1
High Quality Differentiated Instruction
What does it look like in the classroom?
Presented by
Cindy A. Strickland
cindy.strickland@gmail.com
Based on the Work of Carol Tomlinson
University of Virginia
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
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KEY PRINCIPLE: BUILDING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Differentiation—and, in fact, student willingness to risk learning begins with a teacher’s connection with students.
The quality of the learning environment in a classroom as well as student motivation to learn and the teacher’s sustained energy
for teaching are greatly impacted by the teacher’s skill and will in building bridges between themselves and their students.
The Student Seeks
Affirmation
• I am accepted and acceptable here.
• I am safe here as I am.
• People listen to me.
• People know how I’m doing, and it matters.
• My interests and perspectives are acknowledged and acted on.
• People believe in me here.
Power
Contribution
• I make a difference in this place and in the work in this place.
• I bring to this place abilities and perspectives that are unique.
• I help others and the class as a whole succeed.
• I am connected to others through mutual work on common
goals.
Purpose
• What I learn is useful to me now.
• I understand what we do here.
• I make choices that contribute to my success.
• I see significance in what we do here.
• I understand how this place operates and what is expected of
• What we learn reflects me and my world.
me.
• The work we do makes a difference in the world.
• I know what quality looks like here and how to achieve it.
• The work absorbs me.
• There is dependable support here for my journey.
Challenge
• The work here complements my ability.
• The work stretches me.
• I work hard.
• I am accountable for my own growth and contribution to the growth of others.
• I often accomplish things here I didn’t believe were possible.
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
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In turn, connections begin with a teacher’s mindset about learners and his/her commitment to know them well in order
to teach them well.
What’s Your Mindset? Carol Dweck (2006). Mindset. New York: Random House
Fixed
Growth
• Success comes from being smart
• Success comes from effort
genetics, environment
• With hard work, most students
determine what we can do
can do most things
• Some kids are smart—some
• Teachers can override students’
aren’t
profiles
• Teachers can’t override
• A key role of the teacher is to set
students’ profiles
high goals, provide high support,
ensure student focus—to find
the thing that makes school
work for a student
Teachers with a fixed mindset
• Strive to determine student ability and teach accordingly, confirming their diagnosis.
• More likely to make snap judgments about student ability - based on scant evidence.
• Tend to stress normative evaluation over growth leading to students who value the subject increasingly less over time
• Less likely to communicate effort-based explanations for performance and to plan concrete strategies for student
improvement.
• May try to comfort kids for their lack of ability
• Tend to not provide enough time for practice and improvement - leading to reinforcement of fixed mindset
Teachers with a fluid mindset
• Believe intelligence can be cultivated
• Focus on information (feedback; data) that describes student change
• Provide feedback aimed at correcting errors
• They withhold judgment about students’ prospects, waiting for improvement
• Start with the notion that this kid is someone who is somewhere on the learning spectrum and can grow rather than this
kid is someone who has a deficit; isn’t that too bad.
• Focus on ensuring that task outcomes can be improved by practice and hard work
• Communicate: “Start where you are but don’t stay there!”
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
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Student Mindset Matters Too
Just telling students that their intelligence is under their own control improves their effort on school work and performance. In
two separate studies, black and Hispanic junior high school students [were taught] how the brain works, explaining that the
students possessed the ability, if they worked hard, to make themselves smarter. This erased up to half of the difference
between minority and white achievement levels. - New York Times OPINION | February 08, 2009; Op-Ed Contributor:
Education Is All in Your Mind; By RICHARD E. NISBETT
Classroom of a Teacher with a Fixed
Mindset
(How might this look or sound in a
classroom that encourages a fixed
mindset?)
Classroom of a Teacher with a
Growth Mindset
(How might this look or sound in a
classroom that encourages a growth
mindset?)
What will I plan to do in my
classroom?
When a student
gets an answer
wrong in class
In setting,
presenting, and
implementing
standards of
quality work
When giving
feedback on
student work
When designing
student tasks
When a student
is always finished
with work early or
late
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
Strickland / ASCD
Final (Real-world)
Outcomes
Behavioral Objectives;
Action Verbs
UNDERSTAND
THAT…
Skills of the Discipline;
Basic Skills
Essential Understandings;
Answers to Essential Questions
Principles; Generalizations
KNOW
“Big ideas”; the “point” or “moral
of the story”
Understand
THAT…not
“the” or
“how” or
“why”
Places;
People;
Dates
Definitions;
Vocabulary
Facts;
Figures;
Details
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KEY PRINCIPLE: BEGIN WITH GOOD CURRICULUM
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
BE ABLE TO DO
Final Outcome NOT
just a classroom
activity
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UNDERSTAND
(The Big Picture;
The “Why?”)
KNOW
(The Details)
DO
The Proof
(in the real world)
ART
KNOW
Color wheel – primary and secondary colors
UNDERSTAND
The color wheel arranges colors in a logical sequence,
helping artists make informed decisions about the colors
they use in a painting or other work of art
BE ABLE TO DO
Use the color wheel to make and justify decisions for color
choice and placement in a work of art
KNOW
Characteristics of self-portrait as genre
Appropriate use of art materials
Principles of design
Definition of artistic expression
UNDERSTAND
Each artist has a personal style that reflects the
individual’s culture, time, and personal experiences
Use of materials and style are related
BE ABLE TO DO
Analyze an artist’s personal style and use of materials
Describe the relationship between style and materials
Strickland / ASCD
In the differentiated classroom, the teacher may vary
the KNOWS & Dos with caution and based on
evidence that a student needs to learn backwards as
well as forward to catch up—or that a student needs
to move ahead in order to keep learning.
BUT The UNDERSTANDS are always the constant
fulcrum for all students on which effective
differentiation pivots for all (Tomlinson, 2008)
SOCIAL STUDIES
KNOW
 The elements of culture
UNDERSTAND
 All cultures contain some of the same elements
BE ABLE TO DO
 Identify elements of culture in various settings and times
 Recognize similarities and differences in cultures
KNOW
 Places and roles in a community
 Community vocabulary including need, want, goods,
services
UNDERSTAND
 People have needs and wants that are met by different
roles within a community
DO
 Explain the different components of a community
 Compare, contrast and evaluate community roles
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
SCIENCE
KNOW
 Vocabulary such as precipitation, rain, drizzle, snow, etc.
• The four main types of clouds
UNDERSTAND
 Natural signs can be used to predict the weather.
 Clouds can be indicators of different weather.
BE ABLE TO
 Predict weather using knowledge of clouds.
 Identify the different types of clouds.
KNOW
• Plant parts & Plant needs
UNDERSTAND
 Plants have needs that must be met in order for them to
survive
 Each plant part has a specific job
 If one part can’t do its job, the whole plant suffers
BE ABLE TO
 Identify and describe plant parts
 Explain plant part roles
 Explain needs of plants
SCIENCE cont..
KNOW
 Vocabulary words: producer, consumer, herbivore,
carnivore, decomposer, food chain, and food web.
 How energy flows in an ecosystem.
 The different roles that organisms have in food webs.
UNDERSTAND
 Food webs are multiple food chains.
 Each life form is dependent on other life forms for survival.
BE ABLE TO
 Arrange organisms into a food chain or web.
 Explain the roles of organisms in a food chain or web.
 Trace the transfer of energy from the sun to the highest
consumer.
Strickland / ASCD

Define relationships between organisms in a food chain or
web.
Use a food chain or web to make decisions.
LANGUAGE ARTS
KNOW
 Capital and lowercase letters
 Letter sounds
UNDERSTAND
 Specific sounds correspond to letters in the alphabet
 Words are composed of letters
 The alphabet gives us a way to communicate
DO
 Identify capital and lowercase letters
 Identify and apply beginning sounds of words
KNOW
 Elements of characterization
UNDERSTAND
 Passages from texts can reveal a character’s personality
DO
 Analyze character actions and statements
KNOW
 Characteristics of the genre of historical fiction
UNDERSTAND
 Authors of historical fiction blend both fact and fiction to
engage their readers
BE ABLE TO DO
 Analyze literature for the techniques used by authors of
historical fiction
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MATH
KNOW
 Coin names and values
UNDERSTAND
 We can combine coins in different ways to make the same
amount of money
BE ABLE TO DO
Given a supply of coins, combine the coins in more than
one way to make a set amount of money
KNOW
 Geometry vocabulary
UNDERSTAND
 Using geometric terms is one way to describe the
structure of our environment
DO
 Describe, draw, compare and classify geometric object
KNOW
The definition of slope and how to calculate it
UNDERSTAND
 Slope represents the rate of change of one variable with
respect to another
BE ABLE TO DO
• Find the slope of a line to solve a real-world problem
BUSINESS
KNOW
 Different forms of business ownership; definitions of key
business terms
UNDERSTAND
 that each type of ownership presents unique advantages
and disadvantages
BE ABLE TO
 Select and explore a form of business ownership that
compliments their personal characteristics; explain the
inner workings of one business form.
Strickland / ASCD
FOODS
KNOW
• Macronutrients, calorie intake, ration of body mass to fat
• Foods that are healthy for teens
UNDERSTAND
• Keeping your body healthy involves an understanding of
the roles of nutrition and exercise
BE ABLE TO DO
• Evaluate own diet and exercise regimen to maximize
health
PE
KNOW
 How to dribble and pass
UNDERSTAND
 Practice makes better!
 There is more than one way to get better at a skill.
DO
 Improve skill in dribbling and passing
KNOW
• The rules for kickball
• The equipment needed for kickball
UNDERSTAND
• Kickball is a team sport.
• How individuals play affects how the team does.
• Appropriate encouragement helps people succeed.
DO
• List & care for needed equipment
• Pitch within the “zone”
• Kick at various intensities
• Run to correct base
• Keep score
• Recognize fouls
• Motivate yourself & teammates
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HEALTH
KNOW
• Facts about tobacco
• Research on tobacco
UNDERSTAND
• How you feel about tobacco use probably depends on your
perspective
• There are dangers associated with the use of tobacco
products
BE ABLE TO DO
• Conduct research
• Weigh varied viewpoints
• Make a complete case using defensible evidence
MUSIC
Know: Elements of music, especially meter and rhythm.
Understand:
• The elements of music are used across various music
genres and cultures.
• Music expresses the culture.
DO (Standard)
• Analyze and compare the use of music elements
representing various genres and cultures emphasizing
meter and rhythm
WORLD LANGUAGE
KNOW
food –related vocabulary
UNDERSTAND
When you visit a foreign country, it helps to speak the
language
Where you live impacts what you eat
WORLD LANGUAGE GRAMMER
KNOW
• Definition of verb and subject
• How to conjugate verbs
UNDERSTAND
• Language is made up of patterns; If you can recognize the
pattern you can make a good guess about the form
DO
• Conjugate verbs to match subject
KNOW
• Author of Le Petit Prince and overview of his life
experience
• Characters, setting, plot, and themes of Le Petit Prince
• New vocabulary words
• Verb tenses used in text
UNDERSTAND
 Reading literature in the target language is one way to
improve vocabulary and increase fluency.
• It is possible to read for pleasure in more than one
language!
• As in native language literature, it is possible to see
reflections of ourselves in target language literature
BE ABLE TO DO:
• Read fluently in target language
• Demonstrate improved grammatical accuracy in writing
and speaking
• Incorporate new vocabulary into discussion and writings
• Discuss literary elements in the target language
• Analyze a theme found in the book
• Examine your own beliefs and values through a textual
lens
BE ABLE TO DO
Order in a restaurant in the target language
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
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
MEDIA
KNOW
 Common search engines and how they work
 How to make sense of the results
 What to look for when choosing sources
UNDERSTAND
 Different search engines produce different results due to
the way in which they classify, sort and prioritize
information
 The more you can refine your search parameters, the more
useful the results
Not every site on the web is created equal. The burden is
on the reader to establish the validity, authorship,
timeliness, and integrity of what you find.
BE ABLE TO DO (Skills of literacy, numeracy, communication,
thinking, planning, production, etc.; Start with a verb such as:
describe, explain, show, compare, synthesize, analyze, apply,
construct, solve, etc.)
 Use common search engines
 Choose the appropriate search engine for a particular task
 Refine a general search to seek more specific information
 Evaluate the usefulness of a website as a resource
STANDARDs:
KNOW
UNDERSTAND
BE ABLE TO DO
Usually a bulleted list
Begin with “I want students to
understand that…”
Start with an observable verb
Strickland / ASCD
5/28/2016
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KEY PRINCIPLE: COMMITT to ONGOING ASSESSMENT – especially preassessment
You cannot have a relationship with or make things relevant for or expect rigor from a kid you don’t know. (The BIG Picture • by Dennis
Littky • ASCD • p. 39)
By knowing children well and being attuned to diversity, teachers can develop instruction that is engaging and that is developmentally
appropriate for children with different temperaments, backgrounds and cultures. (Preparing Teachers for a Changing World What -Teachers Should Learn and Be Able To Do; Darling-Hammond & Bransford • Jossey-Bass • p.335-336)
Assessment to inform instruction looks, sounds, or feels like:
--systematically observing students at work
--using pre-assessments to understand students’ starting points—
including status of precursor skills
--using on-going assessments to trace student progress
and identify trouble spots
--asking students to share interests
--listening and looking for student interests
--asking students about learning preferences
--observing students working in different contexts and modes
--asking students what’s working for them and what’s not
--acting on student suggestions
--using assessment information to plan for re-teaching, teaching
in a different mode, extending understanding, developing tasks,
modifying time expectations, and so on
PICTURE
Definition
WORDS
Information
FAMILY
Examples
How Well Do You Know …
TOPIC
Non-Examples
5
4
3
2
1
0
the scientific
method
Strickland/ASCD
rules of lab safety
how to write up
your results
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Knowledge Rating Chart
Directions: Rate the following statistics terms as follows:
1. I’ve never heard of the word before
2. I’ve heard of the term, but I don’t know how it applies to mathematics
3. I understand the meaning of this term and can apply it to a math problem.
 Mean_____
Median_____
Mode_____
 Weighted average_____
Line of best fit_____
 Correlation_____
Range_____
Normal distribution_____
 Bimodal distribution_____
Skewed distribution_____
 Flat distribution_____
UNDERSTANDING
QUESTIONS?
Example: Specific Interest in Topic
These are the topics we will be studying in our unit on Ancient Rome. We want to know what you want to learn about. Number your
choices from 1-7. Make sure that 1 is your favorite and 7 is your least favorite.
_____geography
How Do You Like To Learn?
_____government (laws)
_____agriculture (foods they grew)
I like to work by myself
_____architecture (buildings)
I like to work in pairs
_____music and art
I like to work in groups
_____religion and sports
_____roles of men, women, and children
I like to learn by moving and doing
I like to learn while sitting at my desk
My Favorite Jobs
Number your choices from 1-5. Make sure that 1 is your favorite and 5 is your least favorite. I like to learn by watching and listening
I like to create my own steps
____Designing & setting up shots (camera angles, props, lighting, etc)
I like to have exact steps
____Writing the script
____Creating an appropriate soundtrack
When Listening to a Lecture…
____Editing
• The longest I can pay
____Filming
attention to a lecture
before needing a break is
Learning Profile: Primary
If I Ran The School Interest Survey
___ minutes.
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/Curri
• It helps me to take notes
culumCompacting/section11.html
when I listen to a lecture.
Secondary Version of Interest-A-Lyzer
Yes
no
sometimes
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/Curriculu
•
Taking
notes
distracts
me
mCompacting/SEC-IMAG/ialsecon.pdf
from
paying
attention
to a
My Way Learning Profile Survey Way
lecture.
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/pdf/myway
Strickland/ASCD
5/28/2016
Yes
no
sometimes
.pdf
Cindy
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3. Consider
your
STUDENTS
2. List Unit
PREREQUISITES
1. Identify
Your KUD
4. Consider
available
RESOURCES
Use this
Information to
Unit-related
Student
Learning
Preferences
Student
Readiness
Unit-related
Student
Interests
Measuring
5. Design your PREASSESSMENT
KEY PRINCIPLE: DESIGN RESPECTFUL DIFFERENTIATION
Respectful work means that…
 Teachers hold high expectations for all students
 All students are expected to achieve at optimal levels
 Activities are equally engaging
Designing respectful activities
DON’Ts
Give some students more work and
others less work
Dictate what some students do and allow
others to make choices
Strickland/ASCD
DOs
Give students different work that matches their readiness, interest, and/or learning profile
Provide choice to all students whenever possible – human beings respond well to choice
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Make some versions of an activity fun and
engaging while other versions are dull and
boring
Dumb down some versions of a task for
struggling learners
Put yourself in the shoes of the students to whom you will assign varied work and try to
design each version so that it is high-interest, engaging, and appropriately challenging.
Make sure all versions of the work lead to the same know, understand, and do. Be
especially careful that all versions of the work require students to work with the big ideas
of the unit. All students should be expected to work at the highest level possible.
Expect advanced students to work and
Provide appropriate scaffolding for all students, regardless of their readiness level. In
learn on their own.
other words, if you are asking advanced students to stretch, they will need support in the
same way that a struggling learner needs support to work on tasks that are a bit too
difficult for them.
Differentiate by asking advanced students Provide all students with opportunities to help and support others. Be sure that advanced
to be mini-teachers or tutors for those who students get opportunities to stretch as well.
struggle.
Assume you know everything there is to
Engage in an ongoing dialog with students about their perceived needs. Use your best
know about a student’s interests, learning judgment, but supplement the information you have with information that only the student
profile, and readiness.
(and/or his or her parents) can offer.
Automatically put ESL or Special
Remember that strong interest in a topic and/or a high degree of match between teaching
Education students in the “struggling”
and learning style can propel a student who normally struggles to a higher level of
group or automatically put identified gifted readiness. Conversely, lack of interest or match, can mean a “gifted” student belongs in a
students in the “advanced” group.
lower-readiness group for a specific learning experience.
Overuse any one kind of differentiation or Practice flexible grouping so that students do not feel “pigeonholed” and so they have
grouping configuration
opportunities to work with students who are both like – and unlike them in readiness,
interest, and learning profile.
“FLAVORS” RESPECTFUL DIFFERENTIATION:
Differentiation is based on a diagnosis of student
INTEREST
LEARNING PROFILE
READINESS
Differentiation is based on a diagnosis
of student…
Respectful
L
P
• Interest
• Learning
Profile
• Readiness
Strickland/ASCD
Students will differ in
the level of
sophistication of their
thinking and
understanding, in the
way they approach a
subject, and in the way
they like to process
their knowledge,
understanding, and
skill.
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TYPE OF
DIFFERENTIATION
INTEREST
- Passions
- Hobbies
- Family interests
or pursuits
- Organizational
affiliations – after
school clubs,
extracurriculars
- What they watch
on TV
- Where they go
on vacation
- The kind of
music they listen
to
- The friends they
hang out with
- Electives they
take
WAYS TO
ADDRESS
 Show how
current topics
are related to
and can
enhance skills
necessary for
the pursuit of
topics and
subjects of
student interest


Strickland/ASCD
Common Responses to Student Interest
TEACHER TALK






Ask students to
share their
interest,
hobbies,
passions, unique
perspectives and
personal
experiences in
order to enhance
everyone’s
experience with
the topic
Hunt out and
support related
mentorships or
internships









zxczxzxc compares to the life cycle of humans…Others might be more interested
in a pet…
Choose one of the following arrangements I have here in front of the classroom to
use as the model for your still life drawing.
Draw a picture of your favorite place to visit in the summer.
For those of you who are interested in finding out more about the 4th state of
matter (or how architects use CAD programs to save time, etc.), I put some
magazines in the resource center.
For those of you who are interested in finding out more about the 20th century
poetry, I put some samples and anthologies on the back table.
For those of you who are interested in finding out more about medicine in the
pioneer days, I put a magazine in the reading center.
If you liked the number game we played today, you can play it again during your
prudent choice time. It will be at the learning center in the back of the room
What are some things that YOU hope we do during this unit?
Think about ways you might incorporate your interest in politics into your final
project on ancient civilizations.
You will each pretend to be a character from the story and talk about your feelings
at the end of the story.
I want you to research the leisure activities popular in a Spanish speaking country
that you have visited or would most like to visit someday. Later, we’ll share what
we learned in mixed interest groups…
I want you to research the ways in which a specific medium exploits a specific
rhetorical device. Later, we’ll share what we learned in mixed interest groups…
I want you to look for examples of fractions in your after school activities
I want you to research the ways in which a specific medium exploits a specific
rhetorical device. Later, we’ll share what we learned in mixed interest groups…
You will each take on a different role to discuss the tobacco industry in North
Carolina:
• Tobacco farmer
• Lobbyist for the tobacco industry
• Person with emphysema
• Teen who smokes
• Oncologist
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

Amanda, I’ve found someone at our local university who is willing to have you work
with him in his lab…
Michael, I’ve found someone at the historical society who is willing to have you
work with him in setting up the next exhibit.
Summary: Throughout the unit, incorporate examples and illustrations based on current and emerging student interests
and provide appropriate materials to further students’ independent explorations of unit topics
“In general, it appears that interest contributes to a sense of competence and self-determination in learners and to positive learning
behaviors, such as willingness to accept challenge and persist in it…Allowing students to do something they love is likely to help
them develop both a positive attitude about learning and their creative potential” - Tomlinson, Brighton, Hertberg, Callahan, Moon,
Brimijoin, Conover, & Reynolds (2004).
LEARNING PROFILE
- Learning styles;
visual, auditory,
kinesthetic; wholeto-part vs. part-towhole, concrete vs.
abstract, sequential
vs. random, etc.
- Intelligence
preferences;
Sternberg-creative,
analytical, practical;
Gardner - verballinguistic, logicalmathematic; visualspatial, bodilykinesthetic,
Strickland/ASCD

•

Allow students to gain
access to content through
varied means: listening,
reading, discussing,
journaling, etc.
Design tasks that require
multiple intelligences for
successful completion
Offer a variety of graphic
organizers – some that
focus on sequential
recording of information,
others in more random or
abstract formats








To get started with today’s work on rhyming words, you may choose
to listen to poems that rhyme, read poems that rhyme, or write a poem
that rhymes
If the unifix cubes help you, you may use them for this activity
To get started with today’s work on alliteration in poetry, you may
choose to listen to poems using alliteration, read poems that use
alliteration, or write a poem using alliteration
To prepare for the debate on the causes of the Gulf War, you may
watch a brief video, read the article from the text or take part in a
practice debate with a partner.
To write your newsletter, you will need someone who is a good artist,
someone who is a good writer, someone who is a good researcher
and someone who is a good organizer
Now that you have seen the various note-taking organizers we have
available for you, choose the one that you think will work best for you.
You may work alone or with a partner
If you need a quiet place to work, you may use a study carrel in the
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-
-
-
musical-rhythmic,
interpersonal,
intrapersonal,
naturalist,
existential
Environmental
preferences –
temperature, light,
availability of food
& drink, presence
or absence of
background noise
or music, etc.
Gender or culture
related preferences
– competition vs.
collaboration,
individual vs. group
emphasis
Group orientation work alone or with
others; focus on
peers vs. focus on
adult




As long as they do not call
attention to themselves or
disturb others, try to let
students work where they
wish in the room, alone or
with a partner, sitting,
standing, or lying down.
Allow students to listen to
music if that enhances their
concentration.
Provide areas of the room
with few visual or auditory
distractions for those who
need that environment.
When possible, allow
students the option of
competing against others
or competing against
themselves






back of the room or get a pass to the media center.
Last week we broke into teams to see which team knew the most
math facts (or provincial capitals, word roots, etc.). Today, you may
compete against another student OR work by yourself, to improve
your score and/or your time.
Last week we broke into teams to see which team knew the most
math facts. Today, you may compete against another student OR
work by yourself, to improve your score and/or your time.
Today we will work on our aerobic exercises. You may either compete
against yourself to improve your endurance record or compete against
a partner.
Today we will work on our aerobic exercises. You may either compete
against yourself to improve your endurance record or compete against
a partner.
It doesn’t matter to me HOW you show me that you know the parts of
a plant and how they work together to keep a plant healthy. You could
tell me, show me, or write or draw about it.
You may present your final product in front of the class or to me via
video or appointment
Provide product options
whenever possible.
Summary: Provide multiple ways for students to gain access to unit content, make sense of that content, and show what
they know, understand, and are able to do with that content at the end of a learning experience.
 Teach me my most difficult concepts in my preferred style. Let me explore my easiest concepts in a different style.Just don't teach
me all the time in your preferred style and think I'm not capable of learning. - Virleen M. Carlson , Center for Learning and
Teaching, Cornell University.
Strickland/ASCD
5/28/2016
18
Science: Planet Show and Tell
Adapted slightly from work by Based on Unit by Bette
Wood, Charlottesville, Virginia City Schools.
Directions: Use the resources provided to help you
learn about the rotation and revolution of the earth.
Then choose and complete one square from the top
row and one from the bottom. The top row tells you
what your product will be and the bottom row helps you
write about your product.
Use the computer
to make a drawing
showing how the
earth’s tilt, rotation,
and revolution
work to create day
and night and
seasons
Make labels for the
sun, earth, day, night,
orbit to attach to or
use with your creation.
Be ready to use these
words to explain how
your creation works to
show day and night
and seasons
Strickland/ASCD
.
CONTRACT
Paste the activities you chose
below:
Paint a picture
showing how the
earth’s tilt, rotation,
and revolution
work to create day
and night and
seasons
Construct a model
that shows how
the earth’s tilt,
rotation, and
revolution work to
create day and
night and seasons
Write sentences that
identify and explain
each part of your
drawing or model and
show how each part
works to create day and
night and seasons
Write a story
that explains
the earth’s
rotation,
revolution, day,
night, and
seasons
Pantomime a
demonstration that
shows how the
earth’s tilt, rotation,
and revolution work
to create day and
night and seasons.
Write a poem
that explains
the earth’s
rotation,
revolution,
day, night,
and seasons
5/28/2016
19
STERNBERG SAMPLE-MATH
KUD
Know: order of operations
Understand: When performing arithmetic operations there can be only one correct answer. We need a set of rules in order to
avoid this kind of confusion. Mathematicians have devised a standard order of operations for calculations involving more than
one arithmetic operation.
Be able to: use order of operations to solve problems
ANALYTICAL PROMPT
Make a chart that shows
all ways you can think of to
use order of operations to
equal 18.
MEDIA/
TECHNOLOGY
CREATIVE PROMPT
Write a book of riddles that
involve order of operations.
Show the solution and
pictures on the page that
follows each riddle.
KUD
KNOW: Search Engines
UNDERSTAND: Some search engines are better than others. The search engine you choose
depends on your goals and your search parameters
DO: Choose and use an appropriate search engine for a specific task
ANALYTICAL PROMPT
Design a flowchart or map that
would help a novice searcher
choose an appropriate search
engine. Include where things
can go wrong and what to do
about it
Strickland/ASCD
PRACTICAL PROMPT
A friend is convinced that order of operations
does not matter in math. Think of as many
ways to convince your friend that without
using them, you won’t necessarily get the
correct answers! Give lots of examples.
PRACTICAL PROMPT
Your elderly neighbor only uses
Google Search. Convince your
neighbor that sometimes there are
better ways to go about searching on
the web. Give lots of practical
examples
CREATIVE PROMPT
Sketch out some ideas for the
“perfect” search engine. Show
or explain how your design
improves what is out there for a
variety of search tasks
5/28/2016
20
SCIENCE: An example based on interest and learning profile
Directions: You have been given a set of “windows” that show you what the sky looks like on a particular day. Please choose one of the
following scenarios and show what you have learned about clouds by completing one of the products described.
Meteorologist:
Military:
Athletic Director/Coach:
You are a meteorologist working for You are an officer in the Army.
You are working for the local university team as a coach.
the local news. The show will “air”
Your troops need to finish their
The championship game is today with your chief rival. If
in 10 minutes with the weekend’s
training this weekend because they you win, it will mean big money for the school. You have
forecast, but all the equipment is
have been assigned to a search
a great chance of winning because the star quarterback
failing. Look out your “windows” and and rescue team. In order to finish has recovered and is back in the game. However, if it
use the clouds to predict the
their training, they must
rains, he has a greater chance of slipping and injuring
weather forecast for the local
successfully complete their last two himself again, which would knock him out for the rest of
community. You can
jumps from a plane. The pilot
the game and next season too. You need to turn in your
roster for the starting lineup. Should you risk starting this
 Write your script for the news needs to be booked and the
supplies prepared. Look through
player? The young man really wants to play because he
show explaining your
your “windows” and use your
doesn’t want to disappoint his fans and he heard there
prediction and your reasons
knowledge
of
clouds
to
decide
if
will be talent scouts there, but he doesn’t want to take
for the prediction,
today
is
a
good
day
to
jump.
the risk of being injured either. Looking through your
 Create a poster or prop for
 Write a memo to the pilot to “windows” and using your knowledge of clouds, decide
the news show that shows
whether the star quarterback should play or not.
let him know if it’s a go for
the audience what you think
 Write an email to the quarterback telling him
today
and
why,
the weather will do and why,
whether he will start or not and why,
 Create a poster to inform
or
the troops if they will jump
 Create a poster to the fans explaining whether he
 Role-play the part of the
today
and
why,
or
will play or not and why, or
meteorologist and verbally
 Role-play verbally telling the
 “Tape” a voice mail to the quarterback about your
present your forecast
predictions and your
troops and why.
decision and your reasoning.
reasoning to the audience.
GOALS (KNOW-UNDERSTAND-DO)
Strickland/ASCD
Your choice? Or Other scenario?
5/28/2016
21
It is fairer and more accurate to look at
readiness for a particular endeavor instead
of using one skill to make a judgment about
general ability…
Of course, it is the goal in a
differentiated classroom to get
students to want to pick an
appropriate level of challenge
AND to provide them with the
tools with which to make that
choice.
READINESS
- Attitude toward
school/subject/
topic
- School and/or
general experience
with topic or aspect
of topic
- Knowledge,
understanding and
skill in topic
prerequisites or
related topics
- Misunderstandings
about topic or
discipline
- Overgeneralizations
about the topic or
discipline
- Sophisticated use
Strickland/ASCD

Design tiered tasks

Teach students to make
appropriate readiness
choices

Offer mini-lessons or
practice sessions on
missing prerequisite
skills & on more
advanced skills for those
who are ready to move
ahead

Hook current topics &
subject to topics and
subjects where the
student has experienced
some success in the
past
Meteorology Task; Differentiated for Readiness
Tiered Tasks
 There are vocabulary sheets available for those who need them…
 If need help with map-reading, check out the bookmarks on our class website
 If you think you need a review of geometric shape names, please pick up
this packet
 Please visit the stations that you think will most help you prepare for the unit
test. Take the “check your readiness” quiz if you are not sure what you
need…
 Please see the board for this week’s scheduled teacher talk time. If your
name is listed you MUST attend the mini lesson. You may also attend any
session that you think is right for you.
o Let’s look at some sample work from last year’s class…
o Let me show you the connection between song lyrics and poetry
o Here is a list of key board shortcuts for those of you who haven’t had
a computer class before.
o Let’s review the order of operations before starting our work on
factoring…
o Let’s practice using our home row keys before we work on typing our
5/28/2016
22
-
-
of vocabulary of the
topic or discipline
Evidence of skills of
the discipline
Insightful
connections
between the current
topic and other
topics in the
discipline or in
other disciplines
General
communication,
thinking, reasoning
skills, etc.
story


Provide background
reading, information,
and/or skills practice to
students who lack
exposure to a topic
Help students who
already have a
background in the topic
see how the work will
enhance or refine their
current knowledge,
understanding, and skills

o
o
o
o
o
o
Since you already know how to tell time, let’s look at the 24 hour
clock they use in Europe
If you are already familiar with the periodic table, I will introduce you
to other versions that can help you see the relationships between the
elements in different ways
Those of you who already take piano lessons may use this time to
practice one of your recital pieces. (Use the headphones!)
Since you three already know the notes of the treble and bass clefs,
we will learn about the alto & the tenor clefs.
Since you are already comfortable with 2-digit multiplication, let’s try
some 3-digit problems!
Because you already know how to use the tools of PowerPoint I
want to teach you about some design principles that might help you
refine the look of your presentation
Become familiar with
above-grade-level
standards related to
course topics
Summary: Work to provide instruction that is just a little too hard for a student’s current readiness levels along with the
scaffolding needed for success
Careful: It is NOT the case that struggling learners must “master the basics” before they can engage in thinking. Rather, evidence clearly
suggests that for most students, mastery and understanding come through, not after, meaningful interaction with ideas.
Secondary Social Studies: New World Explorers
KNOW


UNDERSTAND
Names of New World Explorers
Key events of contribution
Strickland/ASCD

Exploration involves
 risk
 costs and benefits
 success and failure
BE ABLE TO DO



Conduct research
Share results
Demonstrate key knowledge and
understandings
5/28/2016
23
This activity serves as a summative assessment at the conclusion of a unit. Students are assigned either the task on the left or on the right.
Using a teacher-provided list of resources
and list of product options, show how 2
key explorers took chances, experienced
success and failure, and brought about
both positive and negative change.
Provide proof/evidence.
Using reliable and defensible
research, develop a way to
show how New World Explorers
were paradoxes. Include and go
beyond the unit’s principles.
ELA: Writing prompts
Your little brother’s principal is thinking about not
having recess time next year. Your brother is
very upset.
Your little brother’s principal is thinking about
not having recess time next year. Your brother
is very upset.
Write a letter to the principal. Try to convince her
to agree with what you think about having school
recesses next year.
Write a letter to the principal. Try to convince
her to agree with what you think about having
school recesses next year.
Think about all the grade levels in the school
when coming up with good reasons. Would
kindergarteners have the same opinion as 4th
graders?
State your opinion about whether or not the
school should have recess next year.
Give at least 3 reasons for your opinion. Be sure
your reasons take her perspective into account.
End your letter by thanking her for asking for
your opinion, reminding her of your opinion and
asking her to make a decision in your favor.
Be sure your letter is persuasive, but respectful
Strickland/ASCD
Remember that the principal is an adult and
she might have different ideas than you about
recess. You will have to come up with
arguments that will be meaningful to her and
other adults.
Your little brother’s principal
is thinking about not having
recess time next year. Your
brother is very upset.
Write a letter to the principal.
Try to convince her to agree
with what you think about
having school recesses next
year.
Use proper letter format and
good persuasive techniques.
Be sure your letter is persuasive, but
respectful.
5/28/2016
24
Practically speaking: Grading in the differentiated classroom - If you are worried about grading in the differentiated classroom:
1. Begin your DI journey by differentiating activities that are not graded or are graded only for completion. Kids will be less
likely to worry about what others are doing. Experts tell us that we grade too many things, anyway!
Students should be assessed or checked on everything (or almost everything) they do BUT everything that
is assessed and/or checked does not need a score AND every score should not be included in the grade.
(Tomlinson)]
2. Begin your DI journey by differentiating graded work for learning profile and or interest – there seems to be less at stake
for kids when they have a choice between a paper, a play, or a PowerPoint presentation, as long as the requirements for
quality remain steady. Work up to differentiation by readiness once students are used to being graded tasks that are
differentiated for interest and learning profile.
3. Make it a choice for kids to do the “harder” assignment – but push them individually to choose that which is appropriate
for them. If advanced students have a say in which task they do, they are less likely to complain about the grading of the
task. We do eventually want all kids to be able to make the right decisions about their needs – but we need to train them
to do so. One way to do this is to have them practice choosing!
4. Ask advanced kids to do the appropriate assignment, give them serious feedback about how they did with respect to the
advanced task, but in the end, treat the grade as A if you feel that’s what they would have gotten on the “grade level”
assignment. (You would need a way to indicate in your records which assignments were differentiated.)
This is really a form of weighted grading, which according to experts on assessment, is a questionable practice.
Moreover, a major problem with this “solution” is the implication this has for students who struggle…Does that
mean students who do more scaffolded versions of the task will have their grade lowered to a C or B? What if
these students do their absolute best on an assignment that is appropriately challenging? Shouldn’t they get an A
on that assignment? Note that this would not be as much of an issue if we were able to incorporate a system like
the three pillars of grading as recommended by most experts in grading and assessment…
Strickland/ASCD
5/28/2016
25
Advanced kids would still top out on the mastery grade. Kids who are below standard would still get accolades for their
growth…
5. In any case…when assessing students on differentiated tasks, try to use the same rubric for all versions of the task.
When the rubric focuses on the KUD for the task, students see that they are all responsible for the same knowledge,
understandings, and skills.
Recommended Resources:
Marzanno, R. J. (2000). Transforming classroom grading. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
O’Conner, K. (2007). A repair kit for grading: 15 fixes for broken grades. ETC.
O’Conner, K. (2002). How to grade for learning, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair isn’t always equal: Assessing and grading in the differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Strickland/ASCD
5/28/2016
26
KINDERGARTEN: Scientists classify by patterns
 Classify leaves
o By size
Pre-made grid
o By color
with categories

Classify leaves
o By shape
o Create a category

Classify leaves
o
Find 3 ways each leaf could be classified (other than color)
Sample – students
make own
Students decide how to show
categories and results
TIERED BASKETBALL
KNOW – how to dribble
UNDERSTAND – Dribbling is just one of the key
skills of basketball. To get better at basketball in
general, you need to work on several skills in
isolation. Practice makes better!
DO – Dribble the ball using both hands
Students are assigned to the appropriate
station based on preassessment data.
OPTION: As students enter the room, hand
them a stick note that tells them the number of
the station they must visit during the class
period. Tell all students they must visit two
stations; one that is assigned (on sticky) and
one of their choice.
Strickland/ASCD
BELOW GRADE
Dribble from point A to point B in a straight line (making
tape) with one hand
1. Switch to the other hand and repeat.
2. Use either hand and develop a new floor pattern
from A to B (not a straight line)
BELOW/ON GRADE
Dribble following the making tape
ZIGZAG –
1. One hand
2.
3.
4.
Other hand
Increased speed
Change pattern to simulate
going around opponents
5/28/2016
27
ADVANCED
Dribble through pylons, alternating
hands, & partner playing defense
1. Increase speed
2. Trade roles
ON GRADE/ ADVANCED
Dribble with one hand – and a
partner playing defense.
1. Increase speed and use
other hand
2. Trade roles
ON GRADE
Dribble In and out of pylons as fast as
possible
1. Change hand
2. Increase speed
WRITING BINGO: Make as many BINGOs as you can this quarter. Remember, your writing must always have a purpose.
Recipe
Thank you note
Letter to the editor
Rules for a game
Directions to one place
from another
Invitation
Email request for
information
Letter to pen-pal, friend,
relative
Skit
or scene
Interview
Newspaper article
Short story
FREE:
Your choice
Grocery or shopping list
Schedule for your work
Advertisement
Cartoon strip
Poem
Instructions
Greeting card
Letter to your teacher
Proposal to improve
something
Journal for a week
Design for a web page
Book Think Aloud
WRITING BINGO: Technology
Using appropriate technology as you design and produce the following, Make as many BINGOs as you can this quarter. Remember, your
writing must always have a purpose and the software you use should enhance, not detract from the message you wish to convey.
STRICKLAND
5/3/2009
28
Suggested Anchor Activities for a Study of Plants- Caroline Cunningham Eidson, Differentiation in Practice, 2003
• Make an ABC list of plants using books in the classroom.
• Create a collage of plants or flowers. Label the plants and flowers if you know their names.
• Draw and label plants that we can eat. Which do you like to eat? Or draw and label plants that we cannot eat. Why can’t we eat
these?
• Design a garden. What will you put in it? Why?
• Create riddles or jokes about plants and their parts. Try them out on your classmates.
• Write a song about plants, what you like about them and why they are important.
• Measure the plants in the classroom and create a graph showing their heights. Do you think that will change? Why?
• Design a new kind of plant or flower. What is special about it? How is it different from others?
• Make up your own plant activity and check with your teacher!
MATH: ORIGINAL ASSIGNMENT
Work with your group to design and carry out a survey. Follow the steps below:
1. Carefully write the question you wish to ask.
2. Choose four or five answer choices
3. Design a frequency table to collect the choices, frequency each occurred, fraction it occurred, and percent it occurred.
4. Design a graph to represent the data (bar or pie)
5. Write an analysis of your survey as if it were an article for a newspaper. What was your question? Who did you ask? What were the
results?
Ideas to Differentiate for Learning
Profile
STRICKLAND
Ideas to make the task challenging to
more advanced students
Ideas to support struggling learners
5/3/2009
29
Ideas to Differentiate for Interest &
Learning Profile
There is interest DI built in in terms of
question they ask. You could make
some specific suggestions that you
know would appeal to the students in
your class based on their interests.
Ideas to make the task challenging to
more advanced students
Ideas to support struggling learners
Same as original EXCEPT:
3. Choose and depict the best way to
represent the data. Be ready to explain why
you chose the type of graph you did and
why your choice was a good one.
5. Write an analysis of your survey as if it
Suggest other ways to display/discuss were an article for a math journal. What was
results: Present your findings in a short your question? Who did you ask? What
speech, for example.
were the results? What are possible
sources of error? What are the real-world
implications for your findings?





Provide the question and the data.
Provide the frequency table.
Provide sample graphs
Answer questions about findings rather than
writing a newspaper article.
Suggest other ways to display/discuss results:
o Annotate your graph so that it is clear
what your question was, who you asked,
and what the results were.
o Be ready to explain your findings aloud.
KEY PRINCIPLE: PRACTICE FLEXIBLE GROUPING
Why use flexible grouping?
 Flexible grouping ensures that all students learn to work independently, cooperatively and collaboratively in a variety of settings and
working with a variety of peers; Increases chance that learning activities will match more students’ needs more of the time, leading
to faster, better, deeper learning…without tracking
Flexible grouping means
consistently fluid working
arrangements
– Whole class, individuals,
Respectful
• Interest
pairs, triads, quads, etc.
– Student selected,
teacher selected, at
•
Learning
random
L
P
– Based on interest,
Profile
learning profile,
readiness
– Homogeneous,
• Readiness
heterogeneous
STRICKLAND
5/3/2009
30
So, What’s the Point?
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
Growth
Motivation
Efficiency
Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction – Secrets to Success
Differentiated Instruction is a complex skill that takes time and support to develop
Begin
Reflect
 At a comfortable pace
 Give yourself a chance to develop
 With a comfortable topic
 Don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time
 Using one or two strategies
 Work to improve in small steps, to move in right
direction
 In one subject area or prep




Read and discuss one or more of the suggested ASCD books (study guides available online at www.ascd.org)
o Professional Development for Differentiated
o Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for
Instruction: An ASCD Toolkit by Cindy Strickland
Grades K- 5 (by Carol Tomlinson with Caroline
o Exploring Differentiated Instruction (Professional
Eidson)
Learning Community Series) by Cindy Strickland
o Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for
o Tools for High Quality Differentiation: An ASCD
Grades 5-9 (by Carol Tomlinson with Caroline
Toolkit by Cindy Strickland
Eidson)
o Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated
o Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for
Classroom by Carol Tomlinson
Grades 9-12 (by Carol Tomlinson with Cindy
o The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the
Strickland)
Needs of All Learners by Carol Tomlinson
o Integrating Differentiated Instruction and
o How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability
Understanding By Design (by Carol Tomlinson with
nd
Classrooms, 2 Edition by Carol Tomlinson
Jay McTighe)
o Leadership for Differentiating Schools and
Classrooms by Carol Tomlinson
Get together with colleagues to view instructional videos (available through ASCD)
Attend the University of Virginia’s Institutes on Academic Diversity (Website at
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/gifted/projects/siad/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=908&Itemid=170
Attend an ASCD conference on differentiation or take an ASCD online course - www.ascd.org
CELEBRATE YOUR EFFORTS TO GROW PROFESSIONALLY!
STRICKLAND
5/3/2009