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ASL Transportation

Eighth graders learn transportation signs in ASL — CAR, BUS, TRAIN, AIRPLANE, BICYCLE — many of which act out the vehicle (steering a wheel, pedaling, flying). So they can say how they get around.

Grade 8Transportation50 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 transportation.
  • ✓See iconic signs.
  • ✓Say how you travel.
  • ✓Sign in ASL.
Essential Question

How do you get around? Many ASL transportation signs act out the vehicle. How do you sign CAR and BICYCLE?

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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 Transportation Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students make each transportation sign.

🚗 Explore transportation — tap eachTry it

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 — Getting Around

5 min

Many ASL transportation signs act out the vehicle — how do you sign CAR?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask how they get to school.
  • Ask how to sign it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Transportation

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Transportation Explorer.
  • Make each sign.
  • Note it acts out the vehicle.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Copy.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign how you travel.
  • Match signs to pictures.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Match.
  • Try.
4

Sign — Sign

12 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign CAR and BUS.
  • Sign your way to school.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a transportation word.
  • Say which one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign 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 (Novice-High).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand transport signs.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to travel.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare iconic signs.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: talk about travel.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

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

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with CAR and BIKE.
  • Make one at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add BOAT and WALK.
  • Sign your commute.
  • Describe a trip.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🚗Transport sign cards
  • 💻The Transportation Explorer
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

transportationhow you travelCARsteer a wheel with two fistsBUSfingerspell / large vehicleTRAIN“H” hands rub like tracksAIRPLANEthumb-index-pinky fly forwardBICYCLEtwo fists pedal in circlesDRIVEsteer forwardRIDEride on the other hand
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 CAR?
“Steer” two fists like a steering wheel.
QUESTION 2
How do you sign BICYCLE?
Make two fists that “pedal” in circles.
QUESTION 3
How do you sign TRAIN?
Rub two “H” hands back and forth, like tracks.

Reflect: transportation.

Have students sign how they get to school in ASL (like CAR or BUS). A printable ASL transport 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 TransportationFlip
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.

📝 ASL TransportationQuiz
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.

🖨️ ASL TransportationPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: AIRPLANE, BICYCLE, BUS, CAR, DRIVE, RIDE, TRAIN, transportation
  1. thumb-index-pinky fly forward
  2. two fists pedal in circles
  3. how you travel
  4. steer a wheel with two fists
  5. “H” hands rub like tracks
  6. fingerspell / large vehicle
  7. ride on the other hand
  8. steer forward

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you sign CAR?
  2. How do you sign BICYCLE?
  3. How do you sign TRAIN?
Answer key — Part A: 1) AIRPLANE · 2) BICYCLE · 3) transportation · 4) CAR · 5) TRAIN · 6) BUS · 7) RIDE · 8) DRIVE
Part B: 1) “Steer” two fists like a steering wheel. 2) Make two fists that “pedal” in circles. 3) Rub two “H” hands back and forth, like tracks.