Candidates Name Tracy Williams

DATE 4/28/2017

Student Sample:

Decide Chart:
 Candidates Name Tracy Williams
DATE 4/28/2017

Sample (Cont)

Choice #1
 Candidates Name Tracy Williams
DATE 4/28/2017

Sample (Cont)

Sum It Up! Exit Ticket

Expanded Ticket in the Door

 Candidates Name Tracy Williams
DATE 4/28/2017

(Analysis of implemented
lesson: Graduated
Difficulty)
1. Review: Explain in detail what you did
including the setting, the students and the topic. Include any details that arent readily
apparent from your lesson plan.

The Graduated Difficulty assessment was used as a culminating assessment for

my TAG sophomores. In this unit, Satirical Criticisms, my student have been

studying Candide by Voltaire. Understanding such a dense text had been difficult

over the past 3 weeks. I decided that having students choose which activity to use

based on their strengths was key in getting them to demonstrate what they learned

from the unit. To start the lesson, I had my students conduct a short Socratic

seminar discussion in which they recorded their discussion. My students came in to

class prepared with one article of social criticism to connect the themes in the book

to modern day society. They would use the text and their article to answer higher

order questions such as: Consider, Voltaires use of satire to criticize the

Enlightenment era; do you believe his use of satire to be appropriate for his time

period? What of todays society? Using your article, discuss Voltaires possible

perspective on modern day issues about any of thematic concepts: religion,

war/armies, lust, love, greed, corruption, family, disillusionment, prejudice, cruelty,

justice systems, and monarchies? How and what is Voltaire criticizing in chapters

21-30? After the discussion, my students were introduced to the Graduated Difficulty

activities and how to choose which activity was best for them. I had to stress to

students that the activity that they should choose is not necessarily the activity they
 Candidates Name Tracy Williams
DATE 4/28/2017

like, but the activity which they can truly showcase their strengths, which will in turn

showcase their gained knowledge in this unit.

2. Reflect: Describe what worked and why; what did not work and why not; and how the
students reacted. Did you ask students in a formal or informal way about their reactions to
the new strategy or idea?

My students thoroughly enjoyed being able to choose which activity was best for them,

especially those students who found the text difficult. It wa almost like they were given hope.

My TAG students were the students who either chose a level 2 or level 4 activity. Level 2

asked them to make connections from what they read to real life, and level 4 asked them to

take what they learned and apply it in crafting their own literary piece. I believe the hardest

part was getting my students to complete the Decide chart. After I explained the activities

most of them felt completing the decide chart was extra work. I really tried to express that

the Decide Chart was a necessary part in developing their understanding of what is required

of them. I also hated that some students tried to find the easy way out, and do a level one or

two assignment. I loved the exit ticket. The feedback it gave was important.

3. Refine: How will you use this strategy in the future in your classroom? What modifications or
adaptations or improvements will you implement so that it is more effective with your students?
What else do you need to know or do to make the particular lesson more successful?

There are a few modifications that I would definitely consider making to this activity. My

highest performing TAG students really appreciated having choice in what they presented but

felt as though they were still restricted in what they could create. In the future, for those TAG

students who are ready, I will allow them to create their own assessment based on the criteria of

each category. Also, I may make the Decide Chart an oral explanation piece using some

electronic platform like lets recap so that they may spend more time in class on the activities.

Next time, I may also group them by my predetermined level, so that I can say that certain

students cannot do a level 1 or 2 activity.