# Tactile Town, 3-D O and M Kit
TEACHER'S GUIDEBOOK

by
Karen J. Poppe

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
Phone: 502-895-2405
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Fax: 502-899-2274
E-mail: info@aph.org
Website: www.aph.org

Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit

Poppe, Karen J., APH Tactile Graphics Project Leader

Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit [Catalog No. 1-03135-00]
Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit: Teacher's Guidebook (Large Print) [Catalog No. 7-03135-00]
Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit: Teacher's Guidebook (Braille) [Catalog No. 5-03135-00]

Copyright © 2010, American Printing House for the Blind
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America

This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, unless noted on specific pages. For information regarding permissions, write to the American Printing House for the Blind, Resource Services, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206-0085.

In keeping with our philosophy to provide access to information for people who are blind and visually impaired, the American Printing House for the Blind provides this book in large print, braille, and electronic versions.

# PROJECT STAFF

Karen J. Poppe
APH Tactile Graphics Project Leader
Author/Product Developer

Christina J. Smerz
Project Assistant

Tom Poppe
Pattern/Model Maker
Designer of 3-D and 2-D Manipulatives

Monica Vaught
Project Editor

Terri Gilmore
Graphic Designer
Front Cover/Box Label Design

Bisig Impact Group
Text Page Layout and Photos

# ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The project leader would like to thank the following Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialists who contributed their time, knowledge, and creativity to the field evaluation of Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit.

> Jill Brown, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Texas

> Jeannie Camacho, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Hawaii

> Amy Downard, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Hawaii

> Renee Farrell, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Kentucky

> Michelle Garrett, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Texas

> Debra E. Jolly, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Ohio

> Lori Klein, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Minnesota

> Judy Morris, Orientation and Mobility Instructor, Tennessee

> Felicia Nichols, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Michigan

> Mary Pawlowski, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Kentucky

> Lydia Peterson, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Minnesota

> Craig Phillips, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Kansas

> Anne Roeth, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Certified Orientation and Mobility Instructor, California

> Christopher Tabb, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Connecticut

> Connie Telschow, Teacher of the Visually Impaired/Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Minnesota

> Robin Theryoung, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Colorado

Special thanks, too, to the 114 students who were involved in the field testing of this product.

# INTRODUCTION

Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit provides an interactive, three-dimensional model to teach spatial concepts and environmental layouts to young children with visual impairments and blindness. As compared to typical two-dimensional tactile diagrams and instructional tools, Tactile Town has the following advantages:

- Lessens the interpretation difficulty posed by two-dimensional tactile maps containing abstract representations of the real environment.
- Allows children to actively (and safely) explore a variety of environmental concepts.
- Encourages interactive play whereby children independently manipulate interactive pieces-that is, construct environments, demonstrate traffic flow, walk specific routes, and so forth.
- Incorporates sufficient detail in the provided interactive pieces-in texture, color, and shape-to mimic the real world.
- Assists in the generalization of orientation and mobility concepts from the three-dimensional model to the actual environment.

Tactile Town primarily assists in the development of cognitive mapping-helping students perceive and organize their physical environment specific to concepts such as street layouts, intersections, route patterns, city block arrangements, and so forth. It encourages active participation and interaction with displayed map layouts so that concepts and skills, not conveniently accessed through real-life exploration, can be learned and practiced.

Tactile Town also alleviates the chore many orientation and mobility specialists and teachers of the visually impaired assume in creating maps, models, and other instructional tools for their students. By providing a variety of components (buildings, pedestrians, grassy areas, cars, etc.) that can be easily customized and extended, Tactile Town is an ideal starter kit for instruction and reinforcement of mapping skills and concepts.

Tactile Town is designed to be inviting to both tactile and visual learners, with careful attention given to the incorporation of contrasting colors, textures, and recognizable features. For example:

- Buildings, pedestrians, car models, and stop signs all have a discernible front and back for orientation purposes.
- The grassy areas, when placed on the display board, are elevated above the street level.
- The crosswalks, sidewalks, and medians/dividing lines are each assigned a recognizable texture.
- The railroad track is as realistic in structure as possible.

A complete list of the components included in Tactile Town is provided on pages 13-28.

| CAUTION: Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit should NOT serve as a substitute for real community travel and exposure. Interpreting tactile maps (in any form) without safety skills, mobility techniques, and the specialized training offered by a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) is not sufficient for the student's safe and skillful navigation within an authentic environment.
| WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD-Small Parts: Tactile Town includes small parts that are not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

## TACTILE TOWN COMPONENTS

GREEN GRASSY AREAS
Item | Description | Quantity | Application of Velcoins
Note: A total of 150 black hook Velcoins are provided for application to the back of the green grassy areas. Recommended Velcoin quantity and placement per piece are listed below. A few extra Velcoins are provided.
1 | Cul-de-sac (11" square with keyhole cutout) |  | 1 | 16 Velcoins (space about 2 inches apart around periphery of part)
2 | Rectangle "Blocks" with rounded corners (6-1/2" x 3-3/8") |  | 8 | 4 Velcoins per rectangle (one in each corner)
3 | Rectangle "Blocks" with square corners (6-1/2" x 3-3/8") |  | 8 | 4 Velcoins per rectangle (one in each corner)
4 | Triangles |  | 2 | 3 Velcoins per piece (one in each corner)
5 | Large Circle (3-5/8" diameter) |  | 1 | 2 Velcoins
6 | Small Circle (2-1/2" diameter) |  | 1 | 2 Velcoins
7 | Wedges Note: Helpful for building Y-intersections |  | 2 pairs of mirrored opposites | 4 Velcoins per piece (one in each corner)
8 | Squares (2" x 2") |  | 8 | 2 Velcoins per piece
9 | Long Narrow Strips (13" x 2") |  | 2 | 4 Velcoins per piece
10 | Short Narrow Strips (6-3/4" x 2") |  | 2 | 3 Velcoins per piece
11 | Roundabout Corners |  | 4 | 3 Velcoins per piece

3-D MANIPULATIVES
Item | Description | Quantity | Application of Velcoins
1 | Large Houses (all red, each with a different roof type-smooth, bumpy, tin, shingled) |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each house.
2 | Small Houses (blue, white, red and yellow; each color is available in two roof types-bumpy and smooth) |  | 8 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each house.
3 | Curved-Topped Buildings (all yellow-2 have a bumpy roof and 2 have a smooth roof) |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each building.
4 | Flat-Topped Buildings (all blue-2 have a bumpy roof and 2 have a smooth roof) |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each building.
5 | Cars (4 orange with smooth tops and 4 yellow with bumpy tops) Note: Consider supplementing cars in Tactile Town with commercially available toy cars and vehicles. |  | 8 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each car. Note: Omit application of Velcoins to some or all of the cars if a gliding movement of the cars on the Veltex surface is preferred.
6 | Railroad Tracks | 2 | Apply 4 Velcoins to the underside of the railroad tracks.
7 | Stop Signs |  | 6 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each stop sign. Slight trimming of the Velcoin is needed to fit the semicircular base.
8 | Pedestrians (2 yellow with smooth texture and 2 blue with bumpy texture) Note: The base of each pedestrian stand has a tactile pointer to assist with more specific directional alignment. |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each pedestrian. Slight trimming of the Velcoin is needed to fit the semicircular base.
9 | Pedestal Traffic Lights |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each pedestal traffic light. Slight trimming of the Velcoin is needed to fit the semicircular base.
10 | Yield Signs |  | 4 | Apply 1 Velcoin to the base of each yield sign. Slight trimming of the Velcoin is needed to fit the semicircular base.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Item | Description | Quantity | Application of Velcoins
Note: All of the Environmental Features, except the pond, are backed with full coverage hook Velcro. No assembly is required.
1 | Sidewalks (Long) 6-1/2" (l) x 1/4" (w) | 10 | N/A
2 | Sidewalks (Short) 3-3/8" (l) x 1/4" (w) | 8 | N/A
3 | Pond (light blue, irregular shape) |  | 1 | Apply 4 Velcoins to one side of the pond.
4 | Flat Traffic Lights |  | 8 | N/A
5 | Road Dashes 1" (l) x 1/4" |  | 66 | N/A
6 | Long Crosswalks with Transverse Lines 6" (l) x 3/8" | 4 | N/A
7 | Short Crosswalks with Transverse Lines 3" (l) x 3/8" | 12 | N/A
8 | Long Crosswalks with Longitudinal Lines 6" (l) x 3/8" | 4 | N/A
9 | Short Crosswalks with Longitudinal Lines 3" (l) x 3/8" | 12 | N/A
10 | Medians/Dividing Lines (all yellow) 8 1/2" (l) x 1/4" | 8 | N/A
11 | Arrows (straight) |  | 4 | N/A
12 | Arrows (curved) 2 left turns; 2 right turns |  | 4 | N/A
13 | Splitter Islands (yellow triangles) |  | 5 | N/A

KIT ACCESSORIES
Item | Description | Quantity | Application of Velcoins
1 | Inkjet Hook Paper® |  | 1 package of 10 sheets | N/A
2 | Braillable Labels and Sheets |  | 1 package of 15 sheets | N/A
3 | Pre-printed/brailled labels (i.e., street names, locations, zoo labels, direction labels, personal names) |  | 61 | Apply a single Velcoin to the back of each print/braille label.
4 | Tri-fold Board |  | 1 | N/A
5 | Storage/Carrying Box with Compartment Tray | 1 | N/A
6 | Storage Panels (3-hole punched) |  | 2 | N/A
7 | Teacher's Guidebook (print edition with CD) |  | 1 | N/A

Note: Actual colors, quantities, and relative sizes of kit components may vary from those shown in the photos.

## STORAGE TIPS

A carrying box with a 3-section compartment tray is provided for convenient storage and transport of Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit components. Here are a few tips for storing the materials in the box:

- The removable compartment tray allows for the storage and grouping of similar Tactile Town components with extra "room to grow" for customer-added accessories. Store similar pieces in the same compartment-green grassy areas (except for the cul-de-sac piece and the two long narrow strips) in the largest compartment, buildings in the medium-size compartment, and pedestrians, stops signs, pedestal traffic lights, yield signs, and cars in the smallest compartment. If desired, parts can be stored in resealable bags.
- When storing the green grassy pieces next to each other, place the soft green side of one piece against the soft green side of another piece to avoid parts clinging to each other. Place the cul-de-sac and long narrow strips (crisscrossed) in the open area next to the compartment tray.
- Store all remaining parts in the open area next to the compartment tray-print guidebook, Braillable Sheets, Inkjet Hook Paper, and two storage panels containing the small accessories (flat traffic lights, arrows, splitter islands, and labels), the strips (crosswalks, sidewalks, railroad tracks, medians/dividing lines, and road dashes), and the pond.
- When organizing parts onto the two double-sided storage panels, group similar parts together so that the instructor or student will not need to do a lot of searching when setting up or adding to a display.

## CREATING CUSTOMIZED LABELS

Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit provides combined braille and print labels to facilitate activities presented in this guidebook. However, separate packages of 8.5" x 11" Braillable Sheets and Inkjet Hook Paper are included in the kit to allow you to conveniently design and create customized labels to match actual street names, locations, and important landmarks found in your own town or immediate surroundings. To create your own labels, choose from one of the following options:

OPTION 1

Step 1: Using a computer application such as Microsoft® Word or PowerPoint, prepare an electronic file with needed labels on an 8.5" x 11" page (landscape or portrait orientation). Give attention to ideal font style and size, as well as text and background colors, if used with low vision students. Group as many labels as possible on a single page to utilize a full sheet of Inkjet Hook Paper.

Step 2: Using an inkjet printer [not a laser printer or copier], print the labels onto the smooth side of the Inkjet Hook Paper.

| IMPORTANT: Only use the Inkjet Hook Paper with inkjet printers. DO NOT USE WITH LASER PRINTERS OR COPIERS-to do so can cause the Inkjet Hook Paper to melt and consequently damage or ruin the laser printer/copier. Consult the printing instructions that accompany the Inkjet Hook Paper for proper printing procedures.

Step 3: Braille the text of each label on a clear Braillable Sheet using a braillewriter or slate and stylus. Affix each cutout adhesive braille label directly on top of the print counterpart. Cut the assembled label to a finished rectangular shape. Ideally, the upper-right corner of the label should have a diagonal cut for orientation purposes. Note: The application of the clear, brailled label to the print label will ensure durability for repeated use.

OPTION 2

If you do not have access to an inkjet printer, text for needed labels can be handwritten on the Inkjet Hook Paper using permanent, bold markers. Contrasting background colors can be added to the printed text as well (e.g., a yellow background added to black text using a highlighter marker). Then affix braille labels as described above in OPTION 1: Step 3.

Apart from braille/print labels, Inkjet Hook Paper can be used to create customized accessories for use with Tactile Town. For example, rivers/ponds, parking lots, trees, arrows, etc., can be prepared using colorful images printed on the Inkjet Hook Paper. Cutting discernible edges/outlines around the printed images and/or embellishing cutout shapes with tactile lines or textures will accommodate both tactile and print readers.

Note: Additional packages of 8.5" x 11" Braillable Sheets [Catalog No. 1-08874-00] and Inkjet Hook Paper [Catalog No. 1-04970-00] can be purchased from APH.

## ADDING ACCESSORIES

The components provided with Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit can be expanded with the use of commercially acquired, self-made, or materials from related APH products such as Picture Maker: Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit. For example, additional toy cars, landmark embellishments (e.g., trees, bushes, animals, mailboxes), and pedestrians can be located at local toy stores, craft stores, in school supply catalogs, and through online sources. Manufacturers of train model accessories, dollhouse miniatures, and Christmas village decorations are especially convenient sources of miniatures.

# SUGGESTED LAYOUT ACTIVITIES

The suggested layout activities presented in this section demonstrate various ways that Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit can be used to introduce, reinforce, and expand mapping concepts and skills to students with visual impairments and blindness. The activities are presented in a progressive manner-from basic compass directions to a complex city block. The instructor is strongly encouraged to develop specific activities based on the needs of each individual student.

Each of the 17 suggested layouts include the following sections:

> Tactile Town Materials-This section provides a checklist of Tactile Town materials required to set up the suggested layout.

> Layout Preparation-This section details the initial setup of the display board using Tactile Town components before actual use with the student.

> Sample Activities-This section provides example questions or instructions that can be posed to the student regarding the presented layout. In many cases, multiple concepts and skills can be addressed using a single setup. Use Appendix A: Tactile Town: Concepts/Skills Checklist to monitor a student's progress. An electronic version of this checklist is available on the CD accompanying the Tactile Town guidebook so that the instructor can create and save a customized checklist for each student using this kit.

> Pretend Play-This section extends the original task by encouraging the student to interact directly with the presented map by positioning buildings, adding labels, walking pretend routes, moving cars and pedestrians, and so forth.

Before using Tactile Town with the student, review the purpose of maps. Explain that a map is a representation of one's surroundings such as a neighborhood, school campus, city, etc. It usually provides an aerial or "birds-eye" view of where buildings, streets, and other landmarks are located in relation to each other. Although the size and structure of a map's features will differ significantly from those in the real setting, its use will assist in navigation from a starting place to a desired destination.

It is important to allow the student to explore and become familiar with the various components included in Tactile Town before introducing specific map layouts. Highlight and discuss identifying textures, colors, shapes, and orientation features (front/back, top/bottom) of each piece-e.g., sidewalks, crosswalks, buildings, traffic signs, etc. When possible, compare and contrast these models with the actual objects they represent. Discuss similarities and differences. For example, compare a real stop sign with the model of the stop sign. Emphasize that some features such as road dashes and crosswalk lines are visual, not tactile, in the real environment.

Apart from formal instruction, encourage open-ended play by allowing the student to independently create maps of his own choosing. Encouraging the student to be the designer of a map (versus the receiver) will promote his understanding that maps are symbolic and often cannot adequately or accurately represent familiar surroundings no matter how hard we try. By constructing his own map, the student builds the design around landmarks and environmental features that are personally meaningful and important to him.

As each Tactile Town map is explored, encourage the student's expressive and receptive language skills. For example, ask the student to describe a route to a specific destination while tracing it (tactually or visually) on the map. Also invite him to pose questions about the map to the instructor or a classmate to promote critical thinking skills and further analysis.

Always position a Tactile Town layout at a reachable distance from the student and with a North direction arrow (or full compass rose) incorporated into the display. Because of its size, the Tri-fold Board best facilitates map setups when used indoors on a large table or floor area. Smaller boards, such as APH's Picture Maker, are more convenient to take to actual sites and serve as an intermediate step between three-dimensional, larger scale maps presented with Tactile Town and more abstract, two-dimensional raised-line maps.

IMPORTANT: Don't stop with Tactile Town! Use it as a stepping stone to the student's understanding and use of other forms of tactile maps.

## LAYOUT 1: COMPASS DIRECTIONS (BASIC)

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) pedestrian
- (1) straight arrow
- (7) white road dashes
- N, S, E, W, NE, SE, NW, and SW compass direction labels
- Tri-fold Board (or one of the storage panels if a smaller working area is preferred)

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Make a compass rose using the direction labels, placing the pedestrian in the center from which all directions radiate outward. Position the pedestrian facing north. Use the white road dashes to provide links to the direction labels; the white arrow will point north. Begin with a compass rose that includes only the N, S, E, and W labels. Eventually increase difficulty by adding the NE, SE, NW, and SW labels.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

Begin with a compass rose constructed with only the N, S, E, and W labels and orient the student to the tactile face of the pedestrian piece. Also, draw attention to the raised tactile pointer on the base of the pedestrian that allows more exact alignment with a specific direction.

- "What direction is the pedestrian facing?" (north)
- "Rotate the pedestrian until it faces east. What direction is now behind the pedestrian? (west) To the pedestrian's right? (south) To the pedestrian's left?" (north)
- "Continue to rotate the pedestrian clockwise until it faces west. How many degrees did the pedestrian turn? (180 degrees) What direction is to the pedestrian's right? (north) To the pedestrian's left? (south) What direction is opposite from the direction the pedestrian is now facing?" (east)
- "Rotate the pedestrian counterclockwise 90 degrees. What direction is the pedestrian now facing? (south) What direction is behind the pedestrian? (north) To the pedestrian's right? (west) To the pedestrian's left?" (east)

Continue to give similar instructions to the student using the N-S-E-W compass rose configuration. Practice directional turns-180-degree turn, 360-degree turn, etc.

Construct a compass rose using all of the direction labels-N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW. Place the pedestrian in the center of the compass rose facing north and then orient the student to the tactile face of the pedestrian piece, as well as to the tactile pointer on its base:

- "Rotate the pedestrian clockwise and stop at each direction label until the pedestrian is facing north again." With each turn, have the student announce the direction the pedestrian is facing.
- "Rotate the pedestrian 45 degrees to the right. What direction is the pedestrian facing?" (northeast)
- "Rotate the pedestrian another 45 degrees to the right. What direction is the pedestrian now facing?" (east)
- "Rotate the pedestrian another 45 degrees to the right. What direction is the pedestrian facing? (southeast) What direction is opposite from the direction the pedestrian is facing?" (northwest) Continue to give similar instructions to the student using this compass rose configuration.
- "Remove the direction labels from the compass rose. Have the student randomly draw the labels one by one and reposition them in the correct location on the compass rose.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Set up a 3-D compass rose. Use carpet squares or chairs to represent each of the cardinal directions. Review the location of each carpet square/chair and the direction it represents. Position the student in the center of the compass rose, facing "north." Then have her follow similar directions given in the previous section-e.g., "Rotate clockwise until you are facing directly south. What direction is to your left? To your right?" Have student actually move in specific directions to sit or stand in the location announced/requested. Or, have another person stand or sit at one of the directional locations; then ask the student to describe where she is in relation to the other person.

## LAYOUT 2: COMPASS DIRECTIONS (INTERMEDIATE)

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- pond or "lake" (blue irregular shape)
- (4) houses (any type-large or small)
- (4) personal name labels
- (1) straight arrow
- (3) white road dashes
- N, S, E, W compass direction labels
- (1) pedestrian
- Tri-fold Board

Tip on building a compass rose: Link the straight arrow piece with three road dashes to build a compass rose and then affix separate direction labels.

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the compass rose in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Arrange four houses around the pond so that each house represents a different cardinal direction (N, S, E, and W). Place personal name labels in close proximity to each house and in a consistent location (e.g., next to the front door).

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the compass rose."
- "Name each direction shown on the compass rose."
- Instructor removes the direction labels from the compass rose and then asks the student to reposition them in the correct location.
- "Whose house is north of the pond?"
- "Whose house is south of the pond?"
- "Whose house is east of the pond?"
- "Whose house is west of the pond?"
- "Who lives across the pond from Tom?"
- "Who lives across the pond from Jan?"
- "Whose house is directly north of Tom's?"
- "Whose house is directly west of Kim's?"
- "Whose house is directly east of Jan's?"
- "Whose house is directly south of Sam's?"
- "Is there a house west of Jan's?"
- "Is there a house south of Tom's?"
- "Whose house faces north?" [Emphasize that the side of the house with the door determines faced direction.] "Whose house faces south? East? West?"

PRETEND PLAY:

- "Walk" the pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the pond and visit each home.
- Have the student walk the pedestrian to a specific house and describe the direction of his chosen route.
- Encourage the student to rearrange labels, types of houses/buildings, etc., and then allow him to ask the instructor or peer questions about the layout.
- Reinforce spatial concepts based upon new layouts-the houses are around the pond; the pond is between Jan and Kim's houses; the pond is in the center of the houses; the houses are across the pond from each other; Kim lives to the right of Tom; Jan lives to the left of Tom; and so forth.
- Create and use customized braille/print name labels of people or neighbors personally known by the student.

## LAYOUT 3: COMPASS DIRECTIONS (ADVANCED)

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- pond or "lake" (blue irregular shape)
- (8) houses or buildings (any type)
- (8) personal name labels
- (2) straight arrows
- (7 or 11) white road dashes to build compass rose [2 options available]
- (7) white road dashes to link houses to pond
- N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW compass direction labels
  Tip on building a compass rose: Link the straight arrow piece with seven road dashes to build a compass rose and then affix separate direction labels. If longer N, E, S, W lines are desired, just add an extra road dash to each. Always use the arrow piece to represent north.
- (1) pedestrian
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the compass rose in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Arrange eight houses around the pond so that each house represents a different cardinal direction (N, S, E, W, NE, SE, NW, and SW). Link each house to the pond with a single road dash (and arrow for north) to mimic the tactile/visual design of the compass rose. To add tactile differentiation to the compass rose, use large houses to represent the N, S, E, and W directions and small houses to represent the NE, SE, NW, and SW directions. Place personal name labels in close proximity to each house and in a consistent location (e.g., next to the front door) and in a readable position.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the compass rose."
- "Name each direction shown on the compass rose."
- Instructor removes the direction labels from the compass rose and then asks the student to reposition them in the correct location.
- "Whose house is directly north of the pond?"
- "Whose house is directly south of the pond?"
- "Whose house is directly east of the pond?"
- "Whose house is directly west of the pond?"
- "Whose house is northeast of the pond?"
- "Whose house is northwest of the pond?"
- "Whose house is southeast of the pond?"
- "Whose house is southwest of the pond?"
- "Whose house faces northeast? Southwest? Southeast? Northwest?" Etc. [Emphasize that the side of the house with the door determines faced direction.]
- "Whose house is directly opposite the pond from Stu's house?"
- "Whose house is directly opposite the pond from Jan's house?"
- "Whose house is directly opposite the pond from Kim's house?"
- "Whose house is directly opposite the pond from Mia's house?"
- Instructor changes the position of the personal name labels and poses similar questions as those listed above.
- Practice the same activity minus the road dash and arrow connectors to remove tactile/visual clues.
- Have the student remove each compass direction label and its corresponding house (as requested in random order by the instructor) until all the houses and direction labels are cleared from the board.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Walk the pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the pond and visit each house.
- Plan walking routes using the display: For example, "Find the shortest route from Jan's house to Ken's house." The student can use the pedestrian piece to demonstrate the shortest path of travel.
- Reinforce spatial concepts based upon the created layouts-Ken lives between Lea and Stu; Tom lives next to Kim; Kim lives across from Ken; and so forth.
- If available, position a toy boat in the center of the pond. Use the boat as the pedestrian piece was used in previous activities to illustrate specific directions. For example, ask the student to turn the boat until it faces northeast. Or, spin the boat around on the lake's surface; after it stops spinning, ask the student to identify the direction that the boat is facing.
- Encourage the student to rearrange labels, types of buildings, etc., and allow her to ask the instructor or peer questions about the layout.
- Create and use customized braille/print name labels of people or neighbors personally known by the student.

## LAYOUT 4: ZOO LAYOUT

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- North direction label
- (2) pedestrians (one smooth, one bumpy)
- (10) green rectangles (combination of rounded and square corners)
- (2) green squares
- (1) green circle (small or large)
- pond (blue irregular shape)
- (2) small houses
- zoo labels (i.e., animal names, "snacks," "gifts," "entrance," "exit," and "fountain")
- Tri-fold Board
- Optional: commercially available miniature models (e.g., zoo animals, trees, etc.)

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Position the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Use the entire area of the Tri-fold Board to set up the zoo layout. Start by arranging the green rectangles around the outer periphery of the board, allowing some "walking" space between the animal exhibits. Place the lion exhibit (built with two rectangles) in the northwest corner of the zoo. Then, moving clockwise around the zoo, add the following exhibits: seals, tigers (built with two rectangles), zebras, snakes, monkeys, hippos, and birds. Apply the zoo labels directly on top of the positioned grassy areas (or animal exhibits). The "entrance" and "exit" labels can be placed between the monkey and snake exhibits, with the exit to the left of the entrance. In the center of the zoo, place a green circle to represent a "fountain." On either side of the fountain, place a green square. Add small houses to these squares, along with labels, to represent the locations of "snacks" (to the right of the fountain) and "gifts" (to the left of the fountain). Position the pond between the bird exhibit and the gift stand.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Find the North indicator."
- "Locate the entrance to the zoo. Is the entrance to the zoo on the north, south, east, or west side of the zoo?"
- "Locate the exit. Upon entering the zoo, is the exit to the right or left of the entrance?"
- "Can you locate all of the animal exhibits and name them?"
- "What feature is found in the very center of the zoo?"
- "Upon entering the zoo, is the snack stand located to the left or right of the fountain?"
- "What animal exhibit is located in the southeast corner of the zoo?"
- "What animal exhibit is located in the southwest corner of the zoo?"
- "What animal exhibit is located in the northeast corner of the zoo?"
- "What animal exhibit is located in the northwest corner of the zoo?"
- "What animal exhibit is located between the lions and the hippos?"
- "If you want to visit the tigers after entering the zoo, which direction should you turn to take the shortest route?"
- "If you want to visit the bird exhibit after entering the zoo, which direction should you turn to take the shortest route?"
- "What animal exhibit(s) are north of the pond? East? West? South?"
- "Which two animals have the largest exhibit areas?"
- "What animal exhibit is located closest to the pond?"
- "What building is located west of and closest to the tiger exhibit?"
- "What building is located east of and closest to the pond?"

PRETEND PLAY

- Embellish the zoo layout with miniature models of animals, trees, Tactile Town train tracks, etc.

- Walk the pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the zoo, naming the animal exhibits that are visited along the way.
- Position a pedestrian in any of the zoo exhibits. Have the student use another pedestrian (to represent himself) to find or "walk" possible travel routes from the zoo's entrance to the other pedestrian's location.
- Position one pedestrian (to represent the student) in any of the zoo exhibits. Then place another pedestrian (to represent his friend) at a different location within the zoo layout. Have the student give his friend travel instructions so they can meet. For example, "Travel west past the monkeys and hippos, turn north, then walk past the bird exhibit (that is west of the pond), and meet me at the lion exhibit." Be sure to use pedestrian pieces of contrasting textures and colors to help distinguish the student from his friend.
- Have the student use a pedestrian to move about the zoo layout as the instructor gives travel instructions (e.g., "move forward to the snacks, left to the bird exhibit, toward the lions, around the pond, etc.), incorporating as many spatial terms as possible.
- Allow the student to rearrange the zoo layout. The instructor or student can ask questions based upon the new setup.
- Prepare new braille/print labels to represent other types of animal exhibits (e.g., dolphins, reptiles, etc.) or zoo features (e.g., parking lot, picnic area, restrooms, etc.). Use customized labels to create new setups and pose new questions.

## LAYOUT 5: SINGLE BLOCK

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- (3) white road dashes
- N, S, E, W compass direction labels (to build compass rose)
- NW, SW, SE, NE labels
- (4) green rectangles (all square corners)
- (6) 6.5" sidewalk strips
- (4) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (4) building labels (student's choice)
- (2) pedestrians (of differing textures)
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the compass rose in the upper right-hand corner of the display board; apply only the N, S, E, and W labels. Build a large single block in the center of the board using four green rectangles Then apply the NW, NE, SW, and SE labels to the appropriate corners of the block.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Name the directions labeled on the compass rose."
- "What is the overall shape of the block?"
- "Are the corners of the block rounded or square?"
- "Are all the sides of the block the same length?"
- "Locate the northwest corner of the block."
- "Locate the northeast corner of the block."
- "Locate the southwest corner of the block."
- "Locate the southeast corner of the block."
- Instructor removes the direction labels from the display and asks the four previous questions again. The student applies the direction labels to the correct corners of the block.
- Remove the direction labels and have the student position a building in each corner of the block as directed by the instructor (e.g., "Place a building in the NE corner of the block.").
- "Apply a sidewalk that extends from the NW corner of the block to the SW corner of the block." [The instructor might need to demonstrate the application of the first sidewalk to the block.]
- "Apply a sidewalk that extends from the NE corner of the block to the SE corner of the block."
- "Apply a sidewalk that extends from the NW corner of the block to the NE corner of the block." [Two sidewalk strips will be needed to extend the full length.]
- "Apply a sidewalk that extends from the SW corner of the block to the SE corner of the block." [Two sidewalk strips will be needed to extend the full length.]
- "Locate four places where the sidewalks intersect." [If needed, demonstrate two lines crossing each other.]
- "Locate two sidewalks that run north to south."
- "Locate two sidewalks that run east to west."
- "Locate the east-west sidewalk on the north side of the block."
- "Locate the east-west sidewalk on the south side of the block."
- "Locate the north-south sidewalk on the east side of the block."
- "Locate the north-south sidewalk on the west side of the block."
- "Locate pairs of sidewalks that are parallel to each other."
- "Locate pairs of sidewalks that are perpendicular to each other."

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student name each building by placing a label of his choice (e.g., store, post office, bank, and bakery, etc.) beside the building's entrance.
- Walk the pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the block.
- Ask the student to walk the pedestrian around the block and announce the direction she is moving: "I'm traveling straight ahead"; "I'm moving away from the SE corner and walking toward the SW corner of the block"; "I'm turning left at the NW corner"; "I'm moving away from the NE corner"; and so forth.
- Demonstrate a straight-line route to the student. Have the student walk the pedestrian from the NE corner to the NW corner, the SW corner to the SE corner, etc., in a straight-line manner.
- Start at the beginning of a sidewalk and walk to the end of the same sidewalk.
- Demonstrate an L-pattern route to the student. Have the student walk the pedestrian in an L-pattern route from the SE corner to the NW corner, from the NE corner to the SW corner, and so forth.
- Place the pedestrian in the SW corner of the block and ask the student, "What are two possible routes the pedestrian can travel to reach the NE corner of the block?"
- Demonstrate a U-pattern route to the student. Have the student walk the pedestrian in a U-pattern route from the NW corner to the SW corner, from the SE corner to the NE corner, and so forth.
- Before the student walks her pedestrian a requested route, position another pedestrian (of a differing texture) at the expected destination.

## LAYOUT 6: SINGLE BLOCK (ADVANCED)

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- North direction label (to build compass rose)
- NW, SW, SE, NE labels (to label block corners)
- (4) green rectangles (all square corners OR all rounded corners)
- (4) green squares
- (2) long narrow green strips
- (2) short narrow green strips
- (6) 6.5" sidewalk strips
- (4) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (4) street labels: Elm, Oak, Main, Ash
- (4) building labels (student's choice)
- (2) pedestrians (of differing textures)
- (4) cars
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Position the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Using four separate green rectangles, build a large single block in the center of the board. Apply the two short, narrow strips to the east and west sides of the block; apply the two long, narrow strips to the north and south sides of the block. Allow enough space to build two lanes of traffic using the white road dashes. Place a green square in each of the four outer corners. Insert street labels within the road dash lines so that Elm street runs along the north side of the block, Oak street runs along the west side of the block, Main street runs along the south side of the block, and Ash street runs along the east side of the block. [Note: If desired, simplify the display by omitting the road dashes and keeping the street names in place.]

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- Have the student locate the North indicator.
- "What is the overall shape of the block?"
- "Are the corners of the block rounded or square?"
- "Are all the sides of the block the same length?"
- "Apply direction labels (NW, NE, SW, SE) to the corners of the block."
- "Apply a sidewalk strip that extends from the northwest corner of the block to the southwest corner of the block." Repeat similar instructions until all sidewalks are applied to all four sides of the block. [Note: Two 6.5" sidewalk strips will be necessary to extend the full length of both the north and south sides of the block.]
- "Identify the streets (Elm, Oak, Main, and Ash) that surround the block."
- "Which two streets run east to west?"
- "Which two streets run north to south?"
- "Which street runs east to west along the north side of the block?"
- "Which street runs east to west along the south side of the block?"
- "Which street runs north to south along the west side of the block?"
- "Which street runs north to south along the east side of the block?"
- "Remove the NW label and replace it with a building that faces Oak." [Use the front door of each building as a reference point for faced direction.]
- "Remove the SW label and replace it with a building that faces Main."
- "Remove the SE label and replace it with a building that faces Ash."
- "Remove the NE label and replace it with a building that faces Elm."
- Ask the student to place a label of his choice (e.g., library, museum, pet store, etc.) next to each building. To ensure consistent label orientation, demonstrate how to place the label in front of the building's door, between the building and the sidewalk.
- "Identify streets that are parallel to each other."
- "Identify streets that are perpendicular to each other."
- "Which street intersects Oak and Ash along the north side of the block?"
- "Which street intersects Oak and Ash along the south side of the block"
- "Which street intersects Elm and Main along the east side of the block?"
- "Which street intersects Elm and Main along the west side of the block?"
- "Which two streets border the building on the NW corner?"
- "Which two streets border the building on the NE corner?"
- "Which two streets border the building on the SE corner?"
- "Which two streets border the building on the SW corner?"

PRETEND PLAY:

- Walk the pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the block.
- Pretend you are standing on the SW corner of the block. Use the pedestrian to demonstrate a straight-line route to get to the NW corner/building. [Repeat this activity using other block corners or buildings as starting and ending points.]
- Have the student position the pedestrian at the NE corner of the block. Then have him demonstrate ("walk") two possible L-routes to the building on the SW corner of the block. [Repeat this activity using other block corners/buildings as starting and ending points.]
- Using a pedestrian, have the student pretend to exit the building on the NW corner of the block and ask him the following:
  - "What street are you facing as you exit the building's front door?" [Oak]
  - "If you turn left (or south), what street is in front of you?" [Main]
  - "If you turn right (or north), what street are you facing?" [Elm]
  - "Walk along the sidewalk toward Main. What street is parallel to you? [Oak] What street is behind you?" [Elm]
  - "When you arrive at the sidewalk intersection of Oak and Main, do you turn east or west to travel toward Ash?"
    Note: Encourage the student to always use the tactile face (or the raised tactile indicator) on the pedestrian as a reference for faced direction.
- Continue to do similar pretend travel activities that emphasize concepts such as parallel, perpendicular, cross street ahead, cross street behind, direction of travel, and so forth.
- Before the student walks his pedestrian along a requested route, position another pedestrian (of a differing texture) at the expected destination.
- Compare the walking direction of the pedestrian to that of moving or positioned cars. Are the pedestrian and car(s) moving in the same or different directions? Identify the direction that each is heading.
- First identify the front and back of the car model. Also, explain that road dashes are visual, not tactile, features in the real environment. Then have the student drive a car clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the block. Encourage the student to announce each building passed along the way and the corner of the block where each is located.
- Switch the locations of the buildings (and labels) and have the student drive a car from a chosen corner of the block to a specified destination. As he drives, have the student describe his direction of travel (e.g., drove straight on Elm, turned right on Ash, etc.).

## LAYOUT 7: STANDARD INTERSECTION

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- (3) white road dashes (to build compass rose)
- N, S, E, W direction labels (to build compass rose)
- NW, SW, SE, NE labels (to label block corners)
- (4) green rectangles (rounded or square corners)
- (4) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (2) street labels: Oak and Elm
- (4) building labels (student's choice)
- (1) flat traffic light
- (1) pedestal traffic light
- (4) cars [Supplement with Hot Wheels® cars, if desired.]
- (4) stop signs
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the compass rose in the upper right-hand corner of the display board; apply only N, S, E, and W labels. Build a standard intersection using four green rectangles to represent four separate blocks. Allow enough space between the blocks to build two lanes of traffic using the white road dashes. Insert street labels within the road dash lines so that Elm street runs east to west and Oak street runs north to south.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- Have student locate and review the compass rose. Remove the direction labels and ask the student to reapply the NW, NE, SW, and SE labels to the blocks of the intersection.
- "Describe the shape of the intersection." [It resembles a print plus sign.]
- "Where is the center of the intersection?"
- "Place a flat traffic light (or pedestal traffic light) in the center of the intersection." [Explain that traffic lights are typically elevated above the street in the real environment.]
- "Place a building on the NW block."
- "Place a building on the SW block."
- "Place a building on the NE block."
- "Place a building on the SE block."
- "Label each building." [Student can choose labels.]
- "Which street runs north to south?"
- "Which street runs east to west?"
- "Which street is vertical from your view?"
- "Which street is horizontal from your view?"
- "Which street is the longer of the two shown in the display?"

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student demonstrate a car moving north to south, south to north, east to west, and west to east in the appropriate traffic lanes.
- "How many traffic lanes does Elm street have?"
- Have the student drive a car from east to west, and west to east, naming the buildings that she passes.
- "How many traffic lanes does Oak street have?"
- Have the student drive a car from north to south, and south to north, naming the buildings passed along the way.
- Pretend to stop at the traffic light as the student moves the car along Oak or Elm streets.
- Have the student drive a car east to west along Elm street and turn north at the intersection.
- Have the student drive a car north to south along Oak street and turn west at the intersection.
- Remove the traffic light from the display and position a stop sign at each corner of the intersection to review a four-way stop. Ask the student to position a car at each stop sign in the appropriate lane.
- Demonstrate a two-way stop. Ask the student to remove two of the four stop signs so that only cars traveling east to west (or west to east) stop at the intersection. Position a car at each stop sign and have the student pretend to keep driving north to south (or south to north) without stopping along Oak street.
- Reposition the stop signs to demonstrate another two-way stop whereby only cars traveling north to south (or south to north) stop at the intersection. Position a car at each stop sign and have the student pretend to keep driving east to west (or west to east) along Elm street without stopping.
- Make personalized labels of the student's choice to represent buildings in her neighborhood.

## LAYOUT 8: INTERSECTION WITH CROSSWALKS

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (2) straight arrows
- North direction label
- NW, SW, SE, NE labels (to label blocks)
- (8) green rectangles (all square corners)
- (4) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (1) "park" label
- (2) street labels: 1st and Main
- (4) building labels (student's choice)
- (8) 6.5" sidewalk strips
- (4) 3" crosswalks (transverse or longitudinal)
- (1) traffic light (flat or pedestal)
- (4) cars [Supplement with Hot Wheels® cars, if desired.]
- (4) stop signs
- (2) pedestrians (one bumpy and one smooth)
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Then build four blocks, each made from two rectangles placed together along their long edges. The resulting blocks will be square shaped. Allow space between each block to accommodate the insertion of a 3-inch crosswalk. Use white road dashes to create two-way traffic lanes. Insert street labels within the road dash lines so that Main street runs east to west and 1st street runs north to south.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- "Apply direction labels (NW, NE, SW, SE) to the four blocks making up the intersection. Place the labels in the center of each block."
- "Describe the shape of the intersection." [It resembles a print plus sign.]
- "Locate the four corners that form the intersection."
- "Locate the two streets that form the intersection."
- "Where is the center of the intersection?"
- "Place a traffic light (flat or pedestal style) in the center of the intersection."
- "Place sidewalks along the south and east sides of the NW block leaving room for a grassline." [If necessary, the instructor can position the first set of sidewalks and explain the concept of grassline.]
- "Place sidewalks along the north and east sides of the SW block."
- "Place sidewalks along the west and south sides of the NE block."
- "Place sidewalks along the west and north sides of the SE block."
- Instructor models placing a building on the SE corner of the NW block with the entrance facing south. Direct the student to do the following:

  > -"Place a building on the NE corner of the SW block with the entrance facing north."
  > -"Place a building on the SW corner of the NE block with the entrance facing south."
  > -"Place a building on the NW corner of the SE block with the entrance facing north."

- "Place the label ‘park’ on the south side of the SE block."
- "Label each building." [Be sure to label each building in a consistent location (e.g., next to the front door). Student can select the labels.]
- "Which street runs north to south?"
- "Which street runs east to west?"
- "Which street is vertical from your view?"
- "Which street is horizontal from your view?"
- "Place a crosswalk that links the sidewalks of the NW block to the sidewalks of the NE block." [If necessary, the instructor can model the positioning of the first crosswalk.]
- "Place a crosswalk that links the sidewalks of the NW block to the sidewalks of the SW block."
- "Place a crosswalk that links the sidewalks of the SE block to the sidewalks of the NE block."
- "Place a crosswalk that links the sidewalks of the SW block to the sidewalks of the SE block."
- Discuss the various styles of crosswalks using the provided tactile models. Explain that crosswalks are visual, not tactile, landmarks in the real environment.

PRETEND PLAY:

Review intersection approaches and safety concerns when crossing streets.

- Walk a pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the intersection using the crosswalks.
- Using the crosswalks, walk the pedestrian along an L-shape route from the SW corner of the NE block to the NE corner of the SW block. [Demonstrate other examples of L-shape routes from one landmark to another. Position a second pedestrian (of a contrasting texture) at the destination site. Pretend to have friends meet at a selected building.]
- Walk an L-shape route within a given block (e.g., from the SE corner of the NE block to the NW corner of the NE block).
- Walk the pedestrian along a U-shape route from the building on the SE corner of the NW block to the building on the NE corner of the SW block using the crosswalks. [Demonstrate other examples of U-shape routes from one landmark to another.]

Review traffic flow patterns:

- "How many traffic lanes does Main street have? In which lane do cars travel east to west? In which lane do cars travel west to east?"
- "How many traffic lanes does 1st street have? In which lane do cars travel north to south? In which lane do cars travel south to north?"
- Have the student drive a car from east to west along Main street and name the buildings that he passes. Pretend to stop at the traffic light.
- Have the student drive a car from north to south along 1st street and name the buildings that he passes. Pretend to stop at the traffic light.
- Have the student drive a car from west to east along Main street and turn south onto 1st street.
- Have the student drive a car from south to north along 1st street and turn east onto Main street.
- Remove the traffic light from the display and position a stop sign at each corner of the intersection to review a four-way stop. Ask the student to position a car at each stop sign in the appropriate lane.
- Demonstrate a two-way stop. Ask the student to remove two of the four stop signs that make only cars traveling north to south stop at the intersection. Position a car at each stop sign and have the student pretend to keep driving east to west along Main street without stopping. For extra practice, switch stop signs to make cars traveling east to west stop at the intersection, giving cars traveling along 1st street the right-of-way.
- Pretend 1st street is a one-way street. Insert arrows into the road that indicate traffic must flow only south to north. Position two cars on 1st street moving in the same direction. Then position two cars on Main street to represent a two-way street with cars moving opposite directions.

## LAYOUT 9: COMPLEX INTERSECTION

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- North direction label
- NW, SW, SE, NE labels
- (8) green rectangles (all square corners)
- (8) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (2) street labels: 2nd and Elm
- (8) building labels (student's choice)
- (8) 6.5" sidewalk strips
- (4) 6" crosswalks (transverse or longitudinal)
- (1) traffic light (flat or pedestal style)
- (4) cars
- (4) yellow dividing lines
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Then build four blocks, each made from two rectangles placed together along their long edges. Allow space between each block to accommodate the insertion of a 6-inch crosswalk. Use yellow dividing lines and white road dashes to create four lanes of traffic on both Elm street and 2nd street. Place street labels within the road dash lines (close to or overlapping the dividing lines) so that Elm street runs east to west (and west to east), and 2nd street runs north to south (and south to north). Elm street will have two lanes flowing east to west, and two lanes flowing west to east; 2nd street will have two lanes flowing north to south, and two lanes flowing south to north.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- "Apply direction labels (NW, NE, SW, SE) to the four blocks making up the intersection. Place the labels in the center of each block."
- "Describe the shape of the intersection." [It resembles a print plus sign.]
- "Locate the four corners that form the intersection."
- "Locate the two streets that form the intersection."
- "Where is the center of the intersection?"
- "Place a traffic light in the center of the intersection."
- "Place sidewalks along the south and east sides of the NW block." [If necessary, the instructor can model the application of the first set of sidewalks.]
- "Place sidewalks along the north and east sides of the SW block."
- "Place sidewalks along the west and south sides of the NE block."
- "Place sidewalks along the west and north sides of the SE block."
- "Place a building on the NE corner of the NW block facing 2nd street."
- "Place a building on the SE corner of the NW block facing Elm street."
- "Place a building on the NE corner of the SW block facing Elm street."
- "Place a building on the SE corner of the SW block facing 2nd street."
- "Place a building on the SW corner of the NE block facing Elm street."
- "Place a building on the NW corner of the NE block facing 2nd street."
- "Place a building on the NW corner of the SE block facing Elm street."
- "Place a building on the SW corner of the SE block facing 2nd street."
- "Label each building." [Student can choose labels.]
- "Which street runs north to south?"
- "Which street runs east to west?"
- "How many lanes of traffic does 2nd street have? How many lanes flow in a north-to-south direction? How many lanes flow in a south-to-north direction?"
- "How many lanes of traffic does Elm street have? How many lanes flow in an east-to-west direction? How many lanes flow in a west-to-east direction?"
- "Which street is vertical from your view?"
- "Which street is horizontal from your view?"
- "Place crosswalks that link the sidewalks of the NW block to the sidewalks of the NE and SW blocks."
- "Place crosswalks that link the sidewalks of the SE block to the sidewalks of the SW and NE blocks."

PRETEND PLAY:

Begin with a discussion about potential safety concerns when crossing streets.

- Walk a pedestrian clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the intersection using the crosswalks.
- As the pedestrian walks around the intersection, have the student announce the direction she is facing, the street she is crossing, and the landmarks she is passing.).
- Walk the pedestrian along an L-shape route from the NE corner of the NW block to the SW corner of the NE block, OR from the NW corner of the NE block to the NE corner of the SW block. [Demonstrate other examples of L-shape routes from one landmark to another.]
- Walk the pedestrian along a U-shape route from the SE corner of the NW block to the NE corner of the SW block, OR from the NW corner of the SE block to the SW corner of the NE block. [Demonstrate other examples of U-shape routes from one landmark to another.]
- Pretend there is a car accident blocking the crosswalk within the display. [The instructor will insert the obstacle within the display.] The student will need to travel an alternate Z-shape route. For example, walk the pedestrian from the NE corner of the NW block to the NW corner of the SE block.
- Place a pedestrian on the SW corner of the NE block. Have the student position another pedestrian on the NE corner of the SW block. How many different routes are there to safely travel to the diagonal corner?

Review more complex traffic flow patterns (i.e., two lanes of two-way traffic for Elm and 2nd streets):

- Have the student drive a car from east to west along Elm street and name the buildings that she passes. Pretend to stop at the traffic light.
- Have the student drive a car from north to south along 2nd street and name the buildings that she passes. Pretend to stop at the traffic light.
- Have the student drive a car from west to east along Elm street and turn south onto 2nd street at the intersection. Which buildings does she pass along the way?
- Have the student drive a car from south to north along 2nd street and turn east onto Elm street at the intersection. Which buildings does she pass along the way?

## LAYOUT 10: T-INTERSECTION

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) arrow
- North direction label
- (1) long narrow green strip
- (6) green rectangles (all square corners)
- (2) green squares
- (3) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (2) street labels: Ash and Oak
- (3) building labels (student's choice)
- (3) stop signs
- (3) cars
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Place the long narrow green strip across the top of the display board, extended on each end by a small square. Then build two large blocks, each made from three rectangles placed together with their long edges touching. Leave space between the long narrow strip and the top edges of the two large blocks to allow two-lane traffic flow on Ash street. Also, leave space between the two large blocks to permit two-lane traffic flow on Oak street. Ash street runs east to west (and west to east) and Oak street runs north to south (and south to north). Insert road dashes and street labels along Oak and Ash streets.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- Review the overall shape of the intersection with the student. Explain to a tactile learner that the shape of the intersection is the same shape as the print letter "T."
- "Which two streets intersect?"
- "Where do these two streets intersect?"
- "Locate the east-west street."
- "Locate the north-south street."
- "Which street is vertical from your view?"
- "Which street is horizontal from your view?"
- "Which street discontinues?"
- "How does this intersection type differ from a standard (plus-shape) intersection?"
- "Locate the two corners that make up the intersection."
- "Place a building on the corner of the west side of Oak street with its entrance facing Ash street."
- "Place a building on the corner of the east side of Oak street with its entrance facing Ash street."
- "Place a building directly across from the north-end of Oak street."
- "Label each building." [Student can choose labels.]

PRETEND PLAY:

Review traffic flow patterns:

- "How many traffic lanes does Ash street have? In which lane do cars travel east to west? In which lane do cars travel west to east?"
- "How many traffic lanes does Oak street have? In which lane do cars travel north to south? In which lane do cars travel south to north?"
- Have the student drive a car from east to west along Ash street.
- Have the student drive a car from south to north along Oak street.
- Make the intersection a one-way stop by placing a stop sign on the corner of the east side of Oak street.
- Make the intersection a three-way stop. Have the student position a car at each stop sign in the correct traffic lane.
- Encourage the student to embellish the layout with additional buildings, labels, cars, crosswalks, and so forth, to further explore this type of intersection.

## LAYOUT 11: Y-INTERSECTION

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) arrow
- North direction label
- (1) green triangle
- (2) green wedges (mirrored pair)
- (4) green rectangles (all square corners)
- (1) building (any shape and/or size)
- (1) building label (student's choice)
- (3) street labels: Ash, Oak, and Elm
- (3) stop signs
- (3) cars
- white road dashes
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Place the triangle at the top of the display board with its longest side facing the top of the Tri-fold Board. Starting at the base of the board, link two rectangles along their short edges on both sides of a two-lane road. Then place a wedge above each rectangle to form a Y-intersection. Label the north-south road Elm street, the right-branching road Oak street, and the left-branching road Ash street. Insert road dashes to create two-way traffic lanes within all three streets.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- Review the overall shape of the intersection with the student, as well as the traffic flow patterns. Explain to a tactile learner that the shape of the intersection is the same shape as the print letter "Y."
- "How many streets intersect?"
- Discuss the phrase "fork in the road."
- "Which street branches northeast at the end of Elm street?"
- "Which street branches northwest at the end of Elm street?"
- "How does this type of intersection differ from a T-intersection?"
- "Locate the corners that make up the intersection."
- "Place a building facing south toward Elm street and label the building."
- Set up other types of Y-intersections with a side road branching either to the right or left of the main road.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student position three stop signs within the layout to create a three-way stop. Then rotate three cars that are approaching from various directions through the intersection.
- Allow the student to embellish the layout with additional buildings, labels, cars, crosswalks, and so forth, to further explore this type of intersection.

## LAYOUT 12: OFFSET INTERSECTION

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) arrow
- North direction label
- NW, NE, SW, and SE labels
- (8) green rectangles (with rounded or square corners)
- (3) street labels: Ash, Elm, Oak
- (4) buildings (assorted shapes chosen by student)
- white road dashes
- traffic lights
- stop signs
- crosswalks
- sidewalks
- pedestrians
- cars
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Then build four blocks, each made from two green rectangles placed together along their long edges. Offset the blocks so that Elm and Oak streets, which both run north to south, are not directly across from each other at the intersection. Ash street runs in an east to west direction. Use white road dashes to create traffic lanes.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Which streets are offset from each other?"
- "Do these streets run in a north-to-south or east-to-west direction?"
- "Apply NW, NE, SW, and SE labels to the blocks."
- "Which blocks border Elm street?"
- "Which blocks border Oak street?"
- "Which four block corners make up the intersection?"
- "Place a building on each corner that forms the offset intersection."
- "How is this intersection type different from a standard intersection?"

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student drive a car through the offset intersection.
- Continue to encourage the student to embellish the intersection layout with additional buildings, stop signs, labels, traffic lights, cars, pedestrians, crosswalks, etc., and review a variety of concepts (e.g., traffic patterns, walking routes) encountered in earlier layouts.

## LAYOUT 13: DEAD-END STREET

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) arrow
- North direction label
- (6) green rectangles (with square corners)
- (2) long narrow green strips
- (2) street labels: Elm and Main
- (5) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- building labels (chosen by student)
- white road dashes
- traffic lights (flat or pedestal style)
- stop signs
- crosswalks
- sidewalks
- pedestrians
- cars
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Then build four blocks, allowing space between each. The NW and NE blocks are each built using only one rectangle. The SW and SE blocks are each built with two rectangles placed together along their long edges. The long narrow strip is placed against the east sides of the NE and SE blocks to create a dead-end street. Main street runs in a north-south direction, and Elm street runs in an east-west direction. White road dashes are used to create traffic lanes.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- "What type of intersection is shown?"
- "Locate the four corners that make up the intersection."
- "Locate the two streets that make up the intersection."
- "Which street runs north to south?"
- "Which street runs east to west?"
- "Where is the center of the intersection?"
- "Place a traffic light in the center of the intersection."
- Discuss the concept of a dead-end street with the student.
- "Which street is a through street?"
- "Which street is a dead-end street?"
- "Place a building on the SE corner of the NW block."
- "Place a building on the NE corner of the SW block."
- "Place a building on the SW corner of the NE block."
- "Place a building on the NW corner of the SE block."
- "Place a building on the dead-end side of Elm."
- "Label each building." [Student can choose labels.]
- Have the student build her own dead-end street by placing another long strip within the layout-at either end of Main street or at the west end of Elm street.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Continue to encourage the student to embellish the intersection layout with more buildings, stop signs, traffic lights, cars, pedestrians, crosswalks, etc., and review a variety of concepts (e.g., traffic patterns, walking routes) encountered in earlier layouts. For example, have the student walk the pedestrian to the dead-end of Elm street and figure out how to resume her original route.

## LAYOUT 14: RAILROAD CROSSING

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) arrow
- North direction label
- (8) green rectangles (with square corners)
- (1) street label: Main
- (2) railroad tracks
- (4-6) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- building labels (chosen by student)
- white road dashes
- (2) stop signs
- pedestrians
- sidewalks
- crosswalks
- cars
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Connect four green rectangles along their long edges on both sides of the north-south road (Main street) allowing insertion of a railroad track running in an east-west direction. Link two railroad tracks to extend beyond the ends of the blocks. Insert white road dashes to create two lanes of traffic.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- "In what direction does the train travel in relation to the cars along Main street?"
- "Place buildings on both sides of Main street, facing either east or west."
- "Label the buildings."
- "Place a stop sign close to the tracks that makes the northbound traffic stop before crossing."
- "Place a stop sign close to the tracks that makes the southbound traffic stop before crossing."
- Discuss safety issues and traffic rules related to railroad tracks.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student incorporate Y- and T-intersections within the current layout. Add crosswalks and/or sidewalks, and practice meeting "friends" (using pedestrian pieces) using various travel routes.
- Move a toy train engine (if available) along the tracks in an eastbound or westbound direction.
- Build a two-way railroad track and allow the student to move two trains in opposite directions.
- Continue to encourage the student to embellish the layout with more buildings, stop signs, traffic lights, cars, pedestrians, yield signs, crosswalks, sidewalks, etc., and review a variety of concepts.

## LAYOUT 15: CUL-DE-SAC

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- (1) curved arrow (left turn)
- North direction label
- (1) green cul-de-sac
- (1) small green circle
- (1) long narrow green strip
- (2) short narrow green strips
- (2) green squares
- (2) street labels: Ash and Elm
- (3) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- building labels (chosen by student)
- "fountain" label
- white road dashes
- traffic lights
- stop signs
- yield signs
- crosswalks
- sidewalks
- pedestrians
- cars
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Place the green cul-de-sac piece with the key-hole opening in an upright position. Insert a small green circle in the center of the cul-de-sac. Extend the length of the road leading to the circle by placing a short, narrow green strip (in a horizontal position) below each short edge of the cul-de-sac. Add a long, narrow green strip below the cul-de-sac allowing a gap for the insertion of a two-way street built with the road dashes. Put one square on each side of the long strip. The east-west road is labeled Elm street, and the road leading into the cul-de-sac is labeled Ash street.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

- "Locate the North indicator."
- Review the unique layout of a cul-de-sac.
- "Where are cul-de-sacs commonly found?"
- "Is Elm street perpendicular or parallel to Ash street?"
- "Locate the T-intersection portion of the layout."
- "Place a building on the east side of the cul-de-sac."
- "Place a building on the north side of the cul-de-sac."
- "Place a building on the west side of the cul-de-sac."
- "Label the buildings."
- "Place an arrow inside the cul-de-sac to show the direction of traffic flow."
- "Demonstrate the direction in which cars move within the cul-de-sac."
- "Place the label ‘fountain’ on the circle in the middle of the cul-de-sac."

PRETEND PLAY:

- Continue to encourage the student to embellish the layout with more buildings, pedestrians, stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights, cars, crosswalks, etc., and review a variety of concepts (e.g., traffic patterns, walking routes) encountered in earlier layouts. Build variations of a cul-de-sac (e.g., residential neighborhoods, school campuses, small business areas).

## LAYOUT 16: ROUNDABOUT

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- North direction label
- (1) straight arrow
- (2) curved arrows (left turn)
- (2) green circles (large and small)
- (4) roundabout corners
- (8) green rectangles (square corners)
- crosswalks (short and long, any type)
- (8) 6.5" sidewalks
- (2) street labels: Oak and Elm
- "fountain" label
- (4) yield signs
- (4) splitter islands (yellow triangles)
- (4) yellow dividing lines
- (8-12) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- building labels (chosen by student)
- white road dashes
- pedestrians
- cars
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Position the large green circle in the middle of the board and label it "fountain." Surround the circle with four roundabout corners, leaving enough space for two-lane (exiting and entering) traffic flow. To extend the intersection, place a short edge of one green rectangle against the flat side of each roundabout corner. Place a yellow dividing line down the center of each approaching roadway. At the end of each dividing strip, nearest the roundabout, add a yellow triangle (splitter island) to separate entering and exiting traffic. Place a yield sign at each entry to the roundabout. Label the east-west road Elm street and the north-south road Oak street. Extend short crosswalks between the blocks; the crosswalks should overlap the splitter islands. Add sidewalks to the green grassy areas and link them to the crosswalks; the curved portion of the sidewalks can be built by linking four or five road dashes.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

Review the unique layout of a roundabout and compare it to a standard intersection.

- Which has circulating traffic? (roundabout)
- Which has slower moving traffic? (roundabout)
- Which is more common? (standard)
- Which has traffic typically regulated by yield signs? (roundabout)
- Which typically has crosswalks that are farther apart and farther from the intersection? (roundabouts)
- Discuss and demonstrate the traffic flow within a roundabout. Circulating traffic has the right-of-way and approaching traffic must yield at all entries. Place two left-turn arrows inside the roundabout to show the direction of traffic flow and add yield signs at all entries. Highlight the counterclockwise motion of the circulating traffic within the roundabout. Motorists travel around the circle until they reach their exit.
- Demonstrate three common traffic maneuvers within a roundabout. Have a car traveling north along Oak street do each of the following: 1) turn right onto Elm street, 2) go straight ahead (staying on Oak), and 3) make a left turn onto Elm.
- Discuss the location of crosswalks within the roundabout and the location of splitter islands that serve as safe havens for crossing pedestrians. Splitter islands (made of concrete or painted on the roadway) also separate entering and exiting traffic. In roundabouts, pedestrians walk on sidewalks around the perimeter of the circular roadway. If it is necessary for pedestrians to cross the roadway, they cross only one direction of traffic at a time. Pedestrians never walk to the center of the roundabout, nor do they ever enter the area where traffic is circulating.
- Set up multi-lane roundabouts and compare to single-lane roundabouts. [Replace the large green circle with the small circle to allow room for multi-lane traffic within the roundabout.] Discuss the specific challenges that multi-lane roundabouts pose. [When crossing two lanes of traffic that are headed in the same direction, it is necessary to determine that vehicles have yielded in both lanes and that there is an adequate gap before crossing both lanes.]
- Discuss the difference between modern roundabouts and old-fashioned traffic circles. Traffic circles were much larger, involved faster traffic, and were often regulated by traffic signals and stop signs. Many cities still have old-fashioned traffic circles.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Have the student drive cars within the roundabout and demonstrate how cars enter and exit the roundabout.
- Have the student walk pedestrians within the roundabout using crosswalks and sidewalks.
- Continue to encourage the student to embellish the layout with buildings, pedestrians, cars, etc., and review a variety of concepts encountered in earlier layouts.

## LAYOUT 17: ADVANCED CITY BLOCK

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- arrows (straight and curved)
- North direction label
- (16) green rectangles (combination of rounded and square corners)
- (20 or less) buildings (assorted shapes and/or sizes)
- (6) street labels: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Elm, Oak, Ash
- white road dashes
- building labels (chosen by student)
- pedestrians
- cars
- stop signs
- traffic lights (flat or pedestal style)
- yield signs
- sidewalks
- crosswalks
- railroad tracks
- Tri-fold Board

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Use the entire Tri-fold Board to create a 4 x 4 city block layout. Allow enough space to fit the length of the shortest crosswalk between blocks in all directions. Position the North indicator in the upper-right corner of the display board. Position multiple buildings throughout the city block arrangement and have them face different directions. Some of the buildings can occupy a whole city block or an entire block can be designated as a "park." Name the north-south streets (from left to right) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd; name the east-west streets (from top to bottom) Ash, Elm, and Oak. Insert white road dashes to create traffic lanes.

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

Practice a variety of concepts encountered throughout previous layouts. For example, ask the student to do the following:

- Ask the student to position a building on a specific corner of a block facing a specific street, OR have her identify the block or street corner location of a positioned building.
- Demonstrate traffic flow throughout the city block.
- Insert crosswalks or sidewalks at certain locations within the city block.
- Identify the type of intersection shown throughout the display.
- Review/count the number of intersections within the city block.
- Demonstrate a variety of travel routes (e.g., straight-line, L-shape, U-shape, and Z-shape) from a starting location to a specific destination.
- Use pedestrians to represent beginning and ending points on a route and keep track of the number of streets crossed and blocks walked.
- If one-way streets are shown, use arrows to indicate traffic flow.
- Insert stop signs, traffic lights, and yield signs to alter traffic patterns. Use cars to demonstrate traffic flow.

PRETEND PLAY:

- Continue to encourage the student to embellish or redesign the layout with additional buildings, stop signs, traffic lights, cars, pedestrians, crosswalks, yield signs, sidewalks, railroad tracks, etc., and review a variety of concepts.
- Customize the layout using street names and locations familiar to the student.

# APPENDIX A: TACTILE TOWN CONCEPTS/SKILLS CHECKLIST

Note: A Microsoft® Word file of this checklist is available on the accompanying Tactile Town CD. Use this electronic file to track and save the progress of an individual student.

TACTILE TOWN Concepts/Skills Checklist
Indicate the student's level of understanding for each of the concepts/skills listed. N = No current understanding of the concept/skill E = Emerging understanding of the concept/skill S = Shows consistent generalization and mastery of the concept/skill W = Wider understanding of the concept/skill as demonstrated in the student's actual surroundings/town
Student's Name:
DIRECTIONAL TERMS/COMPASS DIRECTIONS
| N | E | S | W
Compass Rose |  |  |  |
East |  |  |  |
North |  |  |  |
Northeast |  |  |  |
Northwest |  |  |  |
South |  |  |  |
Southeast |  |  |  |
Southwest |  |  |  |
West |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
SPATIAL/POSITIONAL CONCEPTS
| N | E | S | W
Above |  |  |  |
Across from |  |  |  |
Around |  |  |  |
Away from |  |  |  |
Backward |  |  |  |
Beginning |  |  |  |
Behind |  |  |  |
Below |  |  |  |
Beneath |  |  |  |
Beside |  |  |  |
Between |  |  |  |
Center |  |  |  |
Clockwise |  |  |  |
Close |  |  |  |
Counterclockwise |  |  |  |
Curved |  |  |  |
Diagonal |  |  |  |
End |  |  |  |
Far |  |  |  |
Forward |  |  |  |
Horizontal |  |  |  |
In front of |  |  |  |
Left |  |  |  |
Middle |  |  |  |
Near |  |  |  |
Next door |  |  |  |
Opposite |  |  |  |
Parallel |  |  |  |
Perpendicular |  |  |  |
Right |  |  |  |
Straight |  |  |  |
Through |  |  |  |
Toward |  |  |  |
Vertical |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
| N | E | S | W
Alley |  |  |  |
Building |  |  |  |
Bus shelter/stop |  |  |  |
Car/vehicle |  |  |  |
Crosswalk |  |  |  |
Curb cut |  |  |  |
Driveway |  |  |  |
Grassline/shoreline |  |  |  |
Intersecting sidewalks |  |  |  |
Landmark |  |  |  |
Median strip |  |  |  |
Parking lot |  |  |  |
Pedestrian |  |  |  |
Railroad tracks/crossing |  |  |  |
Sidewalk with grass shoreline |  |  |  |
Sidewalk without grass shoreline |  |  |  |
Splitter islands |  |  |  |
Stop sign/traffic sign |  |  |  |
Street corner |  |  |  |
Street name |  |  |  |
Traffic lane |  |  |  |
Traffic light/signal |  |  |  |
Yield sign |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
SINGLE BLOCK CONCEPTS
| N | E | S | W
Overall shape of a single block |  |  |  |
Definition of a block |  |  |  |
Number of sides |  |  |  |
Number of corners |  |  |  |
Corners (NE, SE, NW, SW) |  |  |  |
Sidewalk pattern at corner |  |  |  |
Parallel and perpendicular (sidewalks at corner; streets at corner) |  |  |  |
Corner house or building borders two streets |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
SINGLE BLOCK TRAVEL
| N | E | S | W
Locates intersecting sidewalk at corner |  |  |  |
Recognizes block length differences |  |  |  |
Recognizes beginning and end of block |  |  |  |
Identifies two routes to a diagonal corner |  |  |  |
Travels block clockwise |  |  |  |
Travels block counterclockwise |  |  |  |
Walks around block and identifies: direction of travel, parallel street, cross street ahead, and cross street behind |  |  |  |
Identifies middle of block |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
INTERSECTION CONCEPTS/SKILLS
| N | E | S | W
Cul-de-sac |  |  |  |
Dead-end street |  |  |  |
Offset intersection |  |  |  |
Parallel streets |  |  |  |
Perpendicular streets |  |  |  |
Plus-shape/standard intersection |  |  |  |
Roundabout |  |  |  |
T-intersection |  |  |  |
Through street |  |  |  |
Traffic circle |  |  |  |
Traffic lane |  |  |  |
Two streets and four corners |  |  |  |
Y-intersection |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
GRID PATTERN CONCEPTS/CITY BLOCK
| N | E | S | W
North/south streets cross east/west streets |  |  |  |
All streets have two sides |  |  |  |
Streets continue for many blocks |  |  |  |
Some buildings border two streets |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
TRAFFIC PATTERNS
| N | E | S | W
Four lanes of traffic |  |  |  |
Two lanes of traffic |  |  |  |
1-way street |  |  |  |
2-way stop |  |  |  |
2-way street |  |  |  |
3-way stop |  |  |  |
4-way stop |  |  |  |
Turning lane |  |  |  |
Identifies where traffic is (i.e., parallel street and perpendicular street) |  |  |  |
Identifies where traffic is stopped or moving |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:
TRAFFIC/ROUTE PATTERNS
| N | E | S | W
45-degree turn |  |  |  |
90-degree turn |  |  |  |
180-degree turn |  |  |  |
360-degree turn |  |  |  |
Around the block |  |  |  |
L-pattern |  |  |  |
Straight-line travel |  |  |  |
Travel to a reference point |  |  |  |
U-pattern |  |  |  |
Z-pattern |  |  |  |
COMMENTS:

# APPENDIX B: TACTILE TOWN GAMES

TIC-TAC-TOWN

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (4) yellow dividing lines
- (5) stop signs
- (5) cars
- (1) storage panel or Tri-fold Board
- Number of players: 2

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Set up a 3 x 3 Tic-Tac-Toe grid on a storage panel (or on the Tri-fold Board) using the yellow dividing lines. Instead of Xs and Os, use stop signs and cars as the game tokens.

GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow same rules as used for standard Tic-Tac-Toe games. The first player to get three in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) wins the game.

VARIATIONS:

Use other Tactile Town manipulatives (e.g., houses, flat traffic lights) as game tokens.

TURNABOUT

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (4) yellow dividing lines
- (4) cars
- (4) pedestrians
- (1) storage panel or Tri-fold Board
- (1) instructor-created spinner divided into four sections labeled north, south, east, and west in both braille and large print
- Number of players: 2

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Set up a 2 x 4 grid on one of the provided storage panels (or on the Tri-fold Board) using the yellow dividing lines. In the first column, position the pedestrians so that each faces a different direction-north, south, east, and west. Likewise, position the cars so that each faces a different direction in the second column. One player will be the "pedestrians," and the other player will be the "cars."

GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

Have each player take turns with the instructor-prepared spinner. Whatever direction the spinner indicates, the player must rotate only one of her tokens to face that direction. For example, if the spinner shows "south," then the player must rotate only one of her tokens to face south. Each player spins only once on each of her turns. The winner is the first player to have all four of her tokens facing the same direction.

VARIATIONS:

Instead of a spinner, create individual cards labeled north, south, east, and west. Make three to four duplicates of each and shuffle the cards. Have the players take turns drawing the direction cards.

Extend the game to involve three or four players by adding other Tactile Town pieces as game tokens. Choose pieces that have directionality as part of their design (e.g., straight arrow pieces or houses/buildings). A larger grid can be built by adding more dividing lines.

BUDDY SEARCH

TACTILE TOWN MATERIALS:

- (1) straight arrow
- North direction label
- (4) pedestrians (2 bumpy, 2 smooth)
- combination of 24 short sidewalks and crosswalks
- (16) rectangles
- (2) buildings (two different shapes)
- (2) building labels (any)
- instructor-created "directional prompt" cards (in large print/braille) with such phrases as the following: "walk two blocks south," "walk one block north," "walk an L-route in any direction," "walk one block to your right," etc. Prepare approximately 20-25 cards, including duplicate cards of some of the directions.
- Tri-fold Board
- Number of players: 2 individual players (or 2 teams of 2 players)

LAYOUT PREPARATION:

Place the North indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the display board. Then set up a 4 x 4 grid using the green rectangles (rounded and square corners). Link the rectangles with a combination of crosswalk and sidewalk pieces from mid-block to mid-block. Place two pedestrians in two different starting locations on any of the 16 blocks, one per player (or team). Each player's (or team's) pedestrians will be distinguished by a specific texture (i.e., bumpy or smooth) and color (i.e., blue or yellow). Then place the players' (or teams') matching "buddies" at two different destinations. The "buddies" stay in the same position throughout the game and are never moved by the players/teams. To help identify the destinations, place a labeled building next to each buddy. Shuffle the "directional prompt" game cards and place them in close proximity to the board.

GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

On each turn, the player (or team) draws a card and moves his pedestrian accordingly (even if the direction takes the player away from his destination or "buddy"); if he cannot execute the move, another card can be drawn. During the game, the instructor should ask the players/teams questions regarding their current locations, which direction they are traveling, and so forth, to reinforce various O&M skills and concepts. The winner is the first player (or team) to find his buddy-that is, reach the same block that his buddy is located.

VARIATIONS:

The grid layout can be embellished with additional labeled buildings, cars, stop signs, and so forth, to make the game more interesting and challenging. New "directional prompt" cards can be incorporated based upon new layout features.

# APPENDIX C: RELATED APH PRODUCTS

Listed below are APH products that are specifically designed to teach or assist in the instruction of orientation and mobility concepts.

- Chang Tactual Diagram Kit [1-03130-00]
- O & M Tactile Graphics [1-20100-00]
- Picture Maker: Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit [1-08838-00]

  > -Picture Maker: Geometric Textured Shapes [1-08838-01]
  > -Picture Maker: Textured Strips [1-08838-02]
  > -Picture Maker: Storage Panel [1-08838-03]

Listed below are APH instructional and recreational materials that can be used to reinforce spatial and positional concepts.

- Scattered Crowns [1-08462-00]
- Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding [1-08853-00]
- SQUID: Tactile Activities Magazine

  > -Issue 1 [1-08862-01]
  > -Issue 2 [1-08862-02]
  > -Issue 3 [1-08862-03]
  > -Issue 4 [1-08862-04]
  > -Issue 5 [1-08862-05]
  > -Issue 6 [1-08862-06]
  > -Issue 7 [1-08862-07]

- Tactile Treasures: Math and Language Concepts [1-08842-00]
- Treks [1-08910-00]
- Web Chase [1-08460-00]

Listed below are APH products that can be used by the teacher or student to construct simple tactile displays.

- DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board [1-08857-00]

  > -Tactile Drawing Film (for DRAFTSMAN) [1-08858-00]

- Feel 'n Peel Sheets: Carousel of Textures [1-08863-00]
- Graphic Art Tape [1-08878-00]
- Quick-DrawTM Paper [1-04960-00]
- Textured Paper Collection [1-03275-00]

Continue to visit www.aph.org for announcements of new products related to orientation and mobility instruction that are produced by the American Printing House for the Blind.

# REFERENCES

Budd, J. M., & LaGrow, S. J. (2000). Using a three-dimensional interactive model to teach environmental concepts to visually impaired children. RE:view, 32, 83-84.

Cummings, R. (1999). Map skills: Grade 2 (Basic Skills Series). Instructional Fair.

Dodson-Burke, B., & Hill, E. (1989) An orientation and mobility primer for families and young children. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

Fazzi, D. L., & Petersmeyer, B. A. (2001). Imagining the possibilities: Creative approaches to orientation and mobility instruction for persons who are visually impaired. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

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