The document outlines various strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of gifted students, including acceleration, curriculum compacting, choice boards, and technology applications. It emphasizes teacher attitudes, parental support, and proper implementation monitoring as key factors for success. Additionally, it provides examples of interactive activities and resources to enhance learning experiences.

1. Dare to Differentiate!
By: Sarah Roberts

2. Table of Contents
Strategies for Differentiation
1. Acceleration & Curriculum Compacting
2. IEPs for the Gifted
3. Choice Menu Boards
4. Centers
5. Technology
6. Enrichment
Click me!

3. Acceleration
• Grade skipping
• Telescoping – students move quickly through the materials, so they complete
several years of curriculum in less time; ex: grades 6, 7, 8, and 9 are completed in
three years rather than four. No material is skipped in telescoping.
• Early entrance – usually into kindergarten or college
• Acceleration in specific content areas – at the high school level there are Advanced
Placement and International Baccalaureate programs
• Curriculum Compacting – define the goals of a unit, determine and document what
a student has already mastered, provide replacement for what the student has
already mastered for a more challenging curriculum (See IEP on the next slide)
• Strategies: special classes, tutoring, independent study, online coursework or
learning programs, mentoring
• My strategy for younger grades: Teach the whole class at the beginning of the
subject and the gifted child at the end. Have the regular students do their
independent work while the gifted child is learning, and have the gifted child do
their independent work while you teach the rest of the class the next day.
Factors that enhance success with acceleration:
1) positive attitudes of teachers
2) timelines related to the decision
3) parental support
4) careful monitoring of the implementation

4. IEP for Gifted Students
The IEP should be discussed at a meeting with the parent, regular education
teacher, gifted teacher, and the student. All participants will know the expectations
and how those expectations can be met with specific projects and materials.

6. Choice Menu Boards –
Tic-Tac-Toe (or Think-Tac-Toe)
Animal Adaptation Menu
Grade 3
Science/Unit Roles of Living Things (Unit E)
Unifying Theme: To survive, living things must adapt to changes in their environment.
Build a Caterpillar! Animal ABC Book Cool Clicks!
What does a caterpillar need Click on Option 3 in the Find a Cool Click video that
in order to fit into its Alphabet Organizer Box. you like and share 3 survival
environment and survive in Write the name of your animal facts about your animal on
the Costa Rican rainforest? and a way that they adapt to your MENU TRACKER card.
Build a Caterpillar! Print their environment. Print your
out your creation and staple to page for our class book. Draw a
your MENU TRACKER card. picture of your animal on your
page and staple to your MENU
TRACKER card.
Helping Babies Survive Endangered Animals You! – a Wildlife Film
Director!
How to penguin parents take Click on Radio Willow Web to
care of their babies? Read this hear what 4th graders are Yes, you can make a movie
book, Penguin, Penguin and learning about endangered in minutes! Make a your
draw a picture to show how animals. Try your own podcast! very own
penguins take care of each wildlife movie to share
other. Staple your picture to with your friends!
your MENU TRACKER card.
Fast Facts! The Wild Classroom Cartoon Talk!
Learn more about a North Go to Wild Classroom and Select an animal cartoon in
American animal and record 3- explore a habitat of your choice. BackTalk. Add your quote
5 Fast Facts about how they Find as many animals as you and print for our Class "Back
adapt to their environment in can. Choose 2 animals and write Talk" Wall!
this encyclopedia called how they are alike and different.
Glossopedia! Write your What would make it difficult for
facts on your MENU TRACKER YOU to survive in the habitiat
card. you chose? Record your notes in
your MENU Tracker Card.

7. 2-5-8 Menu Board
2-5-8 Gary Paulsen Menu Name __________________________
Directions: In this activity, you will need to complete activities worth 2, 5 or 8
points to earn a total of 15 points to earn a 100%. The 15 points will be comprised
of one mandatory 5 point writing assignment and your choice of TWO other
assignments which TOTAL 10 points.
5 POINTS – Mandatory Writing
q Write a paragraph answering the following question: After reading the two stories,
which animal do you think Paulsen has the greatest respect for? Make you use
sentences from the story to support your answer. Also, explain your answer in
detail so that the reader understands why you chose that answer and used that
evidence as support.
Choose TWO activities from the list below. The activities must total 10 points. Place
a checkmark next to each box to show which activities you will complete.
2 POINTS – Knowledge & Comprehension
r Create a story map (plot graph) For “Older Run”.
r Write a one-page journal entry for a typical day in the life Gary Paulsen.
Write from Paulsen’s point of view. Be sure and include details from the
“A Life in the Day.”
5 POINTS – Application & Analysis
r Pretend you are Gary Paulsen. Write five questions that someone interviewing you
might ask. Be prepared to answer them about your (Paulsen’s) life.
r Create a collage on a 8½” by 11” piece of paper to present the mood or tone of
one of Paulsen’s stories. .
q Create a news report which covers the events in one of the
Paulsen stories you read.
q Design a book jacket (see Book Jacket Instructions Handout for details) for one of
Gary Paulsen’s stories.
8 POINTS – Synthesis & Evaluation
r Read another short story by Gary Paulsen. Use a Venn diagram to compare and
contrast the main characters from that story with one of the stories that was read
in class.
r Write a poem or song with at least 15 lines which represents one of
Gary Paulsen’s stories.
r Draw a cartoon with at least 8 cells which tells the continuation or “the
next day” of one of Paulsen’s stories.
© All rights reserved by Cypress Fairbanks ISD, Houston, Texas

8. List Menu

9. Dinner Menu

10. Activities for Menu Boards

11. Evaluating Your Menu Board

12. Centers
• Task cards can have different levels of depth – color code so students know which
cards to use during centers
• Separate centers set up for advanced or below basic learners that only those
students go to
• Provide project and center choices!

13. Using Technology
Khan Academy Video -
http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent
_education.html
Other Technology Used for Differentiation
• http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/ - Site used for gathering good
information from the internet in order to do online learning activities or
research.
• http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/atv/curriculum/ - A
library of unique videos that can bring the greatest achievers of our age
into your classroom to help your students learn. Most videos are free to
download.

14. Enrichment
Centers or Activities for
Early Finishers
Independent Study More Creative or
Extensive Activities

15. Enrichment – My Contribution to Differentiation
Directions: Read the myth and complete at least one of the
related activities.
Activity 1: Write a poem to express the story of Arachne. How
would you feel if you had lost what you loved most? How would being a spider
Arachne change your life? Select one of the poem types below and write a poem using
the format. None of the poems need to rhyme. Also, don’t forget a title!
Arachne was a young girl who loved to weave both day
and night. She wove the finest wool and silk. People Haiku: A poem with three lines. The first line has 5 syllables (meaning beats
came from near and far to see her beautiful work.
in a word; Example: spi-der has two syllables). The second line has 7
They exclaimed, “You must have been taught by
Athena, the goddess of crafts!” At first, Arachne said
syllables and the last line has 5. Haiku poems are usually about nature or
that no one taught her. As the people persisted, animals. Write a poem about Arachne the spider.
saying that someone must have given her such wisdom, she said that not even
Athena could make goods as fine as hers.
Bio Poem: This poem expresses who someone is and how they feel. The
poem begins with “I am _________________.” and ends with the same line. For
Athena was upset by this, and appeared before Arachne. Athena asked
the middle of the poem, choose at least four of the phrases below (or create
Arachne if she still felt she was better than the goddess. Arachne said, “Yes. I
your own!). These phrases will complete the poem and tell how Arachne feels
am a better weaver than you.”
during a part of the story.
Athena arranged a contest where each woman would weave on their loom.
Zeus would be the judge of the competition. If he deemed Arachne’s work to I wonder… I want… I cry…
be superior, Athena vowed to never use the loom again. However, if Athena’s
work was better, then Arachne had to promise the same. I hear… I pretend… I say…
The day of the competition, Arachne wove a beautiful tapestry. It was thin I see… I touch… I try…
and light, yet it was strong. It was made of beautiful colors, and all present
were impressed by her skills. Then, Athena began to weave an even more I give… I have… I become…
enchanting scene, using all the beauty the world offered her.
Changing Poem: In this poem you will describe Arachne changing from a
Athena was angered by the way the woman had boasted and made her feel human to a spider. The first line is, “Arachne, you are changing, changing.”
guilt. Arachne was ashamed of what she had done and suddenly realized she And the last line is, “You are a spider.” In the middle, describe the change
would never weave again. Arachne didn’t even want to live any longer because
Arachne goes through. What does she feel? How does she see the world now?
she could not do what she loved most. Athena took pity on the young girl,
and transformed her into a spider, so she could continue to weave all of her
Describe what she eats, where she lives, what she does, and what she looks
days. like now.

16. Great Resources for You!
• http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com - A
site that has tons of differentiation
strategies, templates, and examples!
• http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/differentiation.
htm - Tons of reading materials on
differentiation
• If you are interested in more menus, check out
Laurie Westphal’s Differentiating Instruction
with Menus books.

17. Differentiated Center Resources
• http://www.teachervision.fen.com/learning-
center/new-
teacher/48462.html?page=1&detoured=1 -
Website for centers
• http://www.slideshare.net/cahadley/hadley-
differentiated-learning-centers-1783131 -
Slideshow on differentiated centers
Book on differentiated literacy
centers by Margo Southall

18. Bibliography
• (2012). Dare to Differentiate Strategies. Retrieved March 13, 2012 from
http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/
• Individual Educational Programming Guide: The Compactor. (1978) Mansfield
Center, CT: Creative Learning Press Inc.
• Individual Educational Programming Guide: Strength-A-Lyzer. (1978) Mansfield
Center, CT: Creative Learning Press Inc.
• Owocki, G. (2005) Time for literacy centers: How to organize and differentiate
instruction. Retrieved from
http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00731/chapter4.pdf
• Position Statement: Acceleration. National Association for Gifted Children.
(2004) Retrieved from http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=383
• Reis, S., & Renzulli, J. (n.d.). Curriculum compacting: a systematic procedure for
modifying the curriculum for above average ability students. School Wide
Enichment Model, 8. Retrieved from
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semart08.html
• Westphal, Laurie (Guest). (2010, March 6). Differentiating Instruction for Gifted
Students [Show 4]. Prufrock Press Podcast. Podcast retrieved from
http://resources.prufrock.com/GiftedEducationBlog/tabid/56/articleType/Articl
eView/articleId/392/Default.aspx
• Westphal, L. (2007). Differentiating Instruction with Menus. Austin, TX: Prufrock
Press Inc.