DIFFERENTIATING CURRICULUM FOR GIFTED STUDENTS (P-12)

Gifted Learner Needs What is learned What is taught How it is delivered C urriculum Assessment Instructio n

Curriculum should be differentiated at all levels of design: Goals Outcomes Activities & projects Strategies Materials Assessment

Sample curriculum goal: To develop critical thinking Sample outcomes and objectives: Analyze different points of view on a given issue Draw appropriate inferences, given a set of data Forecast consequences and implications of a given decision or action Center for Gifted Education The College of William and Mary

SAMPLE OUTCOME & ASSESSMENT Outcome: Students will be able to analyze different points of view on a given topic or issue. Activity: 1.In groups, read and discuss articles displaying different viewpoints. 2.Present stakeholder perspectives on a given issue. 3.Create an argument against open immigration from the vantage point of homeland security officials. Assessment: (Controlled setting response: 50 minutes) Given the issue of human cloning, identify three different stakeholder groups in society who would have different perspectives on this issue; analyze each of their perspectives and the reasons behind it in a well-developed essay.

Curriculum Goal To develop critical thinking To develop creative thinking To develop research skills To understand broad overarching interdisciplinary concepts Teaching Strategy Paul model of reasoning - Questioning model Concept mapping - Creative problem solving model W&M research model - Problem-based leering TABA model for concept development

Goal: To understand the concept of “systems” Using the following criteria, create a model of an aquarium and explain its make-up: Specifications of tank size Number of fish & type Number & type of plants Light & water filtration system Setting What variables are most important to consider in constructing your aquarium. Why? How would you describe your aquarium as a living system?

MATERIALS/RESOURCES Advanced Incorporate overarching concepts Ask higher order/level questions Provide open-endedness

WHY IS QUESTION-ASKING A POWERFUL LEARNING TOOL FOR DIFFERENTIATION? Models inquiry process Stimulated different ways of thinking about content Clarifies key ideas and understandings about content topics Inspires curiosity

TYPES OF QUESTION MODELS Reasoning model (Paul) What is the author’s purpose? What data or evidence supports it? What inferences do you draw from the evidence? Taxonomy-based (Bloom) Who/What/When/Where? Why? How? What if…? Pretend… Which is better/best?

TYPES OF QUESTIONING MODELS Problem-Based Learning What do we know? What do we need to know? How do we find out?

QUESTION TREE BASED ON REASONING MODEL What is the question or issue of interest? What is the purpose of _____________? What points of view or perspectives are important to understanding __________________? What assumptions underlie each perspective on ________? What data/evidence support a given perspective on _____? What inference can be made about ______________, based on the evidence? What are the implications and consequences of __________?

PAUL’S MODEL OF REASONING THE CRUCIBLE What is the central problem of the play? What was Miller’s purpose in writing it, do you think? How do the following concepts apply to The Crucible: loyalty, truth, revenge, and absolute morality? What assumptions are made by the Salem citizenry about guilt and innocence? Which point of view is the most crucial to the play – Abigail’s, Elizabeth’s, or John’s? What role does each perspective play in plot development?

PAUL’S MODEL OF REASONING THE CRUCIBLE What data or evidence from the play would suggest that witchcraft is not at work? What inferences do you draw from the following statement by John Proctor: “…for now, I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to wave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.” What are the consequences for individuals and society of seeing the world in black and white terms (e.g. good and evil)?

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY THE CRUCIBLE Who are the main characters in the play? What causes the crisis such that accusations of witchcraft occur in the first place? How is the rule of law applied in the play? Analyze the motives of Abigail. What causes her to behave as she does? Synthesize the feelings that John Proctor has about making a confession. Evaluate the decision he made at the end of the play. Was it the right one? Create a new ending for The Crucible and explain why it is superior to Miller’s.

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: THE CRUCIBLE The play ends with the death of John Proctor. You have been told to investigate the Salem witch trials and render a judgment about what written safeguards need to be in place to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again. You have been given four weeks to develop a case statement that could prevent future episodes in the history of the world.

NEED TO KNOW BOARD

PBL QUESTIONS Given the facts of the play, what do you know about witchcraft? What do you need to know to be thorough in your investigation? What sources would be useful to explore in preparing your case? What historical analogies can you draw between the witchcraft trials and other events?

GUILFORD’S QUESTIONING MODEL Memory/cognition level questions – factual, one right answer Convergent level questions – multiple right answers Divergent level questions – hypothetical, multiple answers that may be wide-ranging Evaluative level questions – judgmental, answers derived from interpreting criteria or selecting the best perspective based on options

LOWER TO HIGHER ORDER QUESTIONS Memory/CognitionWho is the central character? Describe the qualities of the central character. Convergence LevelWhy did the character behave in a given way? Divergence LevelWhat if the character had made another decision? How would it have affected the story? Evaluative LevelEvaluate the character’s best qualities. What are they and why do you think so?

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN QUESTIONING Solicit multiple responses. Don’t accept the first answer and move to a different question. Continue to probe and solicit varied responses from the same student or different students. If a question is worth asking, it’s worth hearing several opinions. (Does anyone have a different idea? What in the story makes you say that? Why do you think that? What other ideas do we have?) Avoid affirming responses to open-ended questions. Instead of “Great answer” or “Exactly” try…”Interesting point, who thought something similar? Something different?” “Nice idea, what else do we know about…”

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN QUESTIONING (CONT.) Allow time for thinking and discussion. Encourage students to ask questions of each other. Remember that answers to open-ended questions are appropriate if reasonably justified by the text and are coherent.

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURES: QUESTIONING IN PRACTICE Acceleration Complexity Depth Challenge Creativity Abstractness Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: ACCELERATION Fewer tasks assigned to master standard Assessed earlier or prior to teaching Clustered by higher order thinking skills

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: COMPLEXITY Used multiple higher level skills Added more variables to study Required multiple resources

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: DEPTH Studied a concept in multiple applications Conducted original research Developed a product

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: CHALLENGE Advanced resources employed Sophisticated content stimuli used Cross-disciplinary applications made Reasoning made explicit

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: ABSTRACTNESS Focused on macro concepts, themes or ideas (e.g., systems models) Required the formation of generalizations Required students to move from concrete examples to abstract ideas

DIFFERENTIATION FEATURE: CREATIVITY Designed/constructed a model based on principles or criteria Provided alternatives for tasks, products, and assessments Emphasized oral and written communication to a real-world audience

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES Implement a math curriculum objective for the gifted by… Multiplying by 1 digit Multiplying by 2 digits Multiplying by 3 digits Complete word problems using multiplication Implement a math curriculum objective for the gifted by… Computational procedures as a tool for problem solving Using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve multi- step problems

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES Discuss plot, setting, and characters in the short story “A Rose for Emily.” Compare and contrast the plot, setting, characters, motivation, theme, and climax of “A Rose for Emily” and “The Bear.”

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES Choose one of the following topics and prepare an oral presentation using at least four library sources: The use of technology Science discoveries of the past Mathematics in everyday life Debate one of the following resolutions. Mankind is on a path toward human progress. Studying our past will help us cope with the future. Use multiple sources including surveys, interviews, and library sources in your preparation.

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES Joe invested $1,000 in stock in January. When he sold it in December, the price was up 12% from his purchase price. What was his profit on this stock? Which would you rather choose? 80% profit in year 1 and 50% loss in year 2. 5% profit in year 1 and 5% profit in year 2. Explain your reasoning.

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES Conduct an experiment on plant growth by measuring weekly progress of two sets of seeds, one in artificial light indoors and one outside in shade. D esign an experiment on one of the following questions and share your results in an oral and written presentation: Are bees attracted to diet cola? Are earthworms attracted to light? Are boys more interested in computers than girls? Your own question

DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLES On a timeline, chart the evolution of atomic theory. Describe each major model of the atom according to its major features. Using generalizations derived around the concept of models, evaluate each major model of the atom over time. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each, and create a visual to demonstrate how each model influenced the models succeeding it.

Differentiation Examples Describe the character from the story. State two generalizations about the main character and justify why those are generalizations using evidence from the text.

INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSE: TO CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR From the chapter on the history of the Revolutionary War that you read last night, choose one of the following tasks and work alone or with a partner to complete it. Draw a comic strip to show the events in the chapter. In your journal, chronicle the events in the chapter. Describe the setting and how it related to the events in the chapter. If you were a newscaster, what would your progress report be? Rewrite a passage of the chapter in your own words. Use synonyms to replace some of the author’s words. Differentiation for the gifted:

Tamra Stambaugh, Ph.D. College of William and Mary Center for Gifted Education Center for Gifted Education The College of William and Mary P. O. Box 8795 Williamsburg, VA Phone (757) Fax (757)