Cycle 2
Basic Information
All Stars of David
Chet, Ella, and Robert
Research Lesson Class: 9th Grade Humanities
Research Lesson Class: 9th Grade Humanities
Dec 2023 - Feb 2024
Research Question
How do we differentiate a lesson to make class engaging for all students?
We will design tasks with open-ended questions to spark curiosity and creativity.
Theory of Action
If we employ differentiated levels of reading while students are making sense of the author’s arguments, then students will have greater access to understanding the learning goals of the lesson.
We’ll see if it’s working by looking at students’ writing.
Focus Students
Manny is an English Language Learner who brings a passion for learning with him each day when he comes to class. He has steadily improved his reading, writing, and listening throughout the year. He has needs in accessing texts that have difficult vocabulary and grammar structures.
Dru is a high achieving student with a great attitude, a hard working demanor, and a desire to be grow academically. Dru reads above his grade level, and engages best when he feels he is being challenged with difficult material.
Gianni is a student with an IEP who brings charisma, and energy with him to class each day. Gianni has needs in getting started with work, however, once he is able to pace himself and get staretd, he is capable of producing great work.
Content Understanding Goals
Students will be able to understand the argument that the author is trying to make and can cite text-based evidence as to why they think the author is trying to make that argument.
Students will understand that other people present a curated image, and internally, we are alike in our hopes, fears, and insecurities.
Equity Goal
By differentiating the text into 5 different levels, students are able to access the text at whichever level they feel comfortable.
By giving students different access points to the content, it is our goal to allow every student to part of the collective conversation, and create an environment where everyone feels that their voice can be heard.
Student Data
After reading the article at the level they chose, and discussing similar questions with other students at their table, students individually wrote the answers to the following questions on a Google Doc in class.
After reading the article at the level they chose, and discussing similar questions with other students at their table, students individually wrote the answers to the following questions on a Google Doc in class.
Focus Students
Manny was absent the day of the Research Lesson
Directions: Choose which level you want to read, and try your best to understand what the writer is talking about. Then answer the questions.
Which level did you choose?
Difficult
What argument is the writer trying to make?
That people should open up more about their feelings because it would be better instead of trying to guess based on little tendencies and facial expressions.
How can you tell he’s trying to make that argument? Use examples from the text.
Evidence from the text includes the following sentences. Many aspects of human behavior that we might think of as unusual or strange are actually quite common, though they're not often openly discussed. The second sentence is, “We can't always assume that others share our deepest thoughts and feelings, which can lead to feelings of isolation and misunderstanding.”
Do you agree or disagree with the argument? Why or why not?
I agree that people should open up about their feelings but only if they want to because some people don’t want to open up or can’t open up because of their own personal reasons.
Directions: Choose which level you want to read, and try your best to understand what the writer is talking about. Then answer the questions.
Which level did you choose?
medium
What argument is the writer trying to make?
There is no such thing as normal
How can you tell he’s trying to make that argument? Use examples from the text.
The idea of what is "normal" doesn't always match up with the reality of human experiences
Do you agree or disagree with the argument? Why or why not?
Yes because we all feel and experience things differently
Other Students
Directions: Choose which level you want to read, and try your best to understand what the writer is talking about. Then answer the questions.
Which level did you choose?
Pro
What argument is the writer trying to make?
The concept of normalcy limits what we think of when we think of an average person. A lot of stuff we find weird about ourselves is pretty normal for everyone to experience and feel weird about. The only way we can stop that feeling of isolation is by reaching out to each other to better understand what is actually normal, and not just what we're told is normal. By thinking of other people like us, we can also recognize that A) our society's sense of normalcy is deeply flawed, and B) because of this, each of us are not abnormal for having universal human experiences.
How can you tell he’s trying to make that argument? Use examples from the text.
The text has a vast amount of sentences I could use to illustrate this point, but a few that stuck with me were:
“Any idea of the normal currently in circulation is not an accurate map of what is customary for a human to be.” This shows me that the author takes issue with the current concept of normalcy. He says later, “The journey to self-knowledge needs to begin with a better map of the
terrain of normality.” This shows the crux of his argument, that seeing yourself as normal starts by seeing others as normal as well.
Do you agree or disagree with the argument? Why or why not?
I agree wholeheartedly with the argument, and thought the author presented it in a succinct and thoughtful way. If we want to treat ourselves and others as human, and not uniquely flawed or all the same, we must deconstruct what we deem normal, and think about why those traits have become the default.
Directions: Choose which level you want to read, and try your best to understand what the writer is talking about. Then answer the questions.
Which level did you choose?
Easy
What argument is the writer trying to make?
We are all different and we can't tell how each other are feeling.
How can you tell he’s trying to make that argument? Use examples from the text.
“Everyone is different, and we all have feelings like being happy, sad, or angry. Sometimes we feel shy or worried, and that's okay.” thats the author openly telling us what he thinks.
Do you agree or disagree with the argument? Why or why not?
I do agree with him. Why i agree i because i think everyone is different and we might not get each other.
Directions: Choose which level you want to read, and try your best to understand what the writer is talking about. Then answer the questions.
Which level did you choose?
Advanced
What argument is the writer trying to make?
I think the writer is trying to say that people feel emotions and its okay to feel the, but some people may not find it ti be alright since nobody really talks about the effects of mental health
How can you tell he’s trying to make that argument? Use examples from the text.
“The presumption that others share our deepest vulnerabilities is precarious, leading to a sense of isolation and incomprehension.” This sentence shows that people could be ashamed of their feelings because they don’t really talk about, and possibly think their feelings aren't valid
Do you agree or disagree with the argument? Why or why not?
I do agree with it because it is pretty common that people feel this way
Student Feedback
On January 24, 2024 before implementing Differentiation in my classroom, I asked students to fill out an exit ticket survey to give me feedback on how to improve my class. Here are the results:
- i would want to learn more about history
- More time to do things.
- More challenging assigments
- Learning stuff that we're actually going to do in the real world.
- Working together more and having more group work
- More like activity assignments and not like activity as in saying there is one and then giving us a entire essay to create and say its fun but like a genuinely fun assignment. Im not sure if that made any sense.
- anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i would love to learn more about symbolism or how to write natural action or dialog or how the political systems of OTHER countries work and why! anything challenging please please please ill give you 10000billion dollars
- less small projects and longer due dates for bigger projects, assignments that will prepare us for future experiences
- idrk i like how we took it easy this class
On January 30, 2024 one week after implementing Differentiation in my classroom, I asked students to fill out a similar exit ticket survey to give me feedback on how to improve my class. I also asked students how engaged they felt in their work. Here are the results:
- I think it’s good
- Nothing it’s good right now
- I think it’s already good as it is.
- Nothing. Everything is fine
- Maybe more help if we are stuck on our plan next step.
- I think it’s good the way it is
- If my group didn’t go by the deadlines so strictly that we lose out on progress
- Idk
- Give us more time
- It’s fine how it is
- nuthin
On Februray 9, 2024 nearly three weeks after implementing Differentiation in my classroom, I asked students to fill out a similar exit ticket survey to give me feedback. This time, in addition to engagement with their work, I asked students one thing they were learning from this new style of teaching. Here are the results:
- Asking to interview is really hard
- How to film a short film and how difficult it is to write a script
- Pick people you can actually work with well
- How to improvise without the whole group
- I feel like I’ve been learning how to focus more.
- Learning to do my share of the work
- Time management
- Group projects are really enjoyable when the project is fun and engaging.
- how to collaborate better
- How to regulate how much work I do
- I have learned about the tendencies and patterns that the people working with me have. I have learned how to work in groups better and how to incorporate ideas.
- it’s easier to communicate than stay quiet
Cycle 2 Reflection
Cycle 2 has in many ways shifted the way that I think about teaching and learning. I find myself re-thinking the ways that I teach, in a good way, but I also know I’m not quite there yet. I went into Differentiation looking for strategies on how to create more access to students for certain kinds of content. I came away with it radically changing how I teach my class. The best way to explain this is visually.
I started treating teaching more like project management. I was still teaching content and skills, but often in smaller groups and in various ways. I introduced students to Trello, a software management website that I used to use at my old job, managing a tutoring company. Students were working on small projects, and they all learned how to manage their own project work and schedule with Trello. Here are some of what their Trello pages looked like.
Student engagement went up, productivity went up, and what felt like real productive struggle through team work went up. It felt a bit more chaotic, but in a kind of chaotic way that I like. The research lesson that I put my work and effort into was helpful, and is a strategy I’ll use for some reading content, but what it really allowed to me do was try this new form of teaching. Students started to take charge of their education in a a new way, and started to care about the quality of their work in a way I’d never seen.
The projects all came from the book “Wicked Arts Assignments” and provided students to engage in creative opportunities, collaboration, and gave them voice and choice in a way they hadn’t experienced before. When many of the groups struggled, I was able to check in with them, help redirect, or sometimes I just sat back and let them figure it out on their own. I was able to teach 26 individual students in this, whereas before I felt like I was teaching a class of 26 students. I got to know students better and through their authentic work. Below is some of their final work from the projects.