Choose 2 (Vocabulary and Skill Practice are “Must Do’s”)
Vocabulary:
Presentation (Prezi, etc.)
Cards
Other?
Storytelling:
Digital/Written/Visual
Change it!
Continue
Self-Selected
Graphic Novel It!
Game
Literacy Menu
Challenge of the Week
Skill Practice:
Creation
Fluency
Peer edit and revise
Skill of the Week
SCR
Research
I am done! Now what?
Any of the above options, selfselected research, free write, read
Definitions and Explanations: All items should be customized to specific class needs, interests, and strengths.
This is a sample of what it might look like.
Direct instruction: Students receive direct instruction in fluid small groups that consists of differentiated instruction based on
grade level Common Core Standards, clear learning targets, formative assessment, and focused DOK questioning.
Must Do:
Challenge of the Week: This activity can be assigned to the whole class at the beginning of each learning cycle. It
could consist of a research topic, writing prompt, background knowledge acquisition, etc. Work could be
completed in class, as homework, or both. This is a must do.
Vocabulary: Marzano’s strategies should be present in all vocabulary activities. Vocabulary lists can be student
specific and cross-curricular.
Presentation: Students create a presentation using Marzano’s Strategies for each vocabulary word. These lists can be
student specific and cross-curricular. Students can use traditional (poster board, paper/pencil, etc.) or digital tools (Prezi,
PowerPoint, Word Clouds, etc.)
Cards: Students use note cards to express vocabulary words. Cards include the word, definition, illustration meaningful to
the child, student created sentence with the word in context, synonyms, antonyms, and part of speech.
Skill Practice: These activities target skills based on learner need and curriculum measures. Teachers may choose
to assign specific activities to students for the week (allowing for choice in how they complete the activity)
Fluency: Students build fluency through curriculum based activities. This can be done in many formats including one to one,
collaborative groups with peer review, digitally, etc.
Peer editing and revision: Students work collaboratively to edit and revise writing. Traditional methods or digital tools such
as Google Drive, Interwrite Workspace, document cameras, etc. could be used.
Skill of the Week: Often times, a skill requires deeper practice by most of the class. Activities around this skill could include
curriculum based activities, games, multi-sensory practice activities, etc.
SCR: Short constructed responses tied to the focus skills and text for the week.
Choices:
Storytelling: Students create stories that are fiction, non-fiction, tied to their readings or self-selected, using
traditional methods, digital tools (Photo Story 3, Movie Makers, etc.), or visual media (storyboards, photos, etc.).
This could be integrated with Writer’s Workshop.
Change It!: Students rewrite a story given the information that one key point in the original has changed. Example: What if
Curious George was a whale instead of a monkey?
Continue: Students create a continuation of a known story.
Self-Selected: Students self-select their topic and format.
Graphic Novel It!: Students tell stories, summarizes, etc. through comic media. This could be hand drawn and written or
done in digital format using comic tools, Puppet Pals apps., etc.
Research: Students engage in research that connects to text, other curricula areas (social studies, science, math), or that is
interest based and self-selected. Students are given opportunities to present their research using a variety of media.
Creation: Using concepts that are being covered that week, students create a model demonstrating the concept, invent something
that requires application of the concept, or a “how to” demonstration. Typically a set of materials are provided at this station with
very little direction or rules on how to use those items.
Game Center: A game that allows for practice of the skill. This could be curriculum based games, teacher/student created games,
or digital games.