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Deaf Art — De’VIA

Twelfth graders explore Deaf art — especially De’VIA (Deaf View / Image Art), a movement that expresses the Deaf experience through hands, eyes, and identity — along with Deaf theater and film, the creative heart of Deaf culture.

Grade 12Deaf Art55 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…

  • ✓Explore Deaf art.
  • ✓Understand De’VIA.
  • ✓Know Deaf theater & film.
  • ✓Appreciate the culture.
Essential Question

Deaf culture has a rich artistic tradition. What is De’VIA, and how do Deaf artists express their experience?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Deaf Art Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students learn about Deaf art and De’VIA.

🎨 Explore Deaf art — tap eachTry it

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 Rich Tradition

6 min

Deaf culture has a rich artistic tradition — what is De’VIA?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a De’VIA image idea.
  • Ask what it expresses.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Deaf Art

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Deaf Art Explorer.
  • Present each form.
  • Note Deaf identity.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note it.
  • Reflect.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Describe a De’VIA theme.
  • Match forms to descriptions.
  • Discuss.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Describe.
  • Match.
  • Share.
4

Sign — Sign

15 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Fingerspell De’VIA.
  • Sign ART and DEAF.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Spell it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a Deaf art form.
  • Say what it expresses.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • 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 Deaf art.

ACTFL
Cultures 2.2

Explore cultural products (De’VIA).

ACTFL
Connections 3.2

Connect to the arts.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand Deaf art.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Art picture cards.
  • Give short descriptions.
  • Show examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with De’VIA and hands.
  • Use images.
  • Discuss one form.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Research Betty G. Miller.
  • Create a De’VIA-inspired piece.
  • Watch Deaf theater.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎨Deaf art images
  • 💻The Deaf Art Explorer
  • 📚Art & culture books
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

De’VIADeaf View / Image ArtDeaf artart of the Deaf experienceidentitywho a person isBetty G. Millera founder of De’VIADeaf theaterstories performed in ASLNational Theatre of the Deafa famous Deaf theaterexpressionhow art shares meaningcultureshared traditions
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
What is De’VIA?
Deaf View / Image Art — art expressing the Deaf experience.
QUESTION 2
What image appears often in Deaf art?
Hands, celebrating signing.
QUESTION 3
Name one form of Deaf performing art.
Deaf theater (or Deaf film).

Reflect: Deaf art.

Have students describe one theme of De’VIA art (like hands or Deaf identity). A printable Deaf-art 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.

🃏 Deaf Art (De’VIA)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Deaf Art (De’VIA)Quiz
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.

🖨️ Deaf Art (De’VIA)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: Betty G. Miller, culture, Deaf art, Deaf theater, De’VIA, expression, identity, National Theatre of the Deaf
  1. who a person is
  2. art of the Deaf experience
  3. stories performed in ASL
  4. a famous Deaf theater
  5. Deaf View / Image Art
  6. how art shares meaning
  7. shared traditions
  8. a founder of De’VIA

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is De’VIA?
  2. What image appears often in Deaf art?
  3. Name one form of Deaf performing art.
Answer key — Part A: 1) identity · 2) Deaf art · 3) Deaf theater · 4) National Theatre of the Deaf · 5) De’VIA · 6) expression · 7) culture · 8) Betty G. Miller
Part B: 1) Deaf View / Image Art — art expressing the Deaf experience. 2) Hands, celebrating signing. 3) Deaf theater (or Deaf film).