Unit 6: Deaf Culture and Diversity

Grades

• 9-10
• 11-12

Subjects

• Civics
• History
• Language
• Social Studies

Overview of Lesson Plan

• In this lesson, students will examine the relationship between language and culture in the Deaf community.  Specifically, students will study the ways sign language has been viewed historically.  

Standards

• 1. Understand culture as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns.
  2. Demonstrate the value of cultural diversity, as well as cohesion, within and across groups.
  3. Interpret patterns of behavior reflecting values and attitudes that contribute or pose obstacles to cross-cultural understanding.

Objectives

• 1. To define Deaf culture and explain elements of this culture.
  2. To identify some of the language, beliefs, values, rules of behavior, and traditions common to Deaf people.
  3. To explain the relationship between any language and culture and between Deaf people and American Sign Language.
  4. To understand historical perspectives on sign language.
  

Questions to Consider

• 1. In what ways does the history of Deaf culture’s struggle over preserving its language compare and contrast with the struggle of other cultures in the US?
• 2. What historical values, beliefs, attitudes contributed to or caused the extreme reaction against Deaf culture’s “natural language”?  In what ways do these issues and this extreme reaction compare and contrast to similar struggles for other groups in the US?
• 3. Other than language, are there any other obstacles to cross-cultural understanding between the Deaf and hearing people?  If so, what are they?

Resources and Materials

• 1. Essay on “Deaf Culture” (Kluth, 2006).
  2. An Extremist (1873, October).  The perversity of deaf-mutism.  American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb.
  3. Gallaudet, T.  (1847). On the natural language of signs; and its value and uses in the instruction of the deaf and dumb. American Annals of the Deaf.

Activities and Procedures

• 1. Class Discussion: Have students use dictionaries to define “culture.”  (For various definitions, see Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture.  This lesson has combined the elements of several of the definitions of culture.)  Then ask students to discuss how language is related to and part of culture: How are language and culture connected?  In what ways does language reveal culture and vice versa? How do changes in culture impact changes in language?  (Consider, for example, what happens when immigrants come to America and become “Americanized.”) How do changes in language affect changes in culture?  (Consider, for example, what has happened in Texas or south Florida, with the immigration of Spanish speakers.)
• 2. Reading: Have students read “On the natural language of signs” (1847) by Thomas Gallaudet.  Ask students to try to answer the following questions while reading: What are Gallaudet’s opinions about sign language? What was the purpose of this article?  Why was it written?  Is Gallaudet trying to persuade the reader?  If so, in what way?  Gallaudet uses the word, “natural,” to describe sign language.  What does he mean by this and why does he use this term? As students read, they should be reminded to pay particular attention to paragraphs 7, 8, and 9.
• 3. Group Discussion: Ask students to meet in small groups and discuss their impressions of the article.  Each group should summarize the main points from the article on paper.  The teacher can ask each group to share one point from the list.
• 4. Reading: Then have students read “The Perversity of Deaf-Mutism” (October 1873).  Remind learners that this piece was written 26 years after the Gallaudet article.  Ask students to try to answer the following questions while reading: What are the author’s opinions about sign language? What was the purpose of this article?  Why was it written?  Is the “extremist” trying to persuade the reader?  If so, in what way?  The author claims the American system of deaf-mute education is a “failure.”  Why does he or she believe this to be true? What does the author believe the outcome of deaf education should be?
• 5. Group Discussion: Ask students to meet in small groups once again and discuss their impressions of the second article.  Each group should summarize the main points from the article on paper.  The teacher can ask each group to share one point from the list.
• 6. Reading: Have students briefly research the evolution of sign language use via the Internet or read the essay, “Deaf Culture” (Kluth, 2006).
• 7. Letter-writing: Finally, have students write a short letter responding to “the Extremist,” the author of “The perversity of deaf-mutism.”  This letter should only be about 1-2 paragraphs long.  Students can be Gallaudet, another deaf educator, a deaf person of 1873, or a Deaf person today.  Students should challenge the essay, “The perversity of deaf-mutism,” and educate the Extremist on why a deaf community of 1873 or Deaf culture of today is important to many Deaf people and to others in the society.

Eras

• 1810-1865
• 1866-1920

Disability

• Deaf

Topics

• American Sign Language
• Culture
• Deaf Culture
• Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing
• Language and Culture
• Religion

Copyright

• ©Syracuse University, 2006.  All rights reserved.

Author(s)

• Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

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