Tiered activities are activities that differ in levels of complexity, but not in format. The lowest level must still meet standards and benchmarks, while the highest level is meant to enrich. It is key that students have choice, but the teacher should reserve the right to guide more capable students toward higher level activitites.

1. Presented by Lindsay Mountain and Natasha
Hritzuk

2. 3-2-1 Assumption
Wall
What we know about
differentiation
Differentiation strategies we
have tried
Concerns or Question
www.wallwisher.com/wall/as
sumptionwall

3. The What, the Why, and the
How of Tiered Activities
Bloom’s Levels of Thinking
Poster provided by Derek Cutler
WHAT: Teach the same concepts
and skills, but at different levels
of complexity
WHY: Children are at different
levels of readiness
HOW:
 Levels are increasingly complex
 Student Choice, but reserve the
right to guide

4. Processing Activity
Move around the room to the beat of
the music.
When you hear the music stop, turn
and talk to the person closest to you
about the assigned question.

5. Question #1:
What is differentiation?

6. Question #2:
What are Tiered
activities ?

7. Question #3
What is an assignment
that you currently
assign your students,
that you could possibly
tier today?

8. Flexible Grouping
Strategy
Find the Colored
Table card that
matches the color
your name is written
in on your tiered
activities packet.

9. Tiered Math Activity
RED
200 x 3= a
40 x 30 =a
900 x 90=a
40 x a = 160,000
You will have 60 seconds to solve for a. Select the level you feel most
comfortable with.
BLUE
80 x 80 = a
(2 x 10) x 7 = a
4 x 9 x 5 = a
4 x (25 x 19) = a
BLACK
700.a =2100
50 (2 x 27) =a
25 (16 x a) =1600
A= (25x25) x (4x12)

10. Tiered Activities in Action
 Read “The Grave is a Fine and Private Place,”
with your partner.
 Match Mrs. Gathercole’s sequence of
activities to each stage in the “designing a
tiered activity,” chart.

11. Initial Planning Form for a Tiered Unit
Theme or Topic: Landforms

12. Initial Planning Form for a Tiered Unit
Theme or Topic: Landforms
Standards/Benchmarks:
1. I.D. various landforms and bodies of water
2. Compare and contrast the physical features of the land

13. Initial Planning Form for a Tiered Unit
Theme or Topic: Landforms
Standards/Benchmarks:
1. I.D. various landforms and bodies of water
2. Compare and contrast the physical features of the land
Possible Student Activities Level of difficulty
1. Define mountain, valley, plain, desert,
river, lake, ocean, island using a dictionary and drawing a picture 1
2. Identify each landform on a map of the U.S. Color code to indicate 2
Landforms and their elevation.

14. Initial Planning Form for a Tiered Unit
Theme or Topic: Landforms
Standard/Benchmarks:
1. I.D. various landforms and bodies of water
2. Compare and contrast the physical features of the land
Possible Student Activities level of difficulty
1. Define mountain, valley, plain, desert, river, lake, ocean, 1
island using a dictionary and drawing a picture
 Write a paragraph using these vocabulary words. 2
 Write a poem describing the valley, plain, desert, river, lake, ocean
and island. 3
2. Identify each landform on a map of the U.S. and color code to indicate
the elevation of each landform (include a legend). 2
 Label a map of the U.S. with landforms and add lakes and oceans 1
 Identify landforms on a map of the U.S. using a color coded legend, and
write 2-3 activities that might be popular in that area 3