Category Archives: Differentiated Activities

How can I differentiate instruction to teach about Horizontal and Vertical Integration?

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Differentiate Instruction to Teach Vertical Integration and Horizontal Integration

Social Studies differentiated instruction can be done in different ways. I tend to stick to two of them which would be the use of Multiple Intelligences and Leveling/Scaffolding/Tiering.

In order to introduce vertical integration and horizontal integration I use a vocabulary sheet that gives them the words, definition and allows them to choose between writing a sentence using the vertical integration and horizontal integration correctly or drawing a picture to represent the words. This gives them a choice between using the linguistic multiple intelligence and the spatial multiple intelligence. This exposes them to the words vertical integration and horizontal integration twice in the first five minutes of class. In order to differentiate instruction for vocabulary teachers can provide students with a lower ability level or those who need accommodations with a partial or complete definition and those who need enrichment can decide the most important information that they need to write down and do it in their own words.

The next part of the differentiated instruction lesson plan would be the PowerPoint mini-lesson, which vertical integration and horizontal integration are a part of. Usually vertical integration and horizontal integration would be part of an Industrial Revolution or a Progressive Era unit. I include two different versions of the PowerPoint mini-lesson in order to differentiate instruction with leveling. This works really well if there is a co-teacher in the room. The enriched level would go into more detail and include more critical thinking. The basic level would use simplified language and more repetition.

After I go into more detail or simplify horizontal integration and vertical integration during the mini-lesson. I also immediately reiterate it using another multiple intelligence. I bring in the Spatial Multiple Intelligence and the Kinestethic Multiple Intelligence for horizontal integration and vertical integration. I use boxes but you could also use blocks, plastic cups or something to stack. Label them the following for vertical integration and then stack them accordingly at the front of the class (you can also have a kinesthetic learner stack them with your direction): trees (natural resource), logging company with machines, transportation, mills, carpentry company, transportation, stores. For horizontal integration use and lay out horizontally: radio channels, television channels, newspapers, books, and magazines (all media). After you add this to the mini-lesson, students have been exposed to vertical integration and horizontal integration four times.

Teachers can then have students use a graphic organizer. In order to differentiate instruction with a graphic organizer, teachers can create a word box for lower ability levels but allow upper ability levels to use a higher level of critical thinking by allowing them to decide for themselves what the title of the chart is and what should be in it. You could even allow them to create their own graphic organizer but have the lower ability level use a template. This brings the amount of times a student is exposed and uses horizontal integration and vertical integration to five.

Teachers can also assign a writing assignment to review horizontal integration and vertical integration by asking them to compare both terms in paragraph form. This can be leveled by using a leveled writing system found at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico.

I included information from this article in a lesson plan about Progressive Trusts. It is located at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico or the PowerPoint mini-lesson can be purchased at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Instruction-PowerPoint-Mini-Lesson-Trusts

To find more ideas about how to teach vocabulary from the Progressive Era: Trust differentiated instruction lesson plan follow the link below!

http://socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com/how-to-teach-about-progressive-era-trusts-using-differentiated-instruction/

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

How can you differentiate instruction for an activity work session in a Judaism lesson plan?

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Judaism Differentiated Instruction Work Session Activities

Judaism Differentiated Instruction Work Session Activities

Isn’t it great when students are actually excited about coming into your class? When I created my differentiated instruction Judaism activity work session, I looked at the Multiple Intelligence Theory. It brought interests in for the students. Then I went a step further and allowed them to choose the Judaism activity that they were most interested in doing. I also allowed them to choose how they wanted to work; by themselves, with a partner, or in a group. I had them make these choices the day before which gave me time to make appropriate grouping and the right number of copies that I needed. I heard students talking about what activity they were going to do in the halls and at lunch. As soon as they came in the next day they asked to make sure that those were the activities that they were doing.

It surprised me how I didn’t need to level this assignment. It turns out that by applying the Multiple Intelligence Theory for differentiated instruction, students chose an activity that they had a strength in. After I used the MI Theory in this lesson and I saw the excitement in my students, I have tried to apply it to all of my lesson plans since.

I created four different activities so that I could use six of the seven original Multiple Intelligences of Dr. Howard’s Theory. I didn’t worry about putting in the Logical Multiple Intelligence because that would be used in the concluding set when they completed a graphic organizer. The activity options I provided to my students are as follows along with the Multiple Intelligences that are applied:

  • Song: Musical Multiple Intelligence, Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence
  • Rhyming Poem: Linguistic Multiple Intelligence, Intrapersonal Multiple Intelligence or Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence
  • Skit: Linguistic Multiple Intelligence, Kinesthetic Multiple Intelligence, Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence
  • Cartoon Strip: Spatial Multiple Intelligence, Linguistic Multiple Intelligence, Intrapersonal Multiple Intelligence or Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence

In each of these activities I had every student use the same content. This is a very important part of differentiated instruction because all students, no matter what their ability level or intelligence, must be exposed to the content. The content I used is as follows:

  • Abraham
  • Israel
  • Moses
  • Exodus
  • Ten Commandments
  • Torah
  • Old Testament

To find out more about my Judaism differentiated instruction lesson plan, click on the links below.

How can you differentiate instruction for a Judaism lesson plan?

How can you differentiate instruction to teach vocabulary in a Judaism lesson plan?

How can you differentiate instruction for a mini-lesson in a Judaism lesson plan?

How can you differentiate instruction for a writing assignment in a Judaism lesson plan?

How can you differentiate instruction with a graphic organizer in a Judaism lesson plan?

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers the Judaism lesson plan above. Check it out! Or, if you only want to purchase this single differentiated instruction lesson plan for Judaism, Click here.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico (Connect with me on Linkedin.com)

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

Epitaphs can be used to Differentiate Instruction!

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Differentiate Instruction with an Epitaph Activity

Epitaphs are not just cute to use around Halloween but can be a great way to allow students to use small pieces of content and critically think.

An epitaph is written on a gravestone. You might be surprised that epitaph activities can work in most subject areas. For instance, in Social Studies an epitaph can be used for a historical person. In Science, it could be for the extinction of a species. In math, a symbol like the division sign can be used. In Language Arts, a character from a book in a story might need an epitaph.

Epitaph activities use multiple intelligence learning styles. The following are used:

  • Spatial Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: decorating the grave stone to match the content
  • Linguistic Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: writing the epitaph
  • Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: allow students to choose how they work on this; individually or with a partner

An epitaph activity can be used to differentiate instruction. Here are two ways you can differentiate instruction for an epitaph activity:

  • Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: Teachers can give their students choices of activities that use different multiple intelligence learning styles and the same content.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 activity templates with rubrics to help teachers differentiate instruction quickly.
  • Leveling/Tiering/Scaffolding: Students with a lower ability level will often need more guidance. Teachers can list, in simple text, the content that needs to be used in the epitaph. They still need to use their critical thinking skills to come up with the epitaph. Teachers can also state exactly what decorations should be put on the gravestone. That way they only have to deal with how to draw it. You could also provide clip art, already cut out, that they could just paste on. It still works as a visual component. Students at a very high ability level could use humor or an emotion in the epitaph to increase the amount of critical thinking.

Teachers need to make sure that when they plan for differentiated instruction that each student is using the same content. They also must all be challenged at their own level with with their own multiple intelligence learning style.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

Differentiated Instruction Ideas for Drawing

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Differentiate Instruction with Drawing

Drawing is an oldie but a goody activity. Drawing a picture uses visualization. It interests those students with the visual learning style or those with the spatial multiple intelligence learning style.

Teachers can use drawing in all sections of a lesson . The following is an example of the type of lesson plan drawing can be incorporated into.

  • Anticipatory Set: Draw a picture of something you learned in class yesterday.
  • Vocabulary: Draw a picture that represents the vocabulary word according to its definition.
  • Mini-Lesson: Draw a picture next to each section of notes before moving onto the next section. You could even call students up to the board to create a storyboard to go over when you conclude the lesson.
  • Activity: Draw a tattoo someone might have created after living through (whatever event you wish) or a cartoon strip or a political cartoon.
  • Concluding Set: Go over the storyboard left of the board from the mini-lesson.

Teachers can add to the spatial multiple intelligence learning style to make the assignment more appealing for students who have different multiple intelligence learning styles. Here is an example of this:

  • Linguistic Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: Explain what the drawing is and how it relates to the content.
  • Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: Allow students the option of working individually or with a partner.

Differentiating Instruction for drawing is possible. The following are two different ways to differentiate instruction for drawing.

  • Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: Teachers can give their students options of activities that use different multiple intelligence learning styles and the same content.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 activity templates with rubrics to help teachers differentiate instruction quickly.
  • Leveling/Tiering/Scaffolding: Lower ability levels can draw what they are learning. This is a lower level critical thinking exercise because they are simply translating text to pictures. Middle ability levels can draw a comic strip. This uses a higher level of critical thinking because it uses humor as well as chronology. This also brings in the logical multiple intelligence learning style to the activity session. Higher ability level students could create a political cartoon. This uses an extremely high critical thinking level because not only do they have to use the content and humor they also need to take a side by deciding how they feel about the content.

Teachers need to make sure that they follow these two tips of advice when they are planning for differentiated instruction:

  • all students must use the same content
  • all students need to be challenged

Bringing in art such as drawing allows teachers to differentiate instruction in multiple ways.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico (Connect with me on Linkedin.com)

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

How to use schedules to teach about the Montgomery Bus Boycott

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Differentiate Instruction for the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Creating a schedule for learning content can be a good way to reinforce a point. I used a schedule activity when I was teaching about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. I had the students pretend that they were one of the leaders of it. I had them create a pick up and drop off schedule for work, church, shopping, school, etc. Anything that they use transportation for in their lives could be put on the schedule. This helped them draw on their own experiences and connect the content to themselves.

Creating a schedule uses multiple intelligence learning styles. The following are used:

  • Logical Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: planning the order, timing, and the amount of people they need to transport.
  • Linguistic Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: writing and using language to explain the importance of each transport.
  • Intrapersonal or Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: students should be given a choice of how they want to work; individually, with a partner or a group.

A schedule activity can be used to differentiate instruction. Here are two ways to differentiate instruction while using a schedule activity:

  • Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: Teachers can offer students other options for activities using different multiple intelligence learning styles and the same content. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 activity templates with rubrics to help teachers differentiate instruction quickly.
  • Leveling/Tiering/Scaffolding: For those with a lower ability level a pre-made schedule of times of the day as well as a bank of places to go will help guide them through the activity. It might also help to have a question section about why this is an important activity for people to have transportation for. Instead of having students explain why it’s important using complete sentences, allow them to list the reasons. Those with a higher ability level can create this schedule from scratch which will allow them to critically think and use their creativity.

When teachers differentiate instruction it is important for them to remember two things:

  • All students must use the same content.
  • Differentiated instruction is not increasing the amount of work a student does. In other words don’t just give busy work.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico provides lessons like the one above and can save social studies teachers time during the planning process for differentiated instruction.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

What multiple intelligence learning styles are used during a talk show activity

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A talk show activity is a fun way to practice public speaking skills without using a formal speech to do it. It also helps students develop questioning techniques all while allowing them to work with content. Talk shows get to the root of feelings and showcase personalities so it’s a good activity to do for book characters in Language Arts as well as historical figures.

Teachers can choose a specific talk show to model from. If they leave it up to the student they may pick a show like Jerry Springer. Although amusing, many times inappropriate things are said for a classroom. The students will also only focus on the absurdities rather than the content itself. It is safer to do an Oprah type show.

Many multiple intelligence learning styles are used for a talk show activity. The linguistic multiple intelligence learning style is used during writing the interview and conducting it during the show to the class.  Another multiple intelligence learning style that is used is kinesthetic. Performances like talk shows allow students to move during the performance. Especially if they are the host. They can plant others in their group or assign others in the class certain questions. Talk shows need to be done with at least two people so the interpersonal multiple intelligence learning style is used. If a teacher wishes to bring in the spatial multiple intelligence learning style, they could allow the students to dress up like the characters they are pretending to be.

A talk show activity can be used for differentiated instruction. Teachers can differentiate instruction in two ways:

  • Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: The teacher can offer students other options to this assignment using other multiple intelligence learning styles and the same content. Activity templates can help teachers differentiate instruction quickly and easily. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 activity templates with rubrics to help teachers differentiate instruction using multiple intelligence learning styles.
  • Leveling/Tiering/Scaffolding: Teachers can provide lower ability level students with the questions to ask almost like a one sided script. This will guide them and allow them to work with the content. Higher levels can create the questions as well as the answers to increase the creativity and critical thinking while working with the content.

Teachers need to make sure that when they differentiate instruction they are challenging each student. Teachers should not just assign additional work to upper ability levels. They will be able to see through the busy work and might even resent getting it.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico

How can teachers use crossword puzzles for activities?

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Use Crossword Puzzles to Differentiate Instruction

I’m sure we all remember filling in crossword puzzles in elementary school. Somewhere in middle school they became known as “busy work” and might have been done when you finished work early or when you had a substitute. By the time I landed in high school, crossword puzzles were too babyish to do.

I continued this decrease in crossword puzzle tradition when I started to teach. Recently my view has changed. I realized that if I switched the student from the person who fills out the crossword puzzle to the creator, a crossword puzzle might have more to offer secondary students. For one thing, more creative critical thinking can take place. As teachers we need to help our students get used to creating if we want future entrepreneurs in our society.

Creating crossword puzzles allows students to review facts and vocabulary. It also uses multiple intelligence learning styles. The following are used:

  • Linguistic Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: using language to write clues
  • Spatial Multiple Intelligence Learning Style: designing and creating the layout
  • Intrapersonal or Interpersonal Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: students may work as an individual or with a partner.

A crossword puzzle can be used to differentiate instruction in the classroom. Here are two ways to differentiate instruction while incorporating crossword puzzles:

  • Multiple Intelligence Learning Styles: Give students three other options of activities using other multiple intelligence learning styles and the same content. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 activity templates with rubrics to help teachers create activity options for their students.
  • Leveling/Tiering/Scaffolding: Provide two different levels of the assignment. Allow students on a lower ability level to use notes and the book to put the definitions in their own words as clues. For the higher ability levels, allow them to also use resources but instead of writing the definitions in their own words for their clues, they can make their clues more clever by using riddles.

Teachers need to make sure that when they differentiate instruction using levels, tiering or scaffolding that they are not just assigning extra work to the higher ability levels. Teachers need to make sure the activities challenge everyone.

Written by,

Kasha Mastrodomenico

http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico