“Summer’s over kids!
Now, all you round pegs get back
1
into your square
holes!”
Differentiation Strategies
Goals for the Lesson
KNOW:
Strategies for differentiation
UNDERSTAND:
Differentiation is a teacher’s proactive response to
individual student needs
DO:
Become familiar with a variety of appropriate teaching
strategies for those situations
Introduction/Review
QHT
Q: Words I have
questions about
H: Words I have
heard of
T: Words I know
well enough to
teach
 This strategy allows
students to build on
their prior knowledge
of words to provide a
forum for peer
teaching and learning
of new words, and to
serve as a pre-reading
exercise to aid in
comprehension.
QHT
Read the words given to your
table.
Place each word in the appropriate
column.
Which fruit are you?
Jigsaw
A cooperative learning strategy in
which all students become experts on a
small piece of a topic and then teach
each other.
Jigsaw Format
Home Group
Expert Group
Expert Group
Expert Group
Home Group
Whole Class Discussion
Check for Individual Understanding
Jigsaw Procedures
 Read the materials about your strategy in the
folder you were provided at your table
 Together with the people at your table, discuss
what the strategy is, how it works, and what you
think the pros & cons of the strategy are.
 Create a sample activity using this strategy to take
back and share with your home groups
 Be sure that everyone in your group can explain
the strategy and give an example. You will be
moving to different groups!
I’ve mapped out the concepts I’ve
already grasped to save you time.
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Considerations for Planning a
Differentiated Lesson
 Identify the student learning target/s that
ALL students must reach
 Decide WHAT you will differentiate
 Decide HOW you will differentiate and the
assessment method you will use
 Determine what assessment method/s
you will use
Creating a Differentiated Classroom
 Start Slowly…But Start
 One subject or one class
 Where the need is greatest
 Where you feel most comfortable
 Deliberately plan to differentiate
Content, Process, or Product
 Based on your Students’ Readiness,
Interest or Learning Preference
 Don’t Bother Differentiating Fluff
PCS Credentials for AIG
 Pender County Schools, in compliance with the North
Carolina Academically or Intellectually Gifted State
Standards, offers local training to classroom teachers,
working with gifted students. This training, titled PCS
Credentials for AIG, is not comparable to AIG state
licensure, but it promotes basic understanding of the
characteristics and social-emotional needs of gifted
students as well as implementation of differentiated
content and instructional strategies for advanced
learners. AIG Local Endorsement consists of 20 CEU
credits of Professional Development in Gifted Education.
Exit Card
List three words that you felt
were most crucial to today’s
lesson. They do not need to be
words you heard today – we
want the words that are
significant to you.
Tiered Activities
Tiered Instruction features:
 Whole group introduction and initial instruction
 Identification of developmental differences
 Ladder Analogy (bottom – up; challenge/complexity)
 Increase or Decrease the:
 Abstraction/Challenge Levels (ie. application, analysis & synthesis)
 Extent of Support
 Complexity of:
 outcomes
 resources (reading levels, types of text [on-line, magazine, etc…], based on
prior-knowledge levels)
 processes (way in which students obtain information)
 products (M.I. products)
Tiered Activity – Writing a Persuasive Essay
4th–6th Grade Classroom
Beginning
Intermediate
Advanced
Outcome/
Objective
Students will determine a topic
and will write a five-sentence
paragraph with a main idea,
three supporting sentences, and
a concluding sentence.
Students will determine a
topic, state a point of view,
and write two paragraphs
defending that point of view.
Students will determine a
topic, state a point of view, and
write an essay of at least five
paragraphs that uses multiple
sources to defend that point of
view.
Instruction/
Activity
Students will receive a model of
a five-sentence paragraph and
explicit instruction in
constructing the paragraph.
As a prewriting activity, students
will list their topic and develop a
list of at least three things that
support their topic.
Students will receive a
model of a persuasive essay
and a graphic organizer that
explains the construction of
a persuasive essay.
Students will also receive
explicit instruction in writing
a persuasive essay.
As a prewriting activity,
students will use the graphic
organizer to plan their
writing.
Students will review the
graphic organizer for a
persuasive essay. Students
will be given explicit instruction
in locating sources and quotes
for their essays. As a
prewriting activity, students will
use the graphic organizer to
organize their essay. Students
will also compile a list of five
sources that defend their main
point.
Assessment
Students will be able to write a
five-sentence paragraph that
successfully states and
supports a main idea. The
paragraph will meet the criteria
on the state writing rubric.
Students will be able to state
a point of view and
successfully defend the idea
using two paragraphs that
defend the point of view
using main ideas and
supporting details. The
paragraphs will meet the
criteria
on the state writing
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rubric.
Students will be able to write a
five-paragraph essay that
states a point of view, defends
the point of view, and uses
resources to support the point
of view. The essay will meet
the criteria on the state writing
rubric.
All students will Know: (key ideas, vocabulary, facts)
•
Elements of literature
•
Author’s voice
•
Concept of responsibility
All students will understand: (generalizations)
•
We are responsible for ourselves and our choices
•
We “write” our own lives.
•
Our actions have a ripple effect.
•
Responsibility may require sacrifice and may result in
fulfillment.
•
Our work bears our hallmark.
Secondary Literature Tiered Lesson
All students will be able to do: (skills)
•
Argue and support
•
Edit and revise skills
•
Use figurative language effectively
•
Analyze literary pieces
All students will analyze pieces of literature to explore the
premise that we are responsible for those we tame, and will
frame an argument to support their position.
Group 1
Read pages from The Little Prince
Complete an analysis matrix that specifies the fox’s feelings about responsibility toward those we tame and why he believes
what he does.
Read story, “Bloodstain”
Complete analysis matrix on the beliefs of the main character.
Select a newspaper article from folder.
Write 2 paragraphs that compare beliefs of the people in the article with the two characters
What advice would you give children about responsibility toward people we tame? Brainstorm on paper and then either:
 Write a letter to a kid, giving your advice
 Write guidelines for adults who affect children’s lives
 Draw and explain a blueprint for becoming a responsible adult
Peer revise and then peer edit your work before turning in to teacher.
Group 2
Read pages from The Little Prince.
Using article and story list provided by the teacher, find at least one piece of writing that shares the fox’s view on
responsibility for those we tame.
Find at least 2 contrasting pieces.
Develop notes on two views of responsibility with reasons and examples from your reading selections. Be sure you are
thoughtful about each view.
Then either:
•
Write an editorial about the implications of the two approaches for our school.
•
Write an interior monologue of a teen at a point of decision about responsibility for someone he/she has tamed.
•
Create a series of editorial cartoons that look at the ripple effect of such decisions in history, science, or our community.
Peer revise and then peer edit your work before turning in to teacher.
Differentiating by Process
Leveling Questions
Start with Whole Class
Topic
Open up with
the Question
Narrow the
Question
Add Context
to the
Language
Leveled Questions
 Why is estimating an answer important when
you are solving math problems?
 Estimate the answer to 503 X 299. What
strategy did you use to estimate?
 Estimate means to find a number that is close
to the exact amount. Why is estimating an
important thing to do when solving
mathematics problems?
 Why is estimating an answer important when
solving? Give an example of this.
Leveled Questions
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In what ways did….
How might have you done this differently?
What if….
How does this affect…
Explain several reasons why…
What problems does this create…
Describe the ways….
What are some explanations for…
Support your reason…
What is the likelihood…
Curriculum Compacting
Modify and/or streamline regular curriculum to:
 eliminate repetition of previously mastered material
 upgrade the challenge level of the regular curriculum
 determine student “readiness”
 provide time for enrichment and/or acceleration
activities
Eight Compacting Steps
(Student Readiness)
1. Identify objectives
2. Create pretest (end of unit expectations)
3. Identify students to Pretest
4. Administer Pretest
5. Eliminate content in areas of mastery
6. Streamline instruction
7. Offer enrichment or acceleration activities
8. Keep records of progress
Leveled Graphic Organizers
Differentiate by content
Change what is expected
Change the number of items needed to
be listed
Change the resources
Change the look of the organizer