Differentiated Instruction:

Think Dots, Learning Contracts, and

Extension Menus

Jamiera Johnson

What are Think Dots? Designed to have students look at

a topic or concept from multiple perspectives

Incorporates thinking skills with chance and choice in a game-like format

Provides for students to elaborate on a specific topic by going beyond basic facts

Think Dots

For each level of readiness, six activities should be prepared.Each dot should correspond to an activity.Consider using Bloom’s Taxonomy in creating the different leveled questions.

Think Dots – The Basic Six-Sided Cube

Describe it Compare it Associate it Analyze it Apply it Argue for/ against it

How are Think Dots developed? Determine six tasks that students could

perform to demonstrate knowledge of the given topic or concept.

For each task create: A directive (describe, draw, diagram, identify,

compare, persuade, support, write, design, discuss, classify, apply, etc.)

And a prompt (description of the task the student should do related to the directive)

How do Think Dots support diverse student needs?

Can be used to differentiate based upon student readiness by having two or more Think Dot templates with the same basic directives but with modified prompts or tasks that present different levels of challenge.

Can be color coded as a management tool to indicate which level is represented by a specific color.

Think Dots:Math What students should know

Count by fives Count up to sixty Tell time to the half hour 3 fives make fifteen There is quarter after and quarter till Clock is divided into 4 parts and is similar to 4

quarters equaling $1.00

Think Dots: What students should understand:

Time helps people plan their lives better Time helps people communicate

Think Dots: What student should be able to do:

Tell time to the quarter hour

Students will tell and write time to the quarter hour, using analog and digital clock.

How may fives are in the number 60?

If it I 5:15 pm, how many minutes after 5 is it?

How many minutes are in quarter after 2:00?

A soccer player has practice at 6:00 pm. Draw what a clock face would look like if soccer practice were an hour and fifteen minutes.

How many minutes are in quarter till 3:00? Create an interesting

word problem using the times 4:00pm and 5:15 pm.

Students will tell and write time to the quarter hour, using analog and digital clock.

Explain the similarities between quarter till and quarter after.

It is 4:15 pm and dinner starts at 6:00 pm. How many minutes until dinner.

Explain the difference between 5:15 and 5:45.

It’s 3:15 pm in Egypt. What do you think the people of Egypt are doing?

Create a word problem using the times 9:00 pm and 7:00am?

Explain the difference between 12:00 am and 12:00 pm.

Think Dot Activity https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=aLDXDLol6RU

Think Dot Activity

Question to ponder: How can you use Think Dots in your classroom? What are the advantages or disadvantages?

Create a Think Dot Activity Create a Think Dot to use in the classroom

in the next few weeks. Record this activity on chart paper. Please be prepared to share this activity

with the workshop participants.

Learning Contracts: Dinner Menu and Tic Tac Toe

Purpose: To provide students with choices of activities that will extend their learning.

Extension Menus

Can be used in any content area and/or across the content areasCan be whole class assignments or individual assignments

Can be used as anchor activities when students complete work before the rest of the class

Can be used as extension activities when students compact out of certain lessons

Can be used as a short-term or long-term project

Dinner Menu:Main Dish Main Dish (Select One):

Measure the length of the objects in the measurement container using any of the nonstandard units we have used in class.

Use the large paper clips to measure the pictures of the objects on the worksheet R 17.1

Complete the “Different Units of Measure” worksheet.

Dinner Menu:Side Dish Side Dish (Select Two):

Read the book The Biggest Fish. Measure the length of the fish in the fishing net to the nearest inch. Then glue them onto a sentence strip from shortest to longest.

Complete the “What’s My Length?” activity. Use a ruler to draw and label lines for the following measurements: 10

inches, 5 inches, 3 centimeters, 15 centimeters, 1 foot, 1 inch, 3 inches, and 10 centimeters.

Organize the pictures of the objects in order from smallest to largest. Complete the “How Far to the Dragon’s Lair?” activity sheet

Dinner Menu:Dessert Dessert (Optional- Choose 1):

Draw a map. Label 4 locations on your map with a large dot. Using you ruler draw lines to connect these locations. Measure and label these lines on your map to the nearest inch. Write a story problem on an index card that can be solved using your map.

Read How Big is a Foot? Then pick 5 objects from the measurement container to measure using a small paper clip, an eraser, and a ruler. Complete the worksheet for this activity.

Tic Tac Toe (Choose One Activity from Each Row):The Northeast Region and The Sign of the Beaver

Create a graph (e.g bar, line, or pie) that compares the populations of 3 Northeastern States in 2015.

Create a PowerPoint Presentation relating the 5 Themes of Geography to the Northeastern Region.

Autumn is a time of beautiful color in the Northeast. Write a poem about the many colors of

the leaves. Illustrate it. 

Choose a scene from The Sign of the Beaver to illustrate. Write a paragraph describing this scene. Make sure your words and thoughts are as powerful as the event.

Imagine you are Matt living without parents for a long period of time. Write at least 3 diary entries describing typical experiences while hunting. Be sure your entries include what you see, hear, feel, and think.

Draw a time line and place on it the major events that happened from the time Matt’s parents left and the time they came back home.

Compare and contrast the life of Matt to the life of Attean. Use complete sentences and the transition words you learned in class.

Make a chart listing all of the Northeast states. Include each state's population, capitol, nickname, flower, song, state bird, and state motto. Arrange the states in order from least to greatest population..

Write and answer ten questions on index cards about the Northeast region.

Question goes on front, answer on back.

Tic Tac Toe (Choose One Activity from Each Row):

Create a Think Dot Activity for the first day of school (e.g Getting to Know you Activity).

Create a Dinner Menu for a Math lesson.

Create a binder of different DI templates.

Search the internet for Tic Tac Toe planners to be used in different content areas.

Search the internet for a Dinner Menu and share it with a primary teacher.

Search the internet for a Dinner Menu and share it with an intermediate teacher.

Discuss with your team various ways these activities could be used in writing.

Discuss with your team how these activities could be used in your classroom.

Discuss with your team which activity is your favorite and explain why?

Create an Extension Menu Activity

Where can you use an extension menu in your classroom?