Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Manatees, Covid Dreams and Pinball

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Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Manatees, Covid Dreams and Pinball

Each Wednesday, we shine a spotlight on five student activities that support a broad range of learners. In this week’s roundup of accessible activities, we invite students to learn about manatees in Florida, reflect on their dream life, analyze an image about home and work, watch a film about youth culture and figure out what’s happening in a photograph.

Note: To learn more about this new weekly feature, read our introductory post. Please share your thoughts in the comments section or by emailing us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.


1. Learn about the rapidly declining manatee population.

In this Lesson of the Day, students will learn about manatees in Florida, a population that has declined by 10 percent just this past year. Then, they will make a poster to educate the public about the current crisis.

2. Share your pandemic dreams.

The Times illustrated the “Covid dreams” of several Twitter users in a recent article. In this Student Opinion prompt, students share what they dream about now — and whether they have noticed a change in the kinds of dreams they have had during the pandemic. They can journal about their dreams and what they think they might mean, or share in the comments section with students around the world.

3. Interpret an image.

This Picture Prompt asks students to look closely at an image and consider what it might be saying about society or current events. Students can share their observations and if they relate to the image personally in anyway, in the comments section.

4. Watch a film about a popular arcade game.

This Film Club features a two-minute film about a time when pinball was banned because adults were afraid it might corrupt young people. After watching the film, students will consider if fears about youth culture are overblown.

5. Analyze a photograph.

In this What’s Going On In This Picture, students will look at an image from The New York Times that has been stripped of its caption. Students use analytical skills to determine the context of the photograph and can react to other student’s observations in the comments section.