Differentiating Lesson Plans to Meet Student Needs

1. Differentiating Content Content is comprised of the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students need to learn based on the curriculum. Differentiating content includes using various delivery formats such as video, readings, lectures, or audio. Content may be chunked, shared through graphic organizers, addressed through jigsaw groups, or used to provide different techniques for solving equations. Students may have opportunities to choose their content focus based on interests.

1.1. For example, in a lesson on fractions, students could: Watch an overview video from Khan Academy. Complete a Frayer Model for academic vocabulary, such as denominator and numerator. Watch and discuss a demonstration of fractions via cutting a cake. Eat the cake.

2. Learner Relationship

3. Differentiating Process Process is how students make sense of the content. They need time to reflect and digest the learning activities before moving on to the next segment of a lesson. Think of a workshop or course where, by the end of the session, you felt filled to bursting with information, perhaps even overwhelmed. Processing helps students assess what they do and don't understand. It's also a formative assessment opportunity for teachers to monitor students' progress.

3.1. For example, having one or two processing experiences for every 30 minutes of instruction alleviates feelings of content saturation. Some strategies include: Think-Pair-Share Journaling Partner talk Save the Last Word Literature Circles (which also supports content differentiation) Of these three DI elements, process experiences are least used. Start with any of the shared strategies, and see long-term positive effects on learning.

4. Differentiating Product Product differentiation is probably the most common form of differentiation. Teachers give choices where students pick from formats, or students propose their own designs. Products may range in complexity to align to a respectful level for each student. (I'll discuss readiness in my next post.) The key to product options is having clear academic criteria that students understand. When products are cleanly aligned to learning targets, student voice and choice flourish, while ensuring that significant content is addressed.

4.1. For example, one of my favorite practices is providing three or four choices for product options. All but the last choice are pre-developed for students who want a complete picture of what needs to be done. The last choice is open-ended. Students craft a different product idea and propose it to the teacher. They have to show how their product option will address the academic criteria. The teacher may approve the proposal as is or with some revisions. If the proposal is too off-focus, then the students work on developing a new idea. If they cannot come up with an approved proposal by a set date, they have to choose from one of the pre-determined products.

5. Differentiating lesson Plans By Kirk Adair