Differentiation in the PreK-12 Classroom

In order to receive the second salary point for this course, participants will
produce a full and comprehensive lesson plan using strategies to specifically
include how to embed the Access Strategies to shelter the lesson for
diverse learners. Deadline for the full lesson plan, evidence of its
implementation, and reflection are due by 11:55 p.m. on May 20, 2010 (six
weeks after the final Elluminate session). The assignment must be
submitted electronically via the Moodle and will be graded on a
complete/incomplete scale. Models of already completed/in-progress
SDAIE templates representing lessons from grades five, six, seven and
eight will be available on the Moodle shell and you may elect to use this
comprehensive template if you’re familiar with its format or choose another
of your choice. A discussion forum will also be available throughout this
section so students may post questions/concerns for the facilitators as well
as continue their cooperative learning in this newly-formed professional
learning community.

The lesson plan must address the following questions:

Part I: Set Up

What is the big idea of the lesson?

What are the scientific objectives for the lesson?
What CA science standards does the lesson address?
What are the Language objectives for the lesson?
What prior science knowledge will the students need to access the task?
What are the key definitions, concepts, vocabulary, or ideas will students
need to access the task?
What are all the ways the task can be solved?
What are potential student misconceptions?
How will students be introduced to this activity so as to not reduce the
demands of the task?
How will you shelter the introduction of this activity for your English
Learner students?
How does the task meet the demands of CRRE?

Part II: Exploration

As students are working independently or in small groups:

What questions will be asked to focus students' thinking?

What will be seen or heard that indicates students are thinking about the
scientific ideas?
What questions will be asked to assess students' understanding of the key
science ideas?
What questions will be asked to advance students' understanding the key
science ideas?
How will students remain engaged in the task?
What will be done if a student does not know how to begin the task?
What will be done if students finish early and become bored or disruptive?
What will be done if students focus on the non-scientific aspects of the
task?

Part III: Share, Discuss, and Analyze

How will the class discussion be orchestrated so that the scientific

objectives are accomplished?
Which solution paths will be shared? In what order will the solutions be
presented? Why?
In what ways will the order in which the solutions are presented help develop
the students' understanding of the scientific ideas that are the focus of
the lesson?

What specific questions will be asked so that students will:

Make sense of the scientific ideas that need to be learned?

Expand on, debate, and question the solutions being shared?
Make connections between the different solution strategies being
presented?
Look for patterns?
Make generalizations?
What will be seen or heard that indicates that the students understand the
scientific ideas taught?
What will be done tomorrow to build on this lesson?
Producing a high quality lesson plan of this complexity requires:

a.) a significant amount of time, and

b.) that one needs to have previously taught the lesson in question for the
planning to be authentic and potentially useful to other teachers.

Completed lesson plans will be posted on the LAUSD PreK-12 Science

website for other teachers to use and share. Evidence of the lesson
(student work samples) will also be posted.

Final Reflection

The final reflection will address the following:

How have you implemented the District's Access Strategies of Collaborative

Learning Environments, Instructional Conversations, Advanced Graphic
Organizers, and/or Academic Language Development? What implications
does using the SDAIE lesson planning template or similar have on your
instructional practice as it relates to implementation of the Access
Strategies? What implications does this change in planning and instructional
practice have on student learning? Cite specific evidence to support your
claims.