Marquis Studios Residency Planning Template
General Information: contact Joan Merwyn @ 401-439-5241 or email Joan@JoanMerwyn.com
Teaching Artist Name
School Name
Grade Level
Title of Residency
Dates of Sessions
Joan Merwyn
PS 37 R.75 TATI, 2015
autism spectrum/multiple disabilities- mixed levels and ages
Movement and music
10 Thursdays
NOTE: Feb. 26th is PD day with trainees, no classes
Jan. 22 (no observation); Feb. 5, 12;
March 5, 12, 19, 26 (no observation)
Classes are in room 118 on observation days only
Scheduling Information: Classes are in Room 118 Adaptive phys-ed room only on Observation Days
Number of Students
Teacher’s Name
Time of Class
Room Number
8:51-9:33
135 and 118
12
Mary McGinnis
Vicky Grant
Jill Kellner
Colleen Cericola
9:42-10:25
10:33-11:15
11:25-12:10
121A and 118
134 and 118
141B and 118
5
6
6
What do you want the students to know by the completion of the residency?
1.) Verbal and/or symbols recognition of movement and music concepts, patterns, sequences, social and spatial
relationships, names and recognition, colors, textures, counting, matching, turn-taking.
2.) Verbal and picture (Mayer Johnson symbols) recognition of concepts, movements, body parts, emotional
expression and spatial directions, etc. geometric shape recognition (circle, lines, square, etc); color and letter
recognition
3.) Coordination of separate body parts with whole body/mind connection. Gross and fine motor skills.
What do you want the students to understand by the completion of the residency?
1.) Movement is healthy, challenging and fun. We can express our emotions, expand our movements, learn
vocabulary and curriculum concepts, and communicate as an individual and as a group.
2.) Each student gets that they are GREAT and can express it creatively, along with other feelings.
3.) Understanding that working together (cooperation) is fun and helping each other is rewarding. Positive
behavior is beneficial to the self, environment and to everyone involved. Cooperation pays off by making life
easier and more fun for everyone. Peer to peer interactions will be encouraged.
4.) “Waiting” – understood as developing the ability to have self-control.
Joan Merwyn, 37R_TATI- Page 2
What do you want the students to be able to do by the completion of the residency?
1.) Follow one, two and three-step directions. How to do simple themes, music and/or movements and identify
the differences between different steps, counts and physical qualities. Sequencing and planning skills increased.
2.) Increase self-regulation skills, including self-control and self-help. Cooperate with each other, through
creative group activities, translating these skills back to their regular classroom activities. Take turns, ask to get
something, share. Smoother transitions.
3.) Focus and concentrate for longer periods of time. Follow routines. Recognize letters and numbers. Rhythm
and counting. Identification of body parts. Environmental awareness. Physical boundary awareness.
4.) Communicate needs/wants either by verbal or picture exchanges (Mayer Johnson). Make choices.
5.) Enjoy the process of creating, moving to music and with each other, both with staff and independently of
staff. Extended periods of focus and concentration. Improve fine and gross motor skills.
How will you assess whether these goals are met:
Ongoing assessment through observation, dialogue with teachers, para-professionals and student interactions.
Each student is individually challenged and requires special focus in particular, diverse areas. I will be working
closely with teachers to evaluate each student’s progress. I will be evaluating progress of student’s activities
through repetition of exercises.
By observing the students working. By observing various one-on-one interactions in the process of giving out
and collecting materials. By observing student-teacher and student-student interactions - communication, eyecontact, sharing, responsiveness to directions, turn-taking. By observing length of time students stay on task. By
observing incremental changes in ability to work with art materials (movement props) independently.
How do these goals relate to the Common Core Standards?
Note: These standards are for general education, not for autism spectrum students.
I will apply, when possible, using visual aids.
Math / Geometry (Kindergarten)
• Identify and describe shapes.
• Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes (sorting materials)
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, 1. Describe objects in the environment
using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below,
beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
2. Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
(2) Students describe their physical world using geometric ideas (e.g.,shape, orientation, spatial relations) and
vocabulary. They identify, name, and describe basic two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, triangles, circles,
rectangles, and hexagons, presented in a variety of ways (e.g., with different sizes and orientations), as well as
three-dimensional shapes such as cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. They use basic shapes and spatial
reasoning to model objects in their environment and to construct more complex shapes.
Joan Merwyn, 37R_TATI- Page 3
How do these goals relate to the Common Core Standards?
ELA (Kindergarten) - Students will be encouraged to:
Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
a. Sort common objects into categories (e.g. shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories
represent.
b. Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites
(antonyms).
c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).
d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g.,walk, march, strut,
prance) by acting out the meanings.
How do these goals relate to an appropriate Blueprint Benchmark (one of the benchmarks for Grade
2,5,8,12)?
These goals do not relate directly to the Blueprint Benchmarks because the benchmarks are for regular ed.
Students on the autism spectrum have alternate assessments and are at developmental levels that are not
serviced by standardized regular ed grade and age classifications.
Therefore, tasks to be focused on as the students engage with the art materials will be motor planning, fine
and gross motor skills, language processing (receptive and expressive), ability to follow directions, focus,
observation and range of understanding regarding their work, emotional regulation, social appropriateness
and group behavior and functioning. Many are non-verbal and all have a diagnosis of autism, some with other
combined disabilities/challenges. Exercises will be adjusted and may vary from class to class and according to
each individual student’s needs and abilities.
Semi-Applicable Benchmarks for early childhood/ 2nd grade are: 1) Physical: Self control, refinement of gross
motor skills, development of fine motor skills, understanding relationship between their bodies and the space
around them. 2) Social/affective: Listening, responding taking turns and working in group cooperatively. 3)
Cognitive: Recognizing, recalling, identifying, differentiating and sequencing movements.
I will adapt and apply some of this Dance Making Benchmark: Though movement exploration, observation,
replication and recall, students develop kinesthetic awareness; understand dance concepts; and build fine and
larger motor skills. They invent dance movements to create their own short dances; learn basic vocabulary of
various dance forms and simple dances; reflect upon their own and others work; and understand the purpose,
routine and behavior of a dance class.
Joan Merwyn, 37R_TATI- Page 4
NOTES:
- I may adjust or rearrange content according to teacher’s preferences and student’s functioning levels.
- Vocabulary, color & shapes recognition, structure and rules are usually done each class.
- Mayer Johnson symbols may be used with classes who require them.
- Relaxation with soft music is usually done at end of every class, to help the students to transition.
- Following 1 to 3-step directions will be implemented in each class (depending on cognitive levels).
- Movement games with props will be woven into many classes.
Day
1-2
3-4
Objective for the Day
(art skill/curricular goal,
what student will
know/understand)
Activity
(demonstration of
learning – what
student will be able to
do)
Introductions and
assessment of student’s
abilities and challenges
with music and
movement activities;
establish a comfort zone
as a group. Introduce the
circle. Passing objects,
movement and music
vocabulary words,
listening to and
following, directions,
turn-taking; moving with
props in center of circle.
Exploring gross and fine
motor skills.
Group begins to explore
expanding spatial
directions and opposites
through group movement;
Observation and
repetition; Cause and
effect of movement.
Begin to identify
movement of body parts
with vocab words; Spatial
awareness, sequencing
and boundaries.
Individual focus on
ability to follow a path of
direction through space.
Gross motor, balance
team work. Color
identification.
Name game in circle.
Passing game with
eye contact and
names.
Sensory explorations
through sound and
movement. Turntaking with ball in
circle. Stopping and
going with picture
symbols and verbal
prompts (freeze dance
game). Stop and Go
with movement
shapes. Relaxation
techniques.
Review and add on
from previous week;
Continued directional
activities moving
through space as a
group with stretchy
band. Individual work
with ribbon wands,
following a variety of
directions through
space. Color matching
and identifying.
Choosing colors and
matching with
corresponding
objects. Self-control
games.
Materials
music,
balls,
tactile
objects.
light-up ball,
music
large,
stretchy
band; color
cards and
symbols;
ribbon wands
scarves
music
Key questions to guide students
NOTE- Many autistic students
are non-verbal and abstractions
and questions don’t always
make sense to them. We use one
to two-word prompts to illicit
responses.
What is your name? Will you
please pass the ball? Can you
say “thank you”/? Can you feel
the quiet when the sound stops?
Where is the middle of the
circle? Where is up / down?
Who has the ball? Big and
small shapes.
What color is this? Where is
up? Down? In? Out? Back?
Front? Can we feel the band
stretch (in a direction) all
together? Where is the yellow?
Who has the red? Who is in the
circle? Who is around the
circle? Who is outside of the
circle? Let’s swim under the
stretchy band.
Joan Merwyn, 37R_TATI- Page 5
5
PD Day with trainees
PD Day with trainees
PD Day with
trainees
PD Day with trainees
6
Relationships to objects
with prepositions: inside
outside, beside, under
over, next to, etc. Gross
and fine motor skills,
Group work and
partnering. Relaxation.
Students will follow a
path on the floor with
a variety of “stations”
to stop at and execute
specific tasks and
movement activitiesfirst alone and then
with partners
Assorted
directional
floor markers
and cones,
music
Where is the place we start?
Can you follow the line? Where
should you go first, next, last?
Who do you want to choose to
be your partner?
7
Sorting, balance, focus
and concentration;
Following sequential
directions (1, 2 and 3-step
directions); listening and
responding skills; peer to
peer interactions
Buckets,
paper,
plastic, metal
recyclable
objects
Can you wait?
Can you place the paper IN the
paper bucket? Where is the
metal bucket?
Is the can soft or hard?
Does it fall fast or slow(ly)?
8-9
Floating and balancing
movement activities;
differentiating types of
movement objects and
how to engage them with
movement. Opposites- in
body and in space
Read short book on
recycling; Sorting and
counting recyclable
materials; exploring
sizes and relationships
to objects in space;
prepositions and
adjectives; relaxation
techniques
Students will explore
different qualities of
movement, while
engaging in
manipulation of soft
and hard, sensory
objects.
. scarves,
koosh balls ,
wands,
lighted rods,
and other
props
10
Review and teacher’s
choice:
Review and expand upon
all the above material.
Review and teacher’s
choice.
A variety of
props and
instrumets
Is this heavy or light? Does it
float or rush to the ground?
Let’s pretend your body is a
scarf, can you, also, float? Can
you and your partner make it
float together?
What is the ball doing? How am
I keeping it on my head?
What is your favorite activity?
Why? What colors should we
use? What music: fast or slow?
How can we integrate and learn
more curriculum through these
activities?
 Joan Merwyn 2014
www.JoanMerwyn.com