Student portfolio. Updated from year 1.

1. Fitness Minutes Tracking
Date Time Location Fitness Minutes Name of Buddy
"Meet in the Middle" Folder
in t he You have joined a group of students at your
middle school to “Meet in the Middle” for fun
activities that pair students with and without
intellectual disabilities to log fitness minutes,
get signatures to eliminate the R-word,
learn about each other, and promote health,
wellness and physical fitness goals.
New Friends,
Fun & Rewards
Texas
“MEET IN THE MIDDLE”
NAME HOMEROOM SPONSOR www.specialolympicstexas.org

2. Menu of Online: www.slideshare.net. Get your username and password from your sponsoring teacher.
"Meet in the Middle Directions: Choose as many of these activities as you would like to do. Your sponsor
teacher can give you more ideas. Be sure to get permission for each project first. Keep track
Activities" of your minutes and projects, and earn rewards.
Teacher Involvement Total Completion
Activities Approval for
Your Project
Level Amounts/
Minutes
Date/Teacher
Initials
1. “Search for ‘intellectual disabilities’ on YouTube”- View videos then write an
essay on what you learned from the videos about people’s perceptions of individuals with
intellectual disabilities - Level 1 activity; Presenting it to class or group - Level 2 activity.
2. “Read a Non-Fiction Book”- or story about young people with intellectual disabilities
and either write an essay or create a poster, short skit, ad, or other project to promote
understanding and acceptance. Reading the book - Level 1 activity; Creating a project and
sharing it - Level 2 activity.
3. “Present Your Project”- from the above activity in a class, at a club meeting, or other
opportunity for classmates to find out about what you learned. Create a skit or panel
presentation and share with others - Level 3 activity.
4. “Morning Announcements”- Write and present regularly scheduled messages
of acceptance, participation, “UNITY” (e.g., “Be a Fan” themed, Eliminate the R-word
campaign, etc.) - Level 1 activity; “winner” of most announcements created and
announced - Level 2 activity.
5. “Fitness Minutes”- Buddies (typically-developing peer and a student with intellectual
disabilities) walk the track before the start of the school day or after lunch, increasing
distance, speed, etc., tracking fitness minutes. (this is just one idea, buddies can create
their own “Fitness Minutes” ideas) - Level 1 activity.
6. “Training Buddies”- Student with ID (intellectual disabilities) and a typically-
developing peer “buddy up” during PE class to improve sports-specific skills needed for a
sport offered through the Special Olympics Texas program in your district, or a potential
new sport - Level 2 activity.
7. “Be a Learning Buddy”- Student with intellectual disabilities invites buddy to his or
her Life Skills classroom to work on a project together (e.g., posters for the campus about
the R-word campaign, posters for the counseling office, administration offices, cafeteria,
etc. about “Unity” and acceptance themes) - Level 2 activity.
8. “Health and Wellness”- Students work together on a health and wellness-themed
project such as creating a healthy eating food chart for the nurse’s office at the school
- Level 2 activity.
9. “Track Your Eating Habits”- Students track their eating habits and consult with the
school nurse about better choices for nutrition - Level 2 activity.
10. “Interview Each Other”- Interview a classmate with intellectual disabilities to find
out how many things (interests, likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc.) you have in common - Level
2 activity.
11. “Volunteer at a Special Olympics Texas Practice”- Assist a Special Olympics
Texas coach/teacher as a volunteer during Special Olympics practices - Level 2 activity.
12. “Volunteer at a Special Olympics Texas Competition”- Volunteer at a local or
area Special Olympics Texas event, with parent/coach approval - Level 2 activity.
13. “Fans in the Stands”- Recruit five friends (or more) to be fans at a local Special
Olympics Texas event - Level 2 activity.
14. “Be a Special Assignment Newspaper Reporter”- Take photos of your classmates
participating in a Special Olympics Texas event and submit them along with an article
about the competition or how your classmate did in the event, etc. to your “Meet in the
Middle” sponsor for submission to a school or local newspaper - Level 2 activity for article
in school newspaper; Level 3 activity for article in local newspaper.
15. “Let’s Do Lunch”- Eat lunch in the school cafeteria with your “Fitness Buddy” as
often as possible, track lunches with partner on the back of this menu - Level 1 activity.
16. “SO Get Into It Videos”- In one of your classes or extracurricular clubs, view a
Special Olympics video (from the SO Get Into It! DVD). After viewing, lead a discussion/
brainstorming about ideas for how your school can support Special Olympics - Level 3
activity.
17. “Ideas for a Challenge Day”- Meet with the Adapted PE teacher who works with
the students on your campus who have significant physical disabilities. Create some
fun, unique sports activities they they could do in a Challenge Day of their own - Level 2
activity.
18. “Organize a Challenge Day”- Help organize and volunteer at a Challenge Day
for the special needs students who cannot otherwise participate in Special Olympics
competitions. Must work with Special Olympics Texas coach - Level 3 activity.
19. “Promote Your Challenge Day”- Design and display banners for the Challenge Day;
recruit classmates to be “fans” at the event - Level 2 activity.
20. “Myspace and Special Olympics Texas”- Visit
www.myspace.com/specialolympicstexas! Add “Special Olympics Texas” to your friends
list, watch the videos and blog about what is happening with YOUR school’s “Meet in the
Middle” project - Level 1 activity.
21. “Facebook and Special Olympics Texas”- Meet us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsTexas! Add SOTX as your friend on Facebook to add
and swap “Meet in the Middle” flair and represent your school on the Super Wall - Level 1
activity.
22. “Be a Fan”- Be a fan of fun, inclusion, dignity, joy, courage, etc. Check out
www.sotx.org to find out more about Special Olympics Texas and the R-word campaign!
After exploring the website, create a poster, write a paragraph in your English/Language
Arts journal, or do a mini-presentation in one of your extracurricular activities or clubs
about how Special Olympics offers something for everyone, and how we can all be fans -
Level 2 activity.
23. “Make a Difference”- With your Meet in the Middle classmates, organize a fundraiser
to donate proceeds to Special Olympics Texas. Must work with area Special Olympics
Texas staff to develop - Level 2 activity.
24. “Honor the Woman Behind the Legacy”- In August 2009, Eunice Kennedy Shriver,
the founder of Special Olympics, passed away. Visit the website
www.eunicekennedyshriver.org to learn about her commitment and service to the
movement. Then create a project of your own to keep the legacy of Special Olympics
alive in her honor - Level 2 activity.
Involvement Levels: Level 1 - short, easy to do activity. Level 2 - activity takes longer and involves more time. Level 3 - long-term, involved project.