Activity 9:

Can You Feel It?

Objective:

Students will experience what it means to lose their sight.

Materials:

5 to 10 paper bags
Pencil for each child
Sheet of paper for each child

Teacher Preparation:

Before class put a familiar object inside each of the paper bags. For example: a marker, a ball, a toothbrush, the top to a jar, a child's shoe, etc. Seal each bag by stapling the top.

Activity:

Allow the students to thoroughly feel each bag. Caution them not to tear the bags as they explore them.
Tell them to write down what they think is inside each bag.
As a group, share what they think is in each one, then open the bag to reveal its contents.
Once all the bags are opened, ask the students how they were able to guess what was in each one. If they were wrong, ask them why they think they were.
Explain to them that blind people must rely on senses other than sight to live and work and play. Ask them how it would feel to be able to see for a long time, and then to go blind later in life. Would they have to give up? How would they work? What would they do for fun? Make a list on the chalkboard of things you could no longer do if you were blind; and things you could still do or do instead if you were blind.
Tell them that tehy will learn about Edgar Degas' life after he began to lose his sight. ASk them what they think he would do with his life -- after all, he painted for his living. Don't tell them what he did after he began to lose his signt. Ask them to record in their journals what they think he did.