CONTRIBUTED BY CINDY WANG, MA

This activity is perfect for holidays, birthdays, or even lazy days! My student was really excited for this lesson and was motivated for O&M (for once). The best part of this activity was that my student didn’t even realize it was a lesson! All you need for this lesson is access to a microwave and the ingredients. (See steps and ingredients in link below)

https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/easy-pumpkin-cake-in-a-mug-in-minutes/

The Lesson:

To set up, I laid out all the ingredients and materials on the counter before my student arrived. Then, I began the lesson by having my student use Voice Over on my iPhone to access the website with the recipe in order to go over the necessary ingredients and their measurements. After that, I had my student orient to his work space. I had him feel out where the measuring cups, mixing bowls, and ingredients were located on the counter. Then we jumped right in! It was easier to use Voice Over for this lesson, instead of brailed instructions, because my student’s fingers got dirty really quickly. Throughout the lesson, I showed my student different strategies to get the correct measurements for the different ingredients.  For example, when pouring milk, he could keep a finger at the tip of the measuring cup. When he felt his finger being dipped in milk, then that meant it was filled. Keeping his finger at the tip also helped him keep the measuring spoons and cups level, so liquid wasn’t pouring out as he was pouring in. Another example, when scooping ingredients like sugar or flour, I had my student scrape against the side of the bag in order to ensure he was actually scooping things up. When it came to mixing it all together, one strategy I showed my student, to make sure he was mixing it all in well, was to listen for grainy sounds. If the bowl sounded grainy, then there was more mixing to be done. Lastly, I placed tactile dots on the microwave and had my student microwave his cake in the mug on his own. Let the cake cool and enjoy!