The Magestic Menu

I'm a big fan of Paula Kluth's awesome website, Differentiation Daily. A few months back, she wrote a few blog entries about Choice Menus and how you can provide options for students to show their learning and understanding of a topic. This is great because it allows the teachers to naturally differentiate within the dynamic, inclusive classroom. Our amazing 7th grade social studies teacher and I created a choice menu and decided to try it out! 

1. We started out with three articles about the colonial times.
2. I downloaded this free choice board from Teachers Pay Teachers.
3. Co-Teacher Emily and I created a choice board using text centered comprehension activities. All of the strategies listed below have been explicitly taught and used throughout the school year. It was interesting to see which strategies students preferred.
 

4. Emily renamed the menu as the "Majestic Menu". Students had seven days to work on their choice board and earn up to 40 points using the three readings.

Easy ways to modify:
  • Use differentiated text on the same topic
  • Use iPad in order for students to hear an audio version of the text
  • Have a student choose 3 activities or work on 30 points instead of 40

Below are a variety of the activities completed by students. Students chose activities based on their strengths and interests.

 
Making a timeline to highlight how long colonial times lasted. We will continue to use and refer to this as a class for the rest of the school year. It stretches out all the way until 2015!

ShowMe Video after reading a text. Go here to watch the video!
 Informational Poster based on reading.
 Sketch annotation
 Annotation and Cornell Notes
 Cornell Notes
 Student pulled five quotes from the text and wrote they meant to her. She then drew pictures visually explaining each of the quotes.
 Majestic Menu
 Summarizing the text by using the 5 W's strategy (Who, What, When, Where, Why)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Accommodation and Modification Checklist

Image
Question:  As an Inclusion Facilitator, I am often asked about modifying and accommodating work to meet individual student needs. Whenever this happens, I immediately ask for samples of student work. Modifying and accommodating for students is so individualized in nature that the A/M section on the student's IEP isn't enough information to tell me what the student needs. The reality is that what works for one student in one class with one set of co-teachers (or one teacher) might not work for another student in the same grade in a different classroom. The IEP is the most individualized document in town and we need to remember the specific student every step of the way.  I look at the following: Student IEP goals Student IEP modifications and accommodations Student strengths General education teacher and learning specialist personalities and teaching style Lesson and unit plans Specific activities Student work Resource: Jenn Kurth's unit based approach to...
Read more

Co-Teaching Spotlight: Parallel Instruction

Image
I'm continuing with Julia's Rocking Co-Teaching Series . Click here to read more about team teaching. Okay, onto the next model! Model: Parallel Instruction Definition: "Teachers break the class into two heterogeneous groups and each instructs half of the class" ( Collaborative Teaching in Elementary Schools by Wendy W. Murawski ). What does it look like? Groups facing away from one another and teachers facing one another to limit distractions and noise Two teachers teach the same content in the same way OR  Two teachers teach the same content in a different way ( Collaborative Teaching in Elementary Schools by Wendy W. Murawski )  Notice how the two teachers are facing each other and the groups of students are facing away from one another. Both teachers are teaching the same content in the same way. Notice in this video the quick transition from full class to parallel instruction. The teachers are teaching the same content in a different ...
Read more

Support #5: Modified Rubrics

Image
Happy Monday! Here in the Chicago Public Schools, we have ten days left with students. That means ten more supports that can be used in the inclusive classroom. Let's kick it! A great way to grade modified projects, presentations, essays, or any multiple step activity is to use a rubric. I am a big fan of the modified rubric. You are able to incorporate IEP goals (including Independent Functioning goals) into the classroom lesson and unit plans. The picture on the left is an unmodified rubric provided for a seventh grade essay. The one on the right is modified and incorporates modifications and goals that are in the student's IEP. I set up modified rubrics so that a 70% corresponds with the IEP goal or the student's individual unit objectives. If a student meets expectations, they will earn a C. Students that go above and beyond the expectation can earn a B or an A. Students who do not meet the expectations can earn a D or F. Here is an example of a stud...
Read more