Hobbies and Interests

Grade Levels

9-12

Duration

45 minutes

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Learning Objectives (I Can Statements)

• I can recognize and produce American Sign Language (ASL) signs for at least eight common hobbies and interests.
• I can understand and explain the meaning of these signs within social contexts.
• I can share my personal interests using ASL in brief conversations with my classmates.
• I can interpret classmates’ signed responses related to hobbies and interests.

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Standards Alignment (Common Core State Standards Integration)

Speaking and Listening

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1

• Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1

• Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on complex topics.

Language

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6

• Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge through conversations, reading, and media.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector & screen or smartboard (for video examples of signs)
• Printed vocabulary flashcards with ASL illustrations for hobbies/interests
• Student ASL notebooks/journals
• Index cards for peer practice
• Timer

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Lesson Outline

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Activity: Quick conversation circle using previously learned signs (e.g., greetings, feelings).
• Purpose: Activate prior knowledge to create a comfortable signing environment.

2. Introduction to New Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Teacher Activity:
  • Present 8 target ASL signs related to hobbies and interests (e.g., reading, sports, music, cooking, painting, gardening, traveling, gaming).
  • Show projected video demos of fluent ASL users signing these hobby terms.
  • Write English word + ASL gloss on the board.
• Student Activity:
  • Observe and then practice signing each word aloud with partners.
  • Use flashcards to reinforce visual memory of each sign.

3. Interactive Practice & Peer Sharing (15 minutes)

• Student Activity:
  • Students form pairs and practice asking and answering “What is your hobby?” and “I like [hobby]” using ASL.
  • Encourage students to respond to partners’ answers by signing “Me too” or “That’s interesting,” practicing conversational flow.
  • Use index cards to randomly assign which hobbies to sign if needed for scaffolding.

4. Group Sharing (10 minutes)

• Activity:
  • Volunteers share their hobbies using ASL to the whole class.
  • Teacher facilitates brief feedback in ASL, emphasizing positive reinforcement and correct signing flow.
  • Classmates are encouraged to ask follow-up questions using simple ASL phrases relevant to hobbies (e.g., “How often do you [hobby]?” “Do you like [hobby]?”) to build interaction confidence.

5. Closing and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Teacher-led reflection:
  • Recap signs learned with a quick quiz-style review (show flashcards or fingerspell hobby words and students sign the correct word).
  • Explain “I can” statements again and guide students to write one personal reflection in their journals about which hobby they liked signing most and why.

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Success Criteria

• Students correctly produce ASL signs for at least 6 out of the 8 introduced hobbies with appropriate handshapes and movement.
• Students hold brief conversations about hobbies using ASL with minimum prompting.
• Students engage respectfully and attentively in peer signing activities.
• Students accurately recognize and respond to classmates’ signed expressions concerning interests.

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Differentiation Strategies

For Diverse Learners

• Provide visual and tactile learners with flashcards and hand-over-hand assistance as needed.
• Pair beginning signers with more fluent peers for guided practice.
• Use closed captioning or print key vocabulary words during video presentations.
• Offer written glosses (ASL word equivalents) for English learners to ease language transitions.

For Students with IEP or 504 Plans

• Allow additional time for signing and processing new vocabulary.
• Encourage use of communication devices if applicable.
• Simplify sentence structures for comprehension (e.g., “I like [hobby]” rather than complex sentences).

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Extension Activities

For Advanced Learners

• Challenge students to create and sign a short personal narrative about their hobby or interest, including why they enjoy it, how often they engage in it, and who they share it with.
• Create a mini group dialogue where students negotiate plans for a future hobby-related event using ASL.
• Assign digital storytelling: students film themselves signing about their hobbies, then use captioning or voice-over to explain in English.

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Teacher Notes

• Emphasize the importance of non-verbal communication cues in ASL such as facial expression and body language.
• Encourage classroom culture that values patience and respect while learning a new language.
• Use humor and enthusiasm to motivate students to take risks in signing.

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This lesson builds essential ASL vocabulary and conversational skills within a real-world context, aligned closely with Common Core standards for speaking and listening, as well as language acquisition, while cultivating an inclusive classroom focused on communication and cultural learning.