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ASL Role Shifting

Ninth graders learn role shifting — turning the body, shoulders, and eye gaze to “become” different characters in a story. It lets a single signer show two people in a conversation without confusion.

Grade 9Role Shifting55 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…

  • ✓Explain role shifting.
  • ✓Use body & eye gaze.
  • ✓Show two characters.
  • ✓Tell a story.
Essential Question

How does one signer show a whole conversation between two people? By role shifting — turning the body to become each character. How?

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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

Role Shifting Check

Project each item and have students answer about role shifting in ASL.

🔄 Understand role shiftingTry it
Answer each question about role shifting in ASL.
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 — Becoming the Character

6 min

One signer can show a whole conversation — how does role shifting work?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Turn to “become” one person.
  • Ask what changed.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Role Shifting

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Role Shifting Check.
  • Note body shift + eye gaze.
  • Model two characters.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Copy.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Shift left for one person.
  • Shift right for another.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Shift.
  • Shift.
  • Try.
4

Sign — Sign

15 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a short two-person exchange.
  • Use eye gaze.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Use it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what role shifting is.
  • Give an example.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

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

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore ASL storytelling.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare narrative tools.

ACTFL
Communication 1.3

Presentational: tell a story.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: follow role shifts.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Role-shift photo cards.
  • Model the body turn.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two clear people.
  • Model one shift at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add three characters.
  • Retell a short dialogue.
  • Use eye gaze fully.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🔄Role-shift cards
  • 💻Role Shifting Check
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

role shiftturn your body to become a characterbody shiftlean left or righteye gazelook where the character looksreferentthe person you set in spacecharactera person in the storystorytellingnarrating eventsspaceASL uses space to place peopleperspectivewhose view you show
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 role shifting?
Turning your body and eyes to show a different person speaking.
QUESTION 2
How can you show two people talking?
Turn your shoulders slightly left, then right, for each person.
QUESTION 3
What does role shifting help a signer do?
Tell a story with different characters clearly.

Reflect: role shifting.

Have students role-shift left and right to show two people in a short conversation. A printable ASL role-shift 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 Role ShiftingFlip
Card 1
Term
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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 Role ShiftingQuiz
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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 Role ShiftingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: body shift, character, eye gaze, perspective, referent, role shift, space, storytelling
  1. a person in the story
  2. lean left or right
  3. turn your body to become a character
  4. look where the character looks
  5. narrating events
  6. ASL uses space to place people
  7. the person you set in space
  8. whose view you show

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is role shifting?
  2. How can you show two people talking?
  3. What does role shifting help a signer do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) character · 2) body shift · 3) role shift · 4) eye gaze · 5) storytelling · 6) space · 7) referent · 8) perspective
Part B: 1) Turning your body and eyes to show a different person speaking. 2) Turn your shoulders slightly left, then right, for each person. 3) Tell a story with different characters clearly.