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Sarah is a 9 year old, 3rd grade student. She has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). She loves reading, Star Wars, and playing with her sister. However, her impairment makes certain things more challenging like her dislike towards group lessons and most likely sitting for long periods of time.

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Strengths: Being social seems to be a large strength considering her hyperactivity, the fact that she loves playing with her sister, and she works better with a peer tutor (or someone she can work with). Another strength is possibly problem solving considering that is one of the best practices to use with Sarah.
Challenges: Group lessons, easily distracted, hyperactivity.

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For Sarah, becoming distracted is all too easy. To help minimize that, I would connect group lessons to a subject that interests her. She loves Star Wars, so I would incorporate aspects of Star Wars (like how do lightsabers light up, shouldn't the people on the Death Star be floating because of the lack of gravity), into group conversations/discussions and link that to the lesson for the day (Earth and Space).
Academic Best Practices: "Novelty and Interests"

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Incorporating things that Sarah likes helps minimize distractions and keep focus on the task at hand because the discussion is captivating.

However; prior to allowing students to start their group lesson I would make sure to have my instructions and expectations made verbally clear and again written on the board as a reminder for all students to see. This is a need for Sarah under Academic Best Practices: "Visual Schedules and Organizers" and Behavioral: Clear Expectations.

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Considering this is meant for specifically for a science class, some of the strategies on here may not be as applicable. However, incorporating hands on lessons is a helpful strategy and with a science class, that should honestly be most of the lessons conducted. Other strategies that I consider helpful from this site is making it memorable for students by using their 5 senses (like lightbulb experiment), and having students keep a science journal (scientific methods, projects, experiment results, notes, etc.).

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Quiet observation and sustained attention don't come naturally to kids with attention deficit. Experiment with these ideas to unlock science for the ADHD student.

Science lesson plan ideas for students with ADHD, like planting

ADHD and science may not make a perfect marriage. Learning abstract concepts and organizing complex projects take work and imagination. The tips below will help parents and teachers bring out the inner scientist in your child.

Tools for Teachers

>Begin each lesson with a hands-on demonstration. Many scientific concepts are difficult to read about in textbooks. Demonstrations spark students' interest and allow them to grasp the concepts. Explaining a closed circuit by turning on a switch connected with wire to a D-cell battery and a light bulb will intrigue and enlighten him at the same time.

>Pose a question. If you are going to investigate a soaked bean seed, allow students to pose a question for this investigation. A possible question might be "What is found on the inside of a bean seed?" This simple question, when referred to throughout the investigation, helps to keep the focus of the ADHD student.

>Make it memorable and concrete. Instead of lecturing, turn your classroom into a scientific laboratory full of experiences for the senses. Get your ADHD students out of their seats to act out rotation, revolution, and phases of the moon. Build electrical circuits, construct simple machines, conduct chemical reactions to keep all types of learners actively learning.

>Keep science journals for organization and recording results. Keeping journals provides an outlet for students' observations. Following the steps of the scientific method for investigative lessons (Question, Hypothesis, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusion) provides a structured framework for discovery to the disorganized ADHD student. Students can color-code each section of their journals to make sure that they do not miss anything, and kids who prefer not to write can sketch illustrations.

>Encourage cooperative collaboration. Choose partners/teams carefully, pairing students with different learning styles to enhance the experience. Every scientific investigation group needs a leader, organizational specialist, recorder, and materials expert, so choose each role in the group based on the students' academic, organizational, and focus skills. Giving each child a job maintains the group's focus. Change up the group from project to project.

Pointers for Parents

>Develop science study tricks. Create flash cards with questions on one side and answers on the other. A student can use these to quiz himself on the periodic table or play a quiz show game with friends. Try songs (think "Schoolhouse Rock") and mnemonic devices (think Roy G. Biv to remember the color spectrum - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) to aid rapid recall of science facts.

>Explore the outdoors. Whether in a wildlife sanctuary or your own backyard, there are opportunities for scientific discovery in the outdoors. Bring along a "science pack" containing a camera, journal, pencil, and specimen collection containers along on your nature trek. This will help your ADHD child organize materials and focus on learning while keeping her busy hands active.

>Grow a garden. Work with your child to plant vegetable seeds and make meals from the harvest. Planting lets an ADHD child explore the needs, care, and life cycle of plants. It also teaches patience as he tends the garden and watches the vegetables grow, week by week. When it's time to harvest, he will feel the satisfaction of knowing he's helped provide the ingredients for a family meal.

>Turn the kitchen into a laboratory. The kitchen is a great place to take the ADHD child beyond the textbook. Gather materials from the pantry or the fridge. Conduct experiments with vinegar: Turn an egg into rubber, or mix it with baking soda to make a volcano. To see physical changes, look no further than the freezer. Make ice cubes, then watch the ice melt back into water.

Updated on April 19, 2017

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Quiet observation and sustained attention don't come naturally to kids with attention deficit. Experiment with these ideas to unlock science for the ADHD student. ADHD and science may not make a perfect marriage. Learning abstract concepts and organizing complex projects take work and imagination.

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When it comes to working with students with ADHD, veering from the lesson or not having a clear plan is a major practice to avoid. Students do better with a clear plan or routine.
Also avoid being sarcastic or criticizing students for incorrect work or for having  a hard time staying on task. DO NOT make comparisons between students with ADHD and their peers.
This site also states that reducing or even eliminating the amount of timed tests can help ADHD students reduce testing anxiety, and providing them with other sorts of assessments or test formats can help them exemplify their knowledge of a subject.