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ASL Health & Feeling Sick

Eighth graders learn health signs in ASL — SICK, HURT, DOCTOR, MEDICINE, HOSPITAL — so they can say how they feel and communicate at a clinic or with a nurse.

Grade 8Health50 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…

  • ✓Sign health words.
  • ✓Show where it hurts.
  • ✓Match signs to meanings.
  • ✓Visit a doctor.
Essential Question

Not feeling well? In ASL, you can show exactly where it hurts. How do you sign SICK and HURT?

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

Match the Health Sign

Project this and match each ASL sign description to its meaning — tap the description, then tap the meaning.

🩺 Match each health sign to its meaningTry it
The Sign
Meaning
Now tap the meaning!
The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Not Feeling Well

5 min

In ASL you can show exactly where it hurts — how do you sign SICK?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Mime feeling sick.
  • Ask how to sign it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Mime.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Health

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Model each sign.
  • Note HURT shows the spot.
  • Have students copy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Note it.
  • Copy.
3

Practice — Match Them

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Health Sign.
  • Match each one.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Sign.
  • Explain.
4

Sign — Sign

12 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign SICK and DOCTOR.
  • Show where it hurts.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Show it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a health word.
  • Say what it means.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

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

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe symptoms.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand health signs.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to health.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare health expressions.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Health sign photo cards.
  • Model each sign.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with SICK and DOCTOR.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add FEVER and REST.
  • Role-play a clinic.
  • Show three “hurt” spots.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🩺Health sign cards
  • 💻Match the Health Sign
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

healthhow your body feelsSICKbent fingers to forehead & stomachHURT / PAINindex fingers twist at the spotDOCTORpulse on the wristMEDICINEflick a “pill” to the mouthHOSPITAL“H” cross on the armFEVERback of hand to the foreheadRESTcrossed arms on the chest
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
How do you sign HURT/PAIN?
Twist two index fingers toward each other at the spot that hurts.
QUESTION 2
How do you sign DOCTOR?
Tap your wrist with a “D” hand, like a pulse.
QUESTION 3
How do you sign MEDICINE?
Flick your thumb from your palm toward your mouth.

Reflect: health.

Have students sign SICK and show where it hurts. A printable ASL health 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.

🃏 ASL Health & Feeling SickFlip
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.

📝 ASL Health & Feeling SickQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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.

🖨️ ASL Health & Feeling SickPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: DOCTOR, FEVER, health, HOSPITAL, HURT / PAIN, MEDICINE, REST, SICK
  1. back of hand to the forehead
  2. crossed arms on the chest
  3. pulse on the wrist
  4. index fingers twist at the spot
  5. “H” cross on the arm
  6. bent fingers to forehead & stomach
  7. flick a “pill” to the mouth
  8. how your body feels

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you sign HURT/PAIN?
  2. How do you sign DOCTOR?
  3. How do you sign MEDICINE?
Answer key — Part A: 1) FEVER · 2) REST · 3) DOCTOR · 4) HURT / PAIN · 5) HOSPITAL · 6) SICK · 7) MEDICINE · 8) health
Part B: 1) Twist two index fingers toward each other at the spot that hurts. 2) Tap your wrist with a “D” hand, like a pulse. 3) Flick your thumb from your palm toward your mouth.