Objectives

Students will be able to join the numbers in order and colour.
Students will be able to colour the segments in different colours as specified.

Prerequisites

1) Fine motor skills: Children should have developed the fine motor skills necessary to hold a crayon properly and make small movements with their hands to colour.
2)  Hand-eye coordination: Children should be able to coordinate their hand movements with their vision to be able to colour within the lines without any gaps.
3)  Attention span: Children should have the ability to focus for an extended period of time to complete a colouring task. However, this can vary from child to child.
4)  Children should be able to identify basic shapes and colours.

NOTE: Adaptations, Variation in Rules and Pace are suggested below to develop the above prerequisites.

Goal

Operational Definition

All – This gives the goal, which is the minimum that the teacher must achieve for all students in the classroom.

Some – This gives the goal that the teacher may try to achieve for some students in the classroom who can achieve the suggested goal over and above the goal stated for ‘All’.

Few – This gives the goal that the teacher may try to achieve for few students in the classroom who can achieve the suggested goal over and above the goal stated for ‘Some and ‘All’.

Materials Required for Activity

1. Colouring Tree worksheets
2. Crayons – Brown and Green 
3. Pencil and Eraser

The worksheet has four activities. Two activities – Join and colour and Colour by number can be done in the classroom during the Art session or period. The other two worksheets can be given as home activity.

Preparation for Activity

1. Download the Colouring Tree worksheets provided below.
2. Print the worksheets. Ensure that there are enough copies for all children. Multiple copies can be made by photocopying too.
3. Please ensure that all children have brown and green crayons.
4. Please keep ready the Adapted Worksheet as required for your Inclusive Classroom. Details of creating these adaptations yourself is provided below. 
5. Go through the suggestions provided for Variation of Rules and Pace and Adaptations and ensure necessary preparation accordingly.
6. Distribute to children the Join the numbers and colour Worksheet first. After they finish this activity, the second worksheet – Colour the picture by number can be given.

Preparing will help you to conduct an effective activity in an inclusive classroom and achieve the goal.

Setting for the Activity

This is a classroom activity. All children can colour the worksheets individually. However, children who need peer support can work with their peers.

Procedure

1. Teacher may first demonstrate the colours that will be used in this activity. This can be done by showing the crayons or objects of the same colours.
2. Teachers may use the LTM – Colour Flashcards that are provided below.
3. Ask the children to identify the colours. 
4. Encourage and appreciate the children for their answers. 
5. Demonstrate on the board as to how the shape Tree is to be coloured within the outlines and without leaving any gaps.

Worksheet A4: Colouring Tree

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Enlarged Worksheet: Colouring Tree

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Flashcards: Colour Flashcards

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Click and watch the videos. These videos are to be shown to children before the activity. When there are children with hearing impairment in the inclusive class, use the video with Indian Sign Language (ISL)

Video: Tree-Join the dots and colour

ISL Video: Tree-Join the dots and colour

Video: Tree Colour by numbers

ISL Video: Tree Colour by numbers

Notes to the Teacher

• Encourage and appreciate the children for their answers. 
• Ensure that the children are colouring all the Tree using the right colour specified by the teacher.
• Go around the class and ensure that the children are grasping the crayon in the right manner.

Tripod grip is the right grip –

• The teacher should identify the Hand dominance of the child and encourage the child to do colouring with that hand.
• Once finished, appreciate the colouring work done by the children.

Adaptations to address variability in an inclusive classroom

The Variability of an Inclusive Environment needs to address the processing and attention differences of the learners. An inclusive environment may have learners with Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Loco-Motor Impairment and Cognitive Differences. Learners not only learn in different ways, but they also have unique motivations, interests, personalities and strengths. To address this variability, providing the appropriate adaptation is an effective solution.

Adaptation Video: DIY for Join the dots and Colour Tree

Adaptation Video: DIY for Colouring Tree by Number

Adaptations and Strategies: Colouring with Crayons

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Suggested Variation in Rules and Pace

When working with special children, it is important to adapt the rules and pace to their specific needs. Here are some suggestions:

1. Vary the rules: Depending on the child’s abilities, you can adapt the rules for colouring. For example, if a child has difficulty staying within the lines, you could allow him / her to colour freely or with a larger outline. 
2.  Vary the pace: Some children may need more time to complete colouring tasks than others. It may be helpful to break up the task into smaller parts, providing regular breaks or alternate activities to avoid frustration or fatigue. You can also use a timer to help the children pace themselves and feel a sense of accomplishment as they work towards completing the task.
3. Provide additional support: For children with fine motor difficulties, you can provide adaptive tools such as pencil grips, raised grip crayons to help them better grasp and manipulate the crayon. Reference for these adaptive tools is provided in the video.
4. Provide positive feedback: It is important to provide positive feedback throughout the colouring activity to build the child’s confidence and motivation. Be specific and provide feedback for effort, progress, and quality of work.

Human Value Content – Trees are like our mother

Once finished the colouring, appreciate the colouring work done by the children. Follow it up with an interactive session as follows:

Questions:

1. Do trees give shade only to selected people?

Answer:

• Trees give shade, breeze and fruits to all animals and all human beings alike—whether they are short, tall, thin, fat, dark, fair, etc. 
• Lots of birds and squirrels live in trees. It’s like a treehouse party for them!
• Trees give us shade when it’s sunny and shelter when it’s rainy 

2. Why should we not cut trees?

Answer:

• Trees take in the unhealthy air and give us clean, fresh air to breathe and so we should be kind to trees and not cut them down for no reason.

3. Do trees expect anything from us?

Answer:

• They don’t ask for anything in return, but they help us every day with love.

Summing up by the teacher:

• We should take care of the trees because they take care of us too!
• In short, trees are like our mother.

Social Narrative – I use crayons for colouring

A social narrative is a tool used to help individuals with special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum, better understand social situations and how to appropriately respond to them. Here is a social narrative about using crayons only for colouring. The student has the habit of putting crayons inside the mouth due to sensory issues.
To make the student understand that crayon is for colouring and he/she should not bite them.

Social Narrative

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Teacher Resource Document

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This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.