Meerkat Unit for Special Education Desert Biome in Africa

This unit on Meerkats contains 100 pages PLUS 20 google slides of material specifically designed for students with special learning needs, especially autism.

This unit addresses the main characteristics of meerkats, how and where they live, and what makes them successful in living in the deserts of Africa. All the information is presented in a simplified but rigorous way for students with diverse learning needs to make meaningful and authentic connections to the material.

There are many opportunities for students to engage in repeated information on what makes these animals able to survive the harsh desert in Africa.

In addition, many of the activities and assessments include more than one version, suggestions for differentiation, and options for presentation.

The digital activities were created using google slides and can be used with google classroom.

Each digital activity comes in 2 versions. The original plus one with color-coding to add more visual support for students who need more support. There is also a link to a movie version of both books included in the unit that students can watch online.

There are directions on how to access the digital activities and movie in a pdf included in this unit. There are also suggestions on the easiest way to assign the appropriate activities to each student.

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For more on Grasslands and Biomes check out these units

⭐ Desert Biome

⭐ Terrestrial Biomes Overview: Forests, Grasslands, Deserts, and Tundra

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See the preview for a more detailed look at the contents.

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Meerkats Unit Includes:

⭐ This unit comes in 2 complete files. One is in color and one is in black and white.

In the zipped folder you will find:

• 7 days of lesson plans
• Meerkat activities in color
• Meerkat activities in black and white
• Voice-recorded PowerPoint show
• Meerkat book (PowerPoint) to use with activities
• Links and directions to digital activities

Meerkat Activities:

• Vocabulary board
• Fact sheet
• Circle map on meerkats (plus digital version)
• Circle map on mongooses (plus digital version)
• Venn diagram comparing meerkats and prairie dogs (plus digital versions)
• Map to color the habitat of the meerkat
• Label parts of the meerkat (plus digital versions)
• 2 Cut and paste close worksheets (plus digital versions)
• Assessments (3 versions) (plus digital versions)

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Much of what I have learned about curriculum development is incorporated into these units. For example, do not be afraid of repetition. It is critical that students with significant disabilities get to experience material over several days to be able to assimilate what is being taught fully. Also, adding visual supports to your printables and class activities helps students be able to pay more attention to the content you are presenting rather than the mechanics of what is expected. Finally, ask questions. Good questions!! Regardless of the material, if we can ask students good questions it will push them to think more deeply than before.