Activity
Turkey Activities: Front and Side View Tactile Graphics
Gobble up these turkey-themed activities for students who are visually impaired.
Gobble, Gobble! What turkey-related activities are you planning this November?
Turkey Coloring Graphics
As always, introduce a realistic (3 dimensional) turkey before the 2 dimensional tactile graphic. Be sure to position the 3 dimensional turkey so that it is facing the student, since the coloring worksheets shows the turkey “head on” or from the front (versus a “side view”).
See the previous posts on using tactile coloring worksheets to teach concepts to young students who are visually impaired. This post continues to introduce basic concepts to young students through coloring activities. This turkey-themed post is perfect for a Thanksgiving activity; the turkey images were created for a tactile graphics machine such as the PIAF or Swell machine. As your student colors along side his/her peers, use this worksheet to introduce the five parts of a turkey:
- Feet
- Beak
- Wattle
- Tail
- Wing
Note: These turkey terms will be used in the next worksheet, Label the Turkey.
Discuss the spatial relationship of the different turkey parts as your student explores this front-facing turkey. Example: The turkey’s head is in the center of the page; both eyes, beak, and wattle can be seen. The turkey’s tail feathers are behind the turkey’s head and body.
The color-by-shape turkey worksheet key is:
- Circle = Red
- Square = Orange
- Triangle = Brown
- 2 small dots: Yellow (optional)
Note: The small areas in the color-by-shape worksheet have two small dots; these small areas are more challenging to color and can be left uncolored.
Create a braille key for students or simply verbally announce what the shapes represent.
Download the Plain Turkey Coloring Worksheet here.
Download the Turkey Color-by-Shape here.
Download the Label the Turkey worksheet here.
Label the Turkey Graphic
After the turkey coloring activity, discuss the side view of a turkey. If possible, use a 3 dimensional turkey and have the student feel the side view of the turkey. How does this compare to the front view of the turkey? Apply front and side to another student’s body or to your body (TVI). Stand in front of the student and tell the student that you are “facing” the student. Have the student place his/her hands on your shoulders. Discuss that your face (both eyes, nose, mouth) are facing the student, along with both shoulders, knees and toes. Now turn sideways. Have the student place his hands on your closest shoulder. Discuss that now only one eye, one ear, one shoulder, and the side of your body/legs are towards the student.
Do a quick review of the turkey coloring page where the turkey is facing you. Now look at the 2 dimensional Label the Turkey Graphic, which shows the side view of the turkey. Where is the turkey’s head? Can the student find and identify the feet, beak, wattle, tail and wings in the side view? How are things different from the font view and side view of the turkey?
Young students thrive on repetitive activities with different themes. In this case, braille students are given opportunities to practice labeling a diagram. In October the diagram was a bat. In November, the diagram is a turkey. Braille and cut out your own turkey labels. The student will adhere the label to the tactile turkey. (I highly recommend using E-Z dots to adhere the labels!) If your student needs a tactile prompt to know where to place his/her labels, add a thin tactile line made out of a material that is easily distinguished from the raised lines from the tactile graphic machine. (I recommend using thin Rainbow tape.)
Note: To help your student identify the parts to be labeled, “textures” were added to the tactile turkey diagram. The beak and feet are solid black (raised), the wattle is dotted, and the tail/wing feathers have zig-zag textures. This makes it slightly easier for students to tactually distinguish these turkey parts. If necessary, add zig-zag lines through all the tail feathers (not just through the middle part of the tail feathers).
Resources
- Labeling Images: Parts of a Bat Lesson post
- Download the Original Turkey Labeling Worksheet here
- Download the Turkey Labeling Tactile Graphic Worksheet here
By Diane Brauner
