For the high school teachers who remain convinced that they need to engage with students. Other high school teachers who have recently confirmed the reality of high school classrooms.
What the Book Is (and Isn’t) Intended to Be
The book thus moves from defining and describing differentiation to providing the actual curriculum used to differentiate instruction. This is the third book in the Differentiation in Practice series, joining earlier volumes that examine differentiation in grades K–5 (Tomlinson & Eidson, 2003a) and grades 5–9 (Tomlinson & Eidson, 2003b).
How the Book Is Designed
First, we wanted to preserve the integrity of each teaching unit without providing so many small details that we risk distracting from the larger purpose of the work: the illustration of differentiation practices and principles. We hope to draw attention to the fact that good differentiation is attentive. we want to help readers avoid the tendency to say, "Oh, that's not my standards, so it wouldn't work in my classroom."
Calls for Reflection
At the very least, high school teachers fear that if we don't "teach the way high schools do"—primarily through lectures and independent assignments—our students will be ill-prepared to succeed at the college level. The high school teachers whose work makes up the majority of this book also lend their voice to the choir.
The Students
Jacob tries to get by without reading, but it's getting harder and harder to bluff his way. Mostly she meets what is required to get respectable grades, but she is hungry for a place where she can go beyond the "right" answers.
The Teachers
She only speaks English and is not sure how to communicate with six students who do not speak English well. D'Archangelis caters both to students who struggle with the convergent thinking required of her class and to those students who are too comfortable with convergent thinking.
Instruction?
There is no economy or efficiency in teaching in a way that is inconvenient for students when we can teach in a way that makes learning more natural.
Differentiating Content
A wise teacher asks, "What are all the ways I can help my students access new knowledge, understanding, and skills as we move through this topic or unit?". Because students vary in readiness, interest, and learning profile, it is important to vary or differentiate content in response to these student characteristics.
Differentiating Process
Differentiating Products
Readiness • Use layered activities (activities at different levels of difficulty, but focused on the same key learning objectives). When the goal is to see what a student has learned, those adjustments are "fair" for students with learning disabilities, just as the use of Braille is "fair" for students who cannot see.
Differentiating Affect
In a differentiated classroom, the teacher is constantly attuned to the students' feelings, just as she is to the students' knowledge, understanding and skills. In the case of affect, the teacher differentiates both proactively (in ways that are planned) and reactively (on the spot).
Differentiating Learning Environment
She does so both based on her understanding of the common affective needs of all people, the reality that we experience these needs in both similar and different ways, and her continued reflection on how each student's readiness levels, interests, learning style, intelligence preference. , culture, gender, economic status, home experiences and general development shape his or her affective needs. At the very least, it is the teacher's job to help students learn more effectively given the classroom.
Decisions About Space
Which materials and supplies should the students have easy access to, and which should only be available to the teacher. How will students know what materials and supplies are appropriate for their assignments at any given time.
Decisions About Time
To make decisions about classroom materials, teachers and students can ask questions such as: Of course, there are many other issues related to adaptive learning environments beyond those of space, materials, and time that we have listed.
Essential Principles of Differentiation
- Good Curriculum Comes First
- All Tasks Should Be Respectful of Each Learner
- When in Doubt, Teach Up!
- Use Flexible Grouping
- Become an Assessment Junkie
Look for connections between learning goals (the standards plus what students should know, understand, and be able to do) and individual lessons within these units. How did the teachers who developed these units decide when to use them?
Introduction
Teacher Reflection on Designing the Unit
English and Reading Standards Addressed
GEN1 The culture of the United States is rooted in the experiences, beliefs, and traditions of its immigrant families. GEN4 Writers of historical fiction develop their stories based on research into the culture, values, and traditions of a particular event, time period, or person.
Unit Objectives
Instructional Strategies Used
Sample Supporting Materials Provided
Unit Overview
PRE- ASSESSMENT
What Is Historical
Fiction?
Choosing a Novel and
Literature Circles
Getting Started with Literature
Circles
Reading Workshops
Working for Quality
Developing Graduated
Rubrics
Exploring the Process of
Writing Historical
Fiction
Narrowing
Reflecting on the Unit and
Sharing Finished
Unit Description and Teacher Commentary
Choosing a Novel and Introducing Literature Circles (1 block) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
Review of literature review roles and expectations. Explain to students that for the next few weeks they will read the novel they found most interesting based on its excerpt. The literature circle is a teaching technique that helps teachers meet a variety of student needs.
Getting Started with Literature Circles (1 block) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
Reading Workshops (4–5 blocks) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
At the end of the unit, ask students to select their best work and submit it for evaluation. Ask students to share their ideas for evaluation criteria: cookie texture, cookie size, the quality of the chocolate, the number of chips per cookie, and so on.
Developing Graduated Assessment Rubrics (1 block) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
All students, no matter what level they are working at, can produce excellent work and be successful in this part of the unit. Anchor Activities: Opportunities for reader response and sharing, reading in novels, and author research. When the groups have finished, they should work on packing everything back from the reading workshop part of the unit or continue researching the author of their novel (see Lesson 4).
Exploring the Process of Writing Historical Fiction (1–2 blocks) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
As students begin the process of writing their own piece of historical fiction, all four unit generalizations are central. This lesson transitions students into the creative phase of the unit where they will focus on writing historical fiction.
Reflecting on the Unit and Sharing Finished Products (2 blocks) Concepts: Culture, Values, Traditions, Heritage, Change
You can also use some of the general discussion questions below to develop topics for your group. Describe the life lessons related to the concepts of culture, values, traditions, heritage, or change that you think about based on the experiences of the characters you read about.
English and Humanities Standards Addressed
My students respond well to the topic of the individual and society, perhaps because adolescence can seem like a constant navigation between the poles of self and other. I decided that taking a humanitarian approach that asks students to view Macbeth within the context of the politics and culture of the period can help explain much of the initial strangeness of the play's language and action.
Unit Concepts and Generalizations
Citizens of the 21st century tend to attribute an individual's progress within a society to a combination of his or her personal choices and chance/providence. Execute a director's vision through conscious choices about acting, blocking, costumes, scenery, music, and other features that demonstrate the play's themes.
PREPARATION
My World, Will’s World
Reading Language,
Scene
Envisioning a Scene
Presenting the Vision
Differentiated group activities: Plotting the plot. Divide the class into two groups, based on their knowledge of Macbeth as revealed in Part 2 of the Production Skills and Interests Survey (see Example 2.2). Emphasize that students' scenes must create a logical plot structure using one or more of the unit understandings.
Character, and Scene
Envisioning a Scene (7 class periods) Concept: Directorial Vision
Discussion of the concept of units. Ask students to share their final thoughts on the generalizations of units in light of Macbeth's story. Self-evaluation and group evaluation. Ask all students to complete the final assessment of the group project (see example 2.12, page 99).
Teacher Reflection on the Unit
- Acting Skill, Experience, and Interest
- Design Skill, Experience, and Interest
- Directing Skill, Experience, and Interest
- Cinematographer/Editing Skill, Experience, and Interest
- Preferred Film and Theater Genres
- Prior Knowledge of This Play
- Tough Audience
- Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair: Macbeth Under the Microscope
- Totally Macbeth
King for a Day. What do we learn from Duncan the King versus Macbeth the King. My turn. What would you like to compare and contrast or interpret in this piece.
United States History Standards Addressed
GEN2 historians present the causes of the Civil War from different perspectives: as the culmination of many years of social reform, as an important period in the US. Key Facts about a Selected Historical Figure's Perspective on Pre-Civil War Tensions or Civil War Progression.
Meet a History Maker
On the Road to War
What Caused the War?
The Write Stuff
Back in Time
Union or Confederate? Mobilization Toward War
- Research Sources
- Presentation Content Text
- Presentation Performance
Choose one of the following Then and Now topics (or propose a new topic based on an antebellum or Civil War incident of interest to you):. Use all or part of the following questions given in the list of "Then and Now" topics.
Visual Arts Standards Addressed
Finally, the requirement to create a written statement from the artist and the integration of rubric-based self-assessment was my way of helping students connect what they learned with the artwork they created. The artist's statement is a bridge between artist and audience and a way to reflect on the artist's work.
Unit Introduction
Theme Research and
Problem Solving for
Skill Building in New
Studio Time
Reflection, Assessment,
Unit Introduction (2 blocks) Concept: Individual Design
Sketchbook/journal discussion. Explain to students that in this unit they will be keeping a sketchbook – a standard tool of the professional artist. Think–Pair–Share a discussion about pre-assessment. After students have completed the pre-assessment, have them find a partner to share their answers with and identify their knowledge and new learning.
Theme Research and Problem Solving (1 block)
Review the various components of the graph and ask students to provide possible solutions. Problem Solving Skills Activity #2. Distribute copies of the SCAMPER creative thinking checklist (see Example 4.6, page 162) and explain that the class will explore ways to change a ceramic piece to make it more complex and interesting.
Skill Building in New Techniques and Materials (3 blocks) Concepts: Construction Techniques, Surface Treatment,
Ask the students to consider using paper clay as a medium for their sculpture. Model creation was required - a section of students' grades that they had to check off in the learning log.
Reflection, Assessment, and Critique (3 blocks) Concept: Reflection
- Fact Find Use fluent thinking;
- Problem Find Use flexible thinking
- Idea Find Use original think-
- Solution Find Use elaborate think-
- Acceptance Find Evaluate; examine all
What is an artist statement? It's about your work and your thoughts about your work. Remember, the goal of an artist statement is to create a bridge between you and your viewing audience.
Graphic Organizer
Graphic Organizer
Then, students develop definitions of patriotism and contrast them with a variety of positions held by poets of the First and Second World Wars and the modern era. Exploring the relationship between propaganda and perspective, they explore the unique experiences and contributions women, African Americans, and Native Americans made to the World War II effort.
Teacher Reflections on Designing the Unit
Throughout the unit, students reflect on their understanding of identity and perspective by responding to journal questions aligned with unit concepts. This juxtaposition of individual views and understandings of identity within a group reiterates the purpose of the unit.
English and History Standards Addressed
The student demonstrates knowledge of the effects of the Second World War on the home front. GEN1 People struggle to understand their individual identity in relation to a group identity through life experiences.
Looking Through the
It’s Not Just a Job
Never Forget
Follow-up of whole class field trips and formation of criteria for the evaluation rubric of the Virtual Memorial Project 20-25 minutes.
I Pledge Allegiance
Because He Was My
From All Sides
A Fool Is Born Every Minute
I Am an American
In Memory of
Wherever You Are
Introduction: Looking Through the “I”s (1 block) Concepts: Identity, Perspective
Guiding question: How does your worldview compare to other people's worldviews? Presentation of unit concepts. Explain the concept of unity through an analogy of looking through bifocal lenses.
