university
REMARKABLE IDEAS
Adapted Calendar Activities
1) A
ccess
Jelly bean, All-turn-it spinner, Jelly beamer
and receiver
2) C
ommunication
Big Mack, Step-by-step, Quick Talker 12
3) E
nvironmental Control
Powerlink
Summary of Activity
Students will learn about calendar concepts and weather in addition to
being responsible for their own classroom job.
This activity addresses the following skills:
• Calendar
• Weather
About
Remarkable Ideas
Over the course of
almost 30-years, we
have discovered amazing
ways people use AbleNet
products to improve
the quality of life for
individuals with disabilities.
Remarkable Ideas take
these amazing discoveries
and provide activities that
incorporate alternative
methods of access to
ensure each student can
participate, learn important
educational and life skills,
and have fun.
Take a look at our latest
Remarkable Idea or visit
www.ablenetinc.com
to discover additional
Remarkable Ideas.
• Planning Ahead
• Personal responsibility
• Reciprocal conversation
Getting Ready
Materials List
Classroom calendar & Weather Center/Pocket Chart
10-frames
Student sized clothes (for tactile learning of weather appropriate clothes)
Optional Materials
Shape and color mat
Number pathway (for counting practice; beginning with the number 1)
Equals Math Curriculum worksheets for calendar/weather review or extension activities (Chapter 1 Section
D 7-9)
www.ablenetinc.com | 800-322-0956
Other preparation items:
Create a classroom job poster and write each student’s name on a paper clip. The paper clips can easily
be moved to the correct job for the day, week, or month. Students can choose the jobs, the teacher can
assign jobs, or jobs can be chosen randomly by allowing students to take a turn using the All-Turn-It
Spinner and a Jelly Bean switch.
Some jobs you could include:
- Pencil sharpener (use Powerlink and Jelly Beamer to power electric pencil sharpener)
- Class messenger
- Light person
- Teachers Assistant
- Weather Person (use QuickTalker 12 with different weather conditions recorded)
- Day counter (How many days to 100 using 10-frames)
- Paper collector
- Line leader
- Line ender
- Music/Media manager (use Powerlink and Jelly Beamer to turn on CD/DVD/Projector player)
- Recess/Lunch helper (have student assist with carrying coats, lunches, etc.)
- Substitute (fills in when other students are absent or assists other students with their jobs)
If jobs have already been assigned or you plan to assign jobs, you can write questions for the students or
questions the students can ask you on the All-Turn-It spinner. This is a great way to build a rapport with
your students.
For the weather person, record weather phrases on the QuickTalker 12 (Ex. “It is…”, “Hot”, “Warm”,
“Cool”, “Cold”, “Snowing”, “Raining”, “Sunny”, “Cloudy”, “Partly Cloudy”, “Windy”,”Foggy”)
For the day counter, record what day of school it is (Today is the ____ day of school.)
On a Step-by-Step record, “Today is (day of week)” “(Month)” “(Day of the month)” ”(Year)” ”Yesterday
was (day of week)” “Tomorrow will be (day of week)”
www.ablenetinc.com | 800-322-0956
Activity Steps:
Begin Calendar by letting the student’s choose a classroom job (for a pre-determined amount of time),
assigning jobs, or allowing students to use the All-turn-it spinner and a Jelly Bean switch to randomly
assign jobs.
After jobs have been assigned, ask the class if anyone knows the day, month, day of the month, year, what
day yesterday was, and what day tomorrow will be. Students can use the Step-by-step to answer these
questions.
Next, ask your weather helper to look outside (or on a computer/iPad/etc.) and tell the class what the
weather is. The weather helper can use the Quick Talker 12.
Discuss with the class what kind of clothes we wear when the weather is ____. Allow students to choose
between different outfits.
Ask the day counter to tell the class what day of school it is. Fill in the spot on the 10-frame (as the year
goes on 10-frames can be used to practice counting by five’s or ten’s, ten’s multiplication, and place
value)
Use the All-turn-it spinner to randomly ask students questions about their night or weekend (ex. What did
you have for dinner last night?, Did you go anywhere exciting this weekend?, etc.
www.ablenetinc.com | 800-322-0956