The American Sign Language lesson for the third-graders in Rachel Lysaght’s class at Mark Twain Elementary focused on animals.
Westerville South High School senior Kaylie Clark and junior Talia Cole stood at the front of the classroom, teaching students the signs for dog, cat, cow, sheep, goat, snake and more. Wednesday’s lesson marked their fourth of eight visits scheduled through April to introduce kids to the visual language.
As part of Lori Peters’ ASL Service Learning Project, ASL students at Westerville North and Westerville South high schools are leading similar lessons in 24 different classrooms across six elementary schools throughout the district.
“I really like it,” Cole said. “Not many classes allow us to teach what we are learning and it helps the (elementary students) get a head start on the language.”
The service learning project started about 20 years ago by a former ASL teacher and has continued at the direction of the teacher. Peters’, who splits her time between WNHS and WSHS, added the project to her Honors ASL 3/4 classes eight years ago. ASL teachers Kelly Modlich and Ree Simpson have added a lot of resources over the last 20 years to the project before it was handed over to Peters.
“Westerville has a large Deaf and Hard of Hearing population, so one of the goals is to spread awareness and education on Deafness and how to communicate very simple things in ASL,” Peters said.
The service project was on hiatus during COVID and Peters resumed it on a smaller scale last year. This year marked the return to the project as it was designed.
As part of the project, ASL students work in groups to create lesson plans and materials based on a list of units Peters’ requires them to team. They are paired with an elementary school teacher and tailor their lessons to the age level of the kids. ASL students review their final lessons with Peters and practice them with her before heading to the classrooms.
Over the course of eight classes in four weeks, the high school students cover ASL 1 material such as the alphabet, numbers, food, animals, manners, activities and classroom vocabulary.
For high school students, the project gives them an opportunity to apply basic knowledge they’ve acquired through their years of taking ASL, Peters said. It also helps them exercise the skills outlined in the district’s Portrait of a Graduate framework such as communication, collaboration and adaptability.
For the elementary students, the lessons give them a chance to connect with their older peers and share what they have learned.
“The elementary school kids are so excited to practice and take what they have learned home to show their families. This just continues to help spread awareness.”
Cole hopes the lessons will foster kids’ curiosity of the language and inspire them to study it.
“I hope they retain the signs and want to take the class in high school,” she said.
Clark, who worked on the service project last year, said creating the lessons has helped her review material she first learned in ASL. She has enjoyed working with the kids — many of whom have been interested in ASL and have often asked her questions.
“There were a couple of kids that said, ‘My grandpa or grandma is Deaf,’ and I hope they’ll be able to communicate with them a little bit more and explore more of the language,” she said.