1. Developing a Differentiated Learning Plan
Prior to Workshop: Ask teachers to complete as much of the plan as possible before attending this session. The plan should be based on a unit they will be teaching in the next month or so. Use the Differentiated Learning Plan Questions to guide you through the process.
Materials for Workshop:
LCD/Computer
Developed by Lynee Tourdot
Baraboo School District

2. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Give an example of a “good” big idea and a “bad” big idea
Bad—Names, dates, battles and timeline of the Civil War
Better—What are the causes of war and conflict
Help teachers to dig deeper to get to the essential learning:
What will students remember 5 years from now?
What will be relevant to them 5 years from now?
Is it higher level learning?

3. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Share with the large group (or in small groups) the big idea or essential question for the lesson plan you developed.
Have teachers share with the large group or in small groups (depending on the group size) their big idea or essential question.
Help each other to determine the essential learning
This is the most important step, because each of the following steps will be based on the essential learning.

4. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Understandings
Based on the ESSENTIAL LEARNING, what do you want students to know and be able to do by the end of the unit?
Based on the above example, you may want them to explain the causes of conflict that led to the Civil War, and have them relate it to a current war
Based on the example above, you may still want them to know key people, dates and battles, but it is not the FOCUS of the learning.
What background knowledge will they need? What vocabulary?
How will you get to higher level learning?

5. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Pre-Assessments
How will you pre-assess the knowledge, skills and understandings?
What will you do with those students who already know the content?
How will you use the assessment to adjust your instruction?

6. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Assessment FOR Learning (Formative Assessment)
Have Teachers work in small groups analyzing their formative assessments based on what they learned from the PPT
Ask which ones they will grade, and why
Ask how they will assess each “chunk” of new learning
Ask how the assessments relate to the essential learning

7. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Assessment OF Learning (Summative Assessment)
Share and revise their summative assessments in small groups
Do they relate to the essential learning?
Are there alternatives for different types of learners (Kathy Nunley)
Does the assessment make sense based on what you wanted them to learn?
A sample summative assessment for the Civil War might be a debate
Remind teachers about summative assessment (from the PPT)

8. Standards/Goals (Big Ideas) and Essential Questions:
Learning Plan
Now that you know what the final assessment is, how will you get students there?
Does the plan lead students to the essential learning?
Is it engaging?
How will you differentiate based on the pre-assessment and the formative assessments?
How will you use pre-reading, during-reading and post-reading strategies if needed?