The Process of Differentiation: Portfolio of Instructional Materials

Classroom Assessment and Differentiation Purpose

Helps the teacher identify students interests and learning profiles. Provides a students point of entry into a unit of study relative to the units stated outcome Guides the teacher in making early instructional adjustments to address student needs. (Tomlinson and Sousa, 2010)

Kind of Assessment

Examples
T-charts Concept maps True/False statements Rank statements on topic using a scale

Diagnostic/ Pre-assessment
(assessment for learning)

Formative
(assessment for learning, assessment as learning)

Summative
(assessment of learning)

Informs the teacher of where the students are at in the midst of a unit or topic. This enables the teacher to make informed changes and adaptations to instruction in order to best meet the needs of the students Allow the students to evaluate their own progress and thus take the initiative to implement change in their own learning. Often not graded. (Tomlinson and Sousa, 2010) Cumulative assessments used to evaluate student growth after instruction and practice throughout and at the end of a semester/unit. Graded (Tomlinson and Sousa, 2010

Red-light, green light response Journal Response White board quick response

Performance Task Unit tests Portfolio Assessments

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

Grade 6 Science Wetlands GLO and SLOs Students will describe the living and nonliving components of a wetland ecosystem and the interactions among them. SLO 5.1: Students will recognize and describe one or more examples of wetland ecosystems found in the local area; e.g., pond, slough, marsh, bog, fen SLO 5.2 Understand that a wetland ecosystem involves interactions between living and nonliving things, both in and around the water. SLO 5.3 Identify some plants and animals found at a wetland site, both in and around the water; and describe the life cycles of these plants and animals. SLO 5.4 Identify and describe adaptations that make certain plants and animals suited for life in a wetland. SLO 5.5 Understand and appreciate that all animals and plants, not just the large ones, have an important role in a wetland community. SLO 5.6 Identify roles of different organisms in the food web of a pond: producers, consumers, and decomposers. SLO 5.7 Draw diagrams of food chains and food webs, and interpret such diagrams. SLO 5.9 Identify human actions that can threaten the abundance of survival or living things in wetland ecosystems. SLO 5.10 Identify individual and group actions that can be taken to preserve and enhance wetland habitats. SLO 5.11 Recognize that changes in part of an environment have effects on the whole environment. Pre-Assessment 1) To determine any background knowledge the students may have regarding wetlands, the preassessment activity will begin with a general class discussion reminding students of what an ecosystem is. They will then be divided into groups of 3 or 4 and provided with a large sheet of paper. As a group, they will develop a concept map including all of the different information they know about the wetlands. They may want to include information on the following: - different types of wetlands - different animals/plants that might be found in a wetland (and their roles) - human influences (that are positive and negative) 2) A second pre-assessment activity may involve individual work, where a student is asked to develop a t-chart including everything they already know (or think they know) about the wetlands, and any questions or clarifications they may need regarding the topic.

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

Grade 7 Math Shape and Space Measurement -- Circles GLO and SLOs General Outcome Students will: Use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems. Specific Outcomes Students will: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of circles by: describing the relationships among radius, diameter and circumference relating circumference to pi determining the sum of the central angles constructing circles with a given radius or diameter solving problems involving the radii, diameters and circumferences of circles. 2. Develop and apply a formula for determining the area of: Circles Achievement Indicators Illustrate and explain that the diameter is twice the radius in a given circle. Illustrate and explain that the circumference is approximately three times the diameter in a given circle. Explain that, for all circles, pi is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter and its value is approximately 3.14. Explain, using an illustration, that the sum of the central angles of a circle is 360. Draw a circle with a given radius or diameter, with and without a compass. Solve a given contextual problem involving circles. Illustrate and explain how to estimate the area of a circle without the use of a formula. Apply a formula for determining the area of a given circle. Solve a given problem involving the area of triangles, parallelograms and/or circles. Pre-Assessment - The students will be informed that they are starting a unit on circles. Each student will be given a knowledge rating sheet: Rate the following according to this scale: 1. I have never heard this term before. 2. I have heard this term before but do not know how it applies to math 3. I understand this term and how it applies to math. ______ radius ______ circumference ______ diameter ______ pi ______ area ______ central angle Do you remember how to find the area of a rectangle? If so, explain.

Have you learned anything else about circles? List some of them here, including anything that relates to the terms above.

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

Formative Assessments: 1) Red-Light, Green-Light Purpose: to have students reflect and evaluate what they learned and how well they understood the concepts being taught during a lesson. Process: After a lesson is completed, the students will be handed a sticky note. They will each need to put their name on top of the sticky note, and describe what they learned about the lesson. After they are done, the teacher will have small groups of students come up and place their sticky note on an image of a traffic light. A sticky not on green means that they fully understand the topic, yellow means theyve almost figured it out, and red means they still need help. Ex: Grade 7 Math GLO: Develop number sense SLO: 5. Demonstrate an understanding of adding and subtracting positive fractions and mixed numbers with like and unlike denominators, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. Learning objective: Students will be able to solve simple addition and subtraction problems involving fractions with like denominators. Once the lesson has been completed, the teacher will hand out a sticky note to each student. They will be told that they need to reflect their understanding of adding/subtracting fractions with like denominators by describing what they learned, providing an example, and adding any other additional information that they want to share. Each student will put their name on the sticky note and place it on the Red-light, Green-light board.

2) Journal Entries Purpose: encourage students to continually reflect on what they are learning, and begin to develop effective communication of learned concepts and ideas. Process: At the end of a lesson, students will write a response in their journals. The teacher may decide to provide guidance depending on the age and capabilities of the students. The journals are handed in periodically in order to allow the teacher to evaluate student progress. Ex: Grade 7 Science Unit C: Heat and Temperature GLO: 2. Describe the nature of thermal energy and its effects on different forms of matter, using informal observations, experimental evidence and models SLO Describe the effect of heat on the motion of particles, and explain changes of state, using the particle model of matter. Learning Objective: Students will be able to list at least 2 characteristics of particles in each state in a chart in their journals by the end of class. Journal Response: Today, after learning about how heat affects the motion of particles, create the following chart and fill it out in your journal. Be as detailed as possible. State Characteristics University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

3) White board quick response Purpose: allow the teacher to assess the students understanding of a topic or concept by asking them to respond to a set of questions on a white board during class. Process: The teacher will hand out the materials needed (white boards, markers, and erasers) and will proceed to ask the students questions. The students will take some time determine their answer to the questions, write it down on the whiteboard, and lift it up for the teacher to see. Ex: Grade 3 Math: Shape and Space GLO: Students will: Describe the characteristics of 3-D objects and 2-D shapes and analyze the relationships among them. SLE: Students will: Sort regular and irregular polygons, including: Triangles Quadrilaterals Pentagons Hexagons Octagons according to the number of sides. Learning Objectives: Students will be able to Identify each polygon by name, number of sides, and shape, by the end of class during the white board response activity. Students will indicate their understanding of the different polygon names, number of sides, and images by answering the teachers questions during the review at the beginning of class. Example questions: What does a triangle look like? How many sides does a pentagon have? What is the name of a shape that has 8 sides?

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

Summative Assessments:

1) Performance Task Purpose: Allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding by applying what theyve learned in a real-life situation. They may be required to: problem-solve, create a product, or demonstrate a skill. Process: Students will be given a task with both group and individual components after sufficient instruction and practice in the content area has occurred. They will be given a couple of days to complete the assignment, which they will hand in to be evaluated. The teacher will provide the students with either a checklist or rubric in order to ensure they know what is expected of them. Community Proposal Performance Task Subject Area: Science Grade Level: 7 Learning Standards: The student will investigate and analyze forces within structures and forces applied to them, investigate and analyze the properties of materials used in structures, and demonstrate and describe processes used in developing, evaluating and improving structures that will meet human needs with a margin of safety. Task Description: A new community is being developed and the government is requesting proposals from different architect firms. Each architect firm will need to present their blueprint to the government officials (teacher and classmates) in a five-minute presentation in order to compete for the contract. There is a designated area of land that has been purchased for the community and it is important that the land is used effectively. In your assigned groups of 4, you must create a design for the layout of the community as well as create a model of a bridge for the presentation. In addition, each group member will be responsible for designing the structure of one building important to the community. Be creative and diligent, as you are bidding for a job. Whole Class Instruction: The students will have background information from the lectures and lessons previously taught in the unit. They are encouraged to use the information that has been provided through their notes, assignments, and Science Focus 7 textbook (Unit 4). Students will have access to the internet to perform additional research for the assignment and will be expected to complete it in an appropriate amount of class time. Group Work: As a group, students will need to: o Choose 4 structures necessary for the community and decide who will design each (examples include: library, town hall, hospital, fire station, water tower, school, etc.). o o Provide a scale drawing of your proposed community layout, with proper measurement and accurate scaling. Create a model of a bridge ! The bridge model must be 30cm long ! The bridge model must be no more than 10 cm wide, and 10 cm tall ! The following materials can be used: popsicle sticks, modeling clay, spaghetti, string, wire, cardboard, ! Provide reasoning as to why you chose the bridge you did, University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

addressing the different types of loads that may be exerted, and the specific type of bridge. Present your proposal, highlighting the layout of the community, which buildings you chose to include, and the bridge you decided to use.

Individual Work: In addition to the group project, each student will complete the following: o Design (on paper) the building you decide to incorporate into your groups city. The design must include proper scale measurements. o Provide a written summary (1-2 pages) about the structure including the following: ! Describe at least 2 ways in which frictional forces will act on their structure and how the design of their structure was created to work with the frictional forces. ! Identify one place in their structure where the forces of tension, compression, shearing and bending are at work. Also address ways the building can be designed to compensate for those forces. ! Identify 4 parts of their structure which uses a specific material that serves a special purpose and give one reason why this material was used there. ! Determine where flexible and fixed joints are used in their structure and one reason why each type of joint was used in each case. ! The students will explain why they chose the materials they used for their structures and at least 3 reasons why they chose that particular material. o Provide a one-paragraph critique of another structure from their group. Highlight one strength and identifying one weakness, offering a suggestion for improvement. o Self-assessment: Describe your role and provide two contributions and two things you learned while working in your group throughout this assignment. Methods of Assessment: Each student will be assessed in the following manner: Design of their structure (16 marks) Summary (24 marks) Critique (4 marks) Self-assessment (4 marks) Model (24 marks) Layout (4 marks) Presentation (8 marks) Group work and use of class-time (4 marks) Total = 88 marks

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

Checklist: Community Proposal Not Yet (0) Some Evidence (1)

Criteria Design of the Structure Is the model to scale? Does the scale match the layout measurement? Is it creative? Summary What are two ways frictional forces will act on your structure? How does your design consider these forces? Where is tension at work in your structure? How will the design incorporate this? Where is compression at work in you structure? How will the design consider this? Where is bending at work in your structure? How will the design consider this? What are 4 places in your structure where a specific material was used? Have you provided at least one reason for each material chosen? Where were fixed and flexible joints used in the structure? Give two reasons why they were used at each point. What material was used in your structure? Give three reasons why you used that material? Critique Did you identify one strength? Did you identify one weakness and provided a suggestion for improvement? Self Assessment What was your role in the group? What two attributes did you contribute to the group? What two things did you learn from group work? Model Does your model meet the required dimensions? Did you provide reasoning for the type of bridge chosen? Did you consider the different types of loads? Does your bridge look like the type you chose? Is your bridge well done? Did you choose appropriate materials for the type and size of model you built? Layout Is the scale accurate? Was the land used effectively? Were considerations made in the design of the community? Presentation Were the key points outlined? Was the design clearly presented? Was the speaking appropriate and clear? Group work and use of class time Did you actively participate? Did your group use class-time effectively?

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

2) Unit Tests Purpose: Assist the teacher in evaluating the comprehension and understanding of students regarding an area of study. As a summative assessment, tests are used as a final evaluation, and should provide a wide variety of questions that reflect the different objectives being taught throughout the unit. Process: A teacher would prepare the students for the test throughout the unit, providing review and additional support to students who need it. Once the material has been taught and reviewed, the test will occur. It is important for the students to have enough time to take the test, which most often occurs in the classroom. 3) Portfolios Purpose: Allows students to reflect their knowledge and understanding through a variety of activities and reflections. Instead of studying material for a test, this allows students to use other means in order to show their understanding, which benefits multiple learning styles. Process: Students will collect material throughout the semester that the teacher has designated for their portfolios. Once the topic has been completed, the students will be asked to organize their portfolios, and reflect on the submissions by either answering guided questions suggested by the teacher, or analyzing how a specific submission meets specific learning requirements. Each student will be given a rubric and checklist to make sure that they know what and how they will be evaluated, and will submit their portfolios after they have had a sufficient amount of time to work on them. The exemplar provided does not fully outline every aspect of the portfolio being implemented, but rather gives a list of the different activities involved and outcomes that will be addressed throughout the unit. Grade 6 Science Wetlands GLO and SLOs Portfolio Summative Assessment Table of Contents: 1. Goals and Reflection 2. Wetland Discovery Journal (Daily log) 3. Important Terms Web and definitions 4. Local wetland fieldtrip reflection 5. Adaptation investigation lab report 6. Brochure/Poster illustrating the roles relationships of different plants and animals within an ecosystem 7. My favorite food web comic 8. Group project presentation on a local ecosystem. 9. Individual poster project on the impacts of humans on wetland ecosystem 10. Portfolio checklist and Rubric

Students will describe the living and nonliving components of a wetland ecosystem and the interactions among them. SLO 5.1: Students will recognize and describe one or more examples of wetland ecosystems found in the local area; e.g., pond, slough, marsh, bog, fen SLO 5.2 Understand that a wetland ecosystem involves interactions between living and nonliving things, both in and around the water. SLO 5.3 Identify some plants and animals found at a wetland site, both in and around the water; and describe the life cycles of these plants and animals. SLO 5.4 Identify and describe adaptations that make certain plants and animals suited for life in a wetland. SLO 5.5 Understand and appreciate that all animals and plants, not just the large ones, have an important role in a wetland community. SLO 5.6 Identify roles of different organisms in the food web of a pond: producers, consumers, and decomposers. SLO 5.7 Draw diagrams of food chains and food webs, and interpret such diagrams. SLO 5.9 Identify human actions that can threaten the abundance of survival or living things in wetland ecosystems. SLO 5.10 Identify individual and group actions that can be taken to preserve and enhance wetland habitats. SLO 5.11 Recognize that changes in part of an environment have effects on the whole environment.

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education