Meeting Learner's Needs

TEKS Identify your content area and grade level My content area is English with an emphasis on grades 7 through 12. Create a tiered assignment (at least 7) for that content level. Example within module The classroom is now becoming very heterogeneous. Students due in part to cultural influences are now becoming more diverse. This diversity, although a benefit to the class, also provides opportunities in regards to tiered assignments. I will use tiered assignments particularly to help motivate and engage students who are at varying levels of comprehension.

These assignments will ensure that students explore ideas the foster continued growth while also building a solid foundation of knowledge (1). I would begin a classroom session with an entry question. This question is designed to review particular concepts from the prior day's lesson. This entry question will be tiered incorporated two questions. One question will be "At grade level." The second question will be "Above grade level." The entry cards will be grouped into two categories. Those who understand the concept and those who do not.

Students will be placed in these categories based on observations from the prior day's class. The second tiered assignment will analyze the use of persuasive techniques in writing. The assignments will ask two questions.

The first will be to "Describe 5 techniques people use to persuade others to believe their point-of-view." The second assignment will then be to, "underline, and label at least 3 persuasive arguments in a short paragraph in which you attempt to convince me you to assign less homework." The results of this pre-assessment will be collected and placed into two groups. Group A who understands the concepts and group b that does not. Future persuasive argument assignments will be based on which category the student is in (2).

The third tiered assignment will comprise of group activities that utilize the extension menu. The group will read the book "Jumping the Nail." The group will then be asked to demonstrate a text-to-self or text-to-world connection and understanding of peer pressures middle- schoolers' face. This assignment will utilize the extension menu for its content. The extension menu will provide choices for the content within the group activity. It will also provide alternative activities that address the differing abilities, interests, or learning styles of students.

Below is an example of a tiered group assignment utilizing the extension menu to provide options for students. The tiered assignment will be based of the book "Jumping the Nail" which involves peer pressure. This topic is particularly relevant to the age demographic that I will be teaching.

1) Write a script about peer pressured middle schoolers 2) Create a comic strip illustration depicting peer pressure 3) Shoot a shirt firm about the peer pressure issue 4) Write a picture book about the peer pressure issue The grading rubric will be as follows Scoring Metric 0 points 1 point Props No props were utilized Props were utilized and were creative Costumes Costumes were no present Costumes were present Presentation Lines were not memorized Lines were memorized and presenting clearly to the audient The fourth tiered assignment would ask students to read Andy Rooney's piece, "America the Not so-Beautiful" Students will then be required to writer a persuasive piece about a school issue of their choosing.

The student must identify their audience and select what they believe to be effective techniques to convince the audience. The student will then describe the techniques and why they chose them. The fifth tiered assignment combine business and English is selling an imaginative product. The focus will be on the use of language in marketing techniques with products. The students through this tiered assignment will be in a position to better determine effective communication skills.

The pre- assessment assignment will be to describe 5 techniques people use to persuade others to believe a particular point-of-view. The students will then label at least 3 of these techniques in a short paragraph in which they attempt to sell a unique product to other classmates. The effectiveness of the assignment will be broken up into three groups (3).

Group A: Those who struggle to articulate the description and use of techniques (CBA) Group B: Those who have a handle on the description and use of techniques (CBA), but do not effectively communicate their arguments Group C: Those who have a handle on the description and use of techniques (CBA) Depending on the group assignment, the students will have a different assignment Groups Group A Create a TV commercial to persuade the audience Group B Create a commercial 50 years from now that advertising flying cars Group C Create a cost benefit analysis, a time line for development of the flying car, and video advertisements The sixth tiered assignment will be another group activity.

In this activity the students are to investigate characteristics of sentence structure. The goal is to draw conclusions about the general structure of sentences. Each group will share their findings when finished in order for all to have a complete picture. I will create groups of 3-4 students, based on pre? assessed readiness.

There are two tasks, but some tasks may be done by multiple groups; in other words, there may be two or more groups doing the same task, depending on how many students are at the same readiness level. The first group students will be given four paragraphs. Two of the paragraphs will have perfect structure and two paragraphs will not. They are to read and discuss the paragraphs and sentence structure amongst themselves. The second group will be charged with creating four paragraphs from scratch.

This group must critique and attempt to make the paragraphs perfect. Both groups will then exchange papers. The first group must identify mistakes of the second. The second group must critique the first groups work and identify missed errors. To conclude the seventh tiered assignment will use a tiered exit card. The exit card will incorporate a final question that incorporates the lesson plan of the day.

There will be two cards "A grade level exit card" and an "Above grade level exit card." Much like the entry card, the exit card will be separated into two categories of student comprehension. These categories include students who understand the concepts and students who do not. Create a choice menu for your content area. Extension Choice Menu discussed above. Include rubrics used. Example rubric is mentioned above. Include relevant TeXeS competencies for your content area used in this assignment.

Be sure to include the number, letter, and text of the competency (ies). Tiering assignment 2 through 5 relate to the TExES competency 001, Generalist EC-6. This competency states that teacher must know and understand the importance of oral language. The first tiering assignment also address competency 002 relating to diversity in the classroom. The standard relates to understanding diversity and building an atmosphere that promotes diversity. The tiered assignment based on persuasive writing is relevant to competency 003 which states that the teacher understands the structure and development.