DIFFERENTIATING CURRICULUM
FOR GIFTED STUDENTS (P-12)
Gifted Learner Needs
What is taught
Curriculum
What is learned
Assessment
Instructio
n
How it is
delivered
Curriculum should be differentiated at
all levels of design:
• Goals
• Outcomes
• Activities & projects
• Strategies
• Materials
• Assessment
Sample curriculum goal:
To develop critical thinking
Sample outcomes and objectives:
• Analyze different points of view on a given issue
• Draw appropriate inferences, given a set of data
• Forecast consequences and implications of a given
decision or action
Center for Gifted Education
The College of William and Mary
SAMPLE OUTCOME & ASSESSMENT
Outcome:
Students will be able to analyze different points of view on a given topic or issue.
Activity:
1.
In groups, read and discuss articles displaying different viewpoints.
2.
Present stakeholder perspectives on a given issue.
3.
Create an argument against open immigration from the vantage point of
homeland security officials.
Assessment:
(Controlled setting response: 50 minutes)
Given the issue of human cloning, identify three different
stakeholder groups in society who would have different
perspectives on this issue; analyze each of their
perspectives and the reasons behind it in a well-developed
essay.
Curriculum Goal
Teaching Strategy
•To develop critical thinking
•Paul model of reasoning
- Questioning model
•To develop creative thinking
•Concept mapping
- Creative problem solving
model
•To develop research skills
•To understand broad
overarching interdisciplinary
concepts
•W&M research model
- Problem-based leering
•TABA model for concept
development
Goal: To understand the concept of “systems”
Using the following criteria, create a model of an
aquarium and explain its make-up:
• Specifications of tank size
• Number of fish & type
• Number & type of plants
• Light & water filtration system
• Setting
• What variables are most important to consider in constructing
your aquarium. Why?
• How would you describe your aquarium as a living system?
MATERIALS/RESOURCES
• Advanced
• Incorporate overarching concepts
• Ask higher order/level questions
• Provide open-endedness
WHY IS QUESTION-ASKING A
POWERFUL LEARNING TOOL FOR
DIFFERENTIATION?
• Models inquiry process
• Stimulated different ways of thinking about content
• Clarifies key ideas and understandings about content
topics
• Inspires curiosity
TYPES OF QUESTION
MODELS
• Reasoning model (Paul)
• What is the author’s purpose?
• What data or evidence supports it?
• What inferences do you draw from the
• evidence?
• Taxonomy-based (Bloom)
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•
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Who/What/When/Where?
Why? How?
What if…?
Pretend…
Which is better/best?
TYPES OF QUESTIONING
MODELS
• Problem-Based Learning
• What do we know?
• What do we need to know?
• How do we find out?
QUESTION TREE BASED ON
REASONING MODEL
• What is the question or issue of interest?
• What is the purpose of _____________?
• What points of view or perspectives are important to
•
•
•
•
understanding __________________?
What assumptions underlie each perspective on ________?
What data/evidence support a given perspective on _____?
What inference can be made about ______________, based on
the evidence?
What are the implications and consequences of __________?
PAUL’S MODEL OF REASONING
THE CRUCIBLE
• What is the central problem of the play?
• What was Miller’s purpose in writing it, do you think?
• How do the following concepts apply to The Crucible: loyalty,
truth, revenge, and absolute morality?
• What assumptions are made by the Salem citizenry about guilt
and innocence?
• Which point of view is the most crucial to the play – Abigail’s,
Elizabeth’s, or John’s? What role does each perspective play
in plot development?
PAUL’S MODEL OF REASONING
THE CRUCIBLE
• What data or evidence from the play would suggest that
witchcraft is not at work?
• What inferences do you draw from the following statement
by John Proctor: “…for now, I do think I see some shred of
goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to wave a banner
with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.”
• What are the consequences for individuals and society of
seeing the world in black and white terms (e.g. good and
evil)?
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
THE CRUCIBLE
• Who are the main characters in the play?
• What causes the crisis such that accusations of witchcraft
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•
•
•
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occur in the first place?
How is the rule of law applied in the play?
Analyze the motives of Abigail. What causes her to behave
as she does?
Synthesize the feelings that John Proctor has about making
a confession.
Evaluate the decision he made at the end of the play. Was it
the right one?
Create a new ending for The Crucible and explain why it is
superior to Miller’s.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING:
THE CRUCIBLE
The play ends with the death of John Proctor. You have
been told to investigate the Salem witch trials and render a
judgment about what written safeguards need to be in place to
ensure that this type of situation does not happen again. You
have been given four weeks to develop a case statement that
could prevent future episodes in the history of the world.
NEED TO KNOW BOARD
PBL QUESTIONS
• Given the facts of the play, what do you know about
witchcraft?
• What do you need to know to be thorough in your
investigation?
• What sources would be useful to explore in preparing your
case?
• What historical analogies can you draw between the
witchcraft trials and other events?
GUILFORD’S QUESTIONING MODEL
• Memory/cognition level questions – factual, one right
answer
• Convergent level questions – multiple right answers
• Divergent level questions – hypothetical, multiple
answers that may be wide-ranging
• Evaluative level questions – judgmental, answers derived
from interpreting criteria or selecting the best perspective
based on options
LOWER TO HIGHER ORDER
QUESTIONS
Memory/Cognition
Who is the central character?
Describe the qualities of the
central character.
Convergence Level
Why did the character behave in a
given way?
Divergence Level
What if the character had made
another decision? How would it
have affected the story?
Evaluative Level
Evaluate the character’s best
qualities. What are they and why
do you think so?
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN
QUESTIONING
Solicit multiple responses.
• Don’t accept the first answer and move to a different
question. Continue to probe and solicit varied responses
from the same student or different students. If a question
is worth asking, it’s worth hearing several opinions. (Does
anyone have a different idea? What in the story makes
you say that? Why do you think that? What other ideas do
we have?)
Avoid affirming responses to open-ended questions.
• Instead of “Great answer” or “Exactly” try…”Interesting
point, who thought something similar? Something
different?” “Nice idea, what else do we know about…”
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN
QUESTIONING (CONT.)
• Allow time for thinking and discussion.
• Encourage students to ask questions of each other.
• Remember that answers to open-ended questions
are appropriate if reasonably justified by the text and
are coherent.
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURES:
QUESTIONING IN PRACTICE
• Acceleration
• Complexity
• Depth
• Challenge
• Creativity
• Abstractness
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE:
ACCELERATION
• Fewer tasks assigned to master standard
• Assessed earlier or prior to teaching
• Clustered by higher order thinking skills
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE:
COMPLEXITY
• Used multiple higher level skills
• Added more variables to study
• Required multiple resources
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: DEPTH
• Studied a concept in multiple applications
• Conducted original research
• Developed a product
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE:
CHALLENGE
• Advanced resources employed
• Sophisticated content stimuli used
• Cross-disciplinary applications made
• Reasoning made explicit
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE:
ABSTRACTNESS
• Focused on macro concepts, themes or ideas
(e.g., systems models)
• Required the formation of generalizations
• Required students to move from concrete
examples to abstract ideas
DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE:
CREATIVITY
• Designed/constructed a model based on
principles or criteria
• Provided alternatives for tasks, products,
and assessments
• Emphasized oral and written
communication to a real-world audience
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
Implement a math
curriculum objective
for the gifted by…
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•
•
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Multiplying by 1 digit
Multiplying by 2 digits
Multiplying by 3 digits
Complete word problems
using multiplication
Implement a math
curriculum objective
for the gifted by…
• Computational
procedures as a tool for
problem solving
• Using addition,
subtraction,
multiplication, and
division to solve multistep problems
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
• Discuss plot, setting, and
characters in the short story
“A Rose for Emily.”
• Compare and contrast the
plot, setting, characters,
motivation, theme, and
climax of “A Rose for Emily”
and “The Bear.”
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
Choose one of the following
topics and prepare an oral
presentation using at least four
library sources:
• The use of technology
• Science discoveries of the
past
• Mathematics in everyday
life
Debate one of the following
resolutions.
• Mankind is on a path
toward human progress.
• Studying our past will help
us cope with the future.
Use multiple sources including
surveys, interviews, and library
sources in your preparation.
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
Joe invested $1,000 in stock
in January. When he sold it in
December, the price was up
12% from his purchase price.
What was his profit on this
stock?
Which would you rather
choose?
• 80% profit in year 1 and
50% loss in year 2.
• 5% profit in year 1 and 5%
profit in year 2.
Explain your reasoning.
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
Conduct an experiment on
plant growth by measuring
weekly progress of two sets
of seeds, one in artificial
light indoors and one
outside in shade.
Design an experiment on
one of the following
questions and share your
results in an oral and written
presentation:
• Are bees attracted to diet
cola?
• Are earthworms attracted
to light?
• Are boys more interested
in computers than girls?
• Your own question
DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLES
• On a timeline, chart the
evolution of atomic
theory. Describe each
major model of the atom
according to its major
features.
• Using generalizations derived
around the concept of
models, evaluate each major
model of the atom over time.
Evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of each, and
create a visual to
demonstrate how each model
influenced the models
succeeding it.
Differentiation Examples
Describe the character
from the story.
State two generalizations about
the main character and justify
why those are generalizations
using evidence from the text.
INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSE:
TO CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
From the chapter on the history of the Revolutionary War
that you read last night, choose one of the following tasks
and work alone or with a partner to complete it.
•Draw a comic strip to show the events in the chapter.
•In your journal, chronicle the events in the chapter.
•Describe the setting and how it related to the events in the
chapter.
•If you were a newscaster, what would your progress report
be?
•Rewrite a passage of the chapter in your own words. Use
synonyms to replace some of the author’s words.
Tamra Stambaugh, Ph.D.
College of William and Mary
Center for Gifted Education
Tlstam@wm.edu
Center for Gifted Education
The College of William and Mary
P. O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Phone (757) 221-2362
Fax (757) 221-2184
cfge@wm.edu
Http://www.cfge.wm.edu