Introduction to Tiered Lessons

1. Introduction to Tiered Lessons Project Aspire Session 6 Broadcast Sara Delano Moore, Ph.D.

2. Food for Thought • At any given time in any given classroom, • One third of students already know the topic at hand, • One third of students are ready to learn the topic at hand, and • One third of students aren’t yet ready to learn the topic at hand. • How does a reasonable teacher handle this? • Tiered lessons are one effective strategy.

3. What are tiered lessons? • Tiered lessons are a way of creating systematic variations on a single lesson plan that are responsive to student learning needs and practical for the teacher to manage. • There are several ways in which lessons can be tiered.

4. How can lessons be tiered? • Dimension of Learning • Content • What students are learning • Process • How students are learning • Product • How students show mastery

5. How can lessons be tiered? • Characteristics of the Learner • Readiness • How skilled is the student in this area? • Interest • What topics are engaging to the student? • Learning Style • How does the student learn best?

6. On what basis are lessons tiered?

7. Tiering Product by Interest • Easy way to start – doesn’t change daily instruction • Teachers develop alternative products they think will be of interest to students for the end of the unit. • These can be in addition to or instead of a unit test on the content. • Think about a unit test for assessing skills and a product for assessing concepts

8. Making this work • It is most helpful to develop a standard set of products you will allow in your classroom, with rubrics for each. • Product Guides (Jim Curry and John Samara) are a good resource here. • http://www.curriculumproject.com/ • Rubrics are essential to the success of this strategy – students have to know what quality work looks like!

9. Sample Product Set • Physical model (3D) • Visual representation (2D) • Oral presentation (live or taped) • Written report • These products respond to a variety of student interests and learning styles • These products accommodate a wide range of content.

10. Sample Products in Algebra II • Unit Focus – Conic Sections • Physical Model – auto headlight • Visual Representation – poster of planetary orbits • Oral Presentation – hyperbolic curve of sonic boom intersecting the earth • Written Report – parabolic trajectory of a projectile • Web reference: http://ccins.camosun.bc.ca/~jbritton/jbconics.htm

11. Sample Products in Biology • Unit Focus - Types of Joints in the Body • Physical Model – 3D model of one or more joint types • Visual Representation – chart comparing range of motion of hinge joints with ball and socket joints • Oral Presentation – on importance of immovable joints in skull for birth & infant brain development • Written Report – wear and tear issues for different joint types in various sports

12. Sample Products in Chemistry • Unit Focus – Chemical Bonds • Physical Model – single and double covalent bonds in organic compounds • Visual Representation – compare and contrast various representations of bonds • Oral Presentation – difference between ionic and covalent bonds • Written Report – how the polar bonds in water influence water’s use as a solute

13. What about the rubrics? • Rubrics here have two parts – content and product • The content rubric is the same no matter which product is selected – students are still demonstrating the same knowledge. • The product rubric stays the same from unit to unit – a good written report, for example, is always nicely structured and mechanically accurate.

14. Product Rubrics – Physical Model • Key Features and Attributes • Title – prominent, summarizes main idea, legible, accurate and descriptive, concise • Object(s) – matched to key concepts, proportional, stable/secured to base, visually attractive/engaging, matches purpose of assignment, multiple perspectives for viewing • Labels – clearly visible, easily interpreted, size or color shows hierarchy of ideas • Explanatory Text – concise, explains major concepts, well-organized, accurate • Credits – accurate, complete, unobtrusive

15. Product Rubrics – Visual Representation • Key Features and Attributes • Title – appealing, concise, summarizes major point, prominent • Graphics/Illustrations – accentuate key ideas, accurate, evidence of organizational structure, matches purpose (realistic/imaginative) • Text – accurate, compact, legible, logical, summarizes key concepts

16. Product Rubrics – Visual Representation • Key Features and Attributes • Labels – clearly visible, concise, easily interpreted, shows hierarchy of ideas with color or size • Background/negative space – unobtrusive, establishes a border, offsets graphics and text • Credits – complete, accurate, unobtrusive

17. Product Rubrics – Oral Presentation • Key Features and Attributes • Structure of Report – includes introduction, body and conclusion, logical organization of information • Audience Involvement – initiated early in presentation; invited through humor, questions, movement, other strategies

18. Product Rubrics – Oral Presentation • Key Features and Attributes • Body Language – conveys enthusiasm and emotion, follows proper etiquette, confident, uses natural/purposeful gestures • Materials – well-organized, useful to audience, enhance presentation; well-matched to audience and setting • Voice – clear pronunciation; confident; proper volume, pitch, tone, projection, pace

19. Product Rubrics – Written Report • Key Features and Attributes • Cover – includes clear, prominent, informative title and appropriate demographic information • Text organization – includes introduction, body, and conclusion; follows appropriate format; well-structured; accurate content • References – accurate, meet requirements of project, presented in appropriate style • Mechanics – proper grammar usage, legible, correct punctuation and spelling, appropriate syntax

20. Product Rubrics - Content • This is where you define sufficient and accurate content. • Return to your standards – what are students showing you they know? • This is the second part of your rubric and will change with each assignment. • This is how you ensure that any product choice still shows mastery of the content.

21. Implementation • Work with your vertical team to develop a set of common products and rubrics. • Identify a unit where 2 – 4 of these common products might be appropriate. • Develop a content rubric for the unit topic. • After reviewing all the product options & rubrics, allow students to choose which one they will use to share their learning.

22. Things to Remember • This can be in addition to a unit test everyone takes or instead of a test. • Spending time with the product rubrics is key to not being overwhelmed with questions about the various products. • Emphasize that with a common content rubric, everyone is demonstrating the same learning, just using various strategies.