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Being a Good Ally

Twelfth graders finish their ASL journey by learning to be a respectful ally to Deaf people — sorting helpful, inclusive behaviors from disrespectful ones — so the language they’ve learned becomes a bridge, not just a skill.

Grade 12Being a Good Ally55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Be a respectful ally.
  • ✓Tell helpful from harmful.
  • ✓Sort the behaviors.
  • ✓Build inclusion.
Essential Question

Now that you know ASL, how can you be a true ally to the Deaf community? Which behaviors help, and which to avoid?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Good Ally or Avoid?

Project this and sort each behavior into Good Ally (helpful) or Avoid (disrespectful).

🤟 Sort each — a good-ally habit or one to avoid?Try it
✅ Good Ally
❌ Avoid
Tap a behavior, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — A Bridge, Not Just a Skill

6 min

Now that you know ASL, how can you be a true ally — which behaviors help?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask what makes a good ally.
  • Ask what to avoid.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Being a Good Ally

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present helpful behaviors.
  • Present ones to avoid.
  • Note respect & inclusion.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Listen.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Sort Them

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Good Ally or Avoid?
  • Sort each one.
  • Discuss.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Sign — Sign

15 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign RESPECT and INCLUDE.
  • Face a partner, eye contact.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Practice.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a good-ally habit.
  • Name one to avoid.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Advanced).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore respectful interaction.

ACTFL
Communities 5.1

Interact with the Deaf community.

ACTFL
Communities 5.2

Use ASL for a lifetime.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: interact respectfully.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Behavior cards.
  • Model good habits.
  • Discuss examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with eye contact vs covering mouth.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make an ally pledge.
  • Teach a friend one habit.
  • Plan an inclusive event.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤟Behavior cards
  • 💻Good Ally or Avoid?
  • 📚Culture resources
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

allya supportive friend & advocaterespecttreating people with dignityeye contactface the personinterpreteruse one when neededinclusioninclude everyoneaudismthe bias to avoidaccessequal opportunitypatiencewilling to repeat/clarify
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one way to be a good ally to Deaf people.
Learn some ASL, make eye contact, or include Deaf people in decisions.
QUESTION 2
When talking with a Deaf person and an interpreter, who do you look at and talk to?
The Deaf person, not the interpreter.
QUESTION 3
Why should you not say “never mind” when asked to repeat?
It excludes the person — always be willing to repeat and include them.

Reflect: being a good ally.

Have students name two ways to be a respectful ally to the Deaf community (like learning ASL and keeping eye contact). A printable ally sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Being a Good AllyFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Being a Good AllyQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Being a Good AllyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: access, ally, audism, eye contact, inclusion, interpreter, patience, respect
  1. a supportive friend & advocate
  2. face the person
  3. treating people with dignity
  4. the bias to avoid
  5. use one when needed
  6. equal opportunity
  7. include everyone
  8. willing to repeat/clarify

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one way to be a good ally to Deaf people.
  2. When talking with a Deaf person and an interpreter, who do you look at and talk to?
  3. Why should you not say “never mind” when asked to repeat?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ally · 2) eye contact · 3) respect · 4) audism · 5) interpreter · 6) access · 7) inclusion · 8) patience
Part B: 1) Learn some ASL, make eye contact, or include Deaf people in decisions. 2) The Deaf person, not the interpreter. 3) It excludes the person — always be willing to repeat and include them.