UC San Diego

Deaf children, like all children, deserve a quality education; one that includes the history of their own culture and people. Unfortunately, Deaf history curriculum for Deaf students is seriously lacking in availability. The goal of this thesis is simple; to provide D/deaf students with a quality Deaf history curriculum, from which they can learn about themselves, thus helping them to develop their Deaf identities.

The curriculum included in Deaf History in K-12 Classrooms consists of two units. The first addresses the American Deaf history - focusing on the roots of American Deaf schools and on the creation of American Sign Language. The second unit involves students researching and discussing Deaf people who have made a difference in the past, as well as who are doing so today. Students compile Deaf history scrapbooks to show all that they have learned.

In order to determine if my thesis and curriculum goals were met, I collected four types of evidence: field notes, student surveys, student artifacts, and observation of their Scrapbook Share activity. After examining all of the evidence I collected, it is evident that all of my goals were met.