did these three forces work together to increase segregation?

Critical Reflection: "How do we see remnants of these ideas in education today?"

Part 4: Psychological Testing and Classification (20 minutes)

Interactive Lecture: The Testing Movement

Content to Cover (Use Slides 13-15):

• Brass instrument psychology vs. paper-and-pencil tests
• Alfred Binet's original intent vs. American usage
• Henry Goddard's classification system (terms now considered offensive)
• The spread of IQ testing in schools

Activity: Analyzing Historical Classification Systems

• Display Goddard's classification chart
• Discuss: "What problems do you see with these classifications?"
• Connect to language choices discussion (terms like "idiot," "moron," "imbecile")

Critical Analysis Questions:

• How were these tests culturally biased?
• Who was most likely to be classified as "feebleminded"?
• How did testing support eugenics ideology?

Teaching Point: Explain the historical marker about eugenics (reference image from chapter)—states apologizing for sterilization laws

Part 5: Seeds of Change (15 minutes)

Discussion: Learning Disabilities and Normalization

Mini-Lecture (8 minutes):

• Samuel A. Kirk and the learning disabilities classification (1960s)
• Why this was controversial yet helpful
• The normalization movement from Europe
• Wolf Wolfensberger's influence

Use Slides 16-17

Think-Pair-Share (7 minutes): "How did the concept of normalization challenge earlier approaches to disability education?"

• Individual thinking (2 min)
• Partner discussion (3 min)
• Class sharing (2 min)

Part 6: Wrap-Up and Connection to Present (5 minutes)

Synthesis Activity

Quick Write: "What is the most important lesson we can learn from this history for today's inclusive classrooms?"

Share Out: Volunteers share 1-2 responses

Preview Next Class: "Today we explored how special education moved from promising beginnings to increased segregation. Next time, we'll examine the legal foundations and contemporary practices that have brought us to today's inclusive education."

Assessment Strategies

Formative Assessment Throughout Lesson:

• Think-Pair-Share participation
• Gallery walk note-taking
• Small group discussions and presentations
• Quick polls and checks for understanding
• Exit ticket (quick write)

Summative Assessment (To be completed outside class):

Historical Analysis Paper Options (choose one):

1. Pioneer Comparison Essay: Compare and contrast two pioneers in disability education. How did their approaches differ? What lasting impact did each have?
2. Critical Analysis of Eugenics: Analyze how eugenics influenced special education. What were the consequences? How do we see its legacy today?
3. Timeline Analysis: Create an annotated timeline of key events, figures, and developments from 1800-1975. Include analysis of turning points.

 

Extension Activities

1. Museum Visit (Virtual or In-Person):
• Disability History Museum online exhibits
• Local historical society archives
2. Guest Speaker:
• Invite historian specializing in disability history
• Representative from Gallaudet University or similar institution
3. Documentary Viewing:
• Full "Wild Boy of Aveyron" film
• "Lives Worth Living" (disability rights history)
4. Primary Source Project:
• Analyze historical documents from archives
• Create digital exhibit on local disability education history