Summary Sheet for Assignment 2: Differentiated Learning Experience

Name & Student Number: Aimee Eberhard (2135166)

Curriculum (Learning) Area of Lesson or Learning Task: English
Specific Topic of Lesson or Learning Task: The BFG (Roald Dahl) Novel Study
Year Level/s: 6

Differentiation Choices
1. For this assignment, I have chosen to design a differentiated:
Learning Menu or Agenda
Choice Board
RAFT
Summative Assessment Task for Unit of Work
Lesson with Specific Adjustments for Students with Special Needs
Series of Tasks for Learning Centres or Stations
Learning Task or Lesson with Innovative Use of Technology to Support Differentiation

2. My lesson or learning task is differentiated to address differences in student:

Readiness
Interest
Learning profile preferences
The main focus is to cater for student interest by provide choice and ownership over learning, however the
options provided are tiered and offer different ways for students to engage and produce work.

Context
This choice board activity is being used as a summative assessment at the end of a novel study, and would be
introduced to students once they have finished reading the book. Students have been working through the novel
The BFG by Roald Dahl and have been exploring and discussing elements, as well as summarising chapters
whilst reading the story. Throughout the unit student have been completing exit cards and summary questions
that have allowed them to show their understanding of the text. This ongoing process of assessment will be used
to place students in one of two tiers for this task. The reason this activity has been tiered is because it is to be
expected that students will present different levels of thinking when exploring and evaluating the text, some may
present low or higher order thinking. The tiers will then cater for the student readiness in this manner to be able
to push students from their point of readiness to think deeper about the text.

The aim of the choice board as a summative assessment is to allow students to present what they have
discovered through exploring the text, by completing activities.

Students have access to hard copy and electronic copies of the book and are able to listen to the book audibly
on their electronic devices. Having different mediums of the book means that all students have access to the
content.

Learning Objectives
This choice board assessment is to conclude a unit that has been working towards the curriculum content
descriptor of Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content
from a variety of textual sources including media and digital texts (ACELY1713) (ACARA, 2017). This has
students working in reading, writing, speaking and listening modes.
The following sections of the year 6 achievement standard is also guiding the unit:
They analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used by different authors
to represent ideas, characters and events.
They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it.

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 They listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others ideas (ACARA, 2017).
The elaborations, listed below, from the selected content descriptor have been used in particular to guide the
activities completed whilst reading the book and in the choice board, as they focus on particular skills students
should be focusing on;
Making connections between the text and students own experience or other texts
Making connections between information in print and images
Finding specific literal information
Using prior knowledge and textual information to make inferences and predictions
Asking and answering questions
Finding the main idea of a text
Summarising a text or part of a text (ACARA, 2017).

As a result of engaging with this choice board, students will:

Understand that
Students will understand that authors use language features and vocabulary to represent ideas, characters
and events. [Adapted from (ACARA, 2017)]
Students will understand that they can make connections between written stories and their own experiences.

Know Be able to (do)

What a character is. Explain language strategies used by an author to
What an idea could be. enhance ideas, characters and events communicated in a
What an event could be. story.
What a theme is. Make connections between the text and themselves.
Language features they can identify in Explain reasoning behind their decision making.
an authors writing.

Essential Questions

How can language and vocabulary enhance an idea, character or event in a story?
What connections can you make between elements of the book and your life?

Differentiated Learning Task

The choice board task that will be presented to students: (The first choice board represents the lower tier
and the second choice board represents the higher tier.)
Choice Board 1 for The BFG
Instructions: You will need to complete all activities in the compulsory column and then select and complete one activity
from each row. These choices will help you to explore and think about different aspects of The BFG novel. For each activity
you will need to consider the language used by Roald Dahl and connect your response to the text, this may occur through
use of quotations or referring to certain sections, elements or words. Remember to consider how your choice needs to be
presented and how this will affect your response. Your responses will either be handed up or presented to the teacher or
teacher and class depending on the format.

Compulsory
The way the task is
Focus Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3
presented can be
negotiated.

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 Show your
understanding of how a
Select at least 5 words the character of your
author has used to choice would react to
Create, compare and Create a ven-diagram to describe your favourite being bullied at school.
contrast two collages. compare The BFG, character and what they You will need to
One representing your another character and mean. provide explanation
favourite character Row 1 yourself. What are the Illustrate your character behind your choice of
and one representing Character differences and what are and label how those words response.
yourself. Label your the similarities? You create your illustration. Create another
collage to show your could look at physical or Then choose 5 words to response of how you
thinking. personality traits. describe yourself, and would react to the
illustrate and label same situation and
yourself. explain how personality
influences this for you
and your character.
Create a map to capture
the area of where the story
takes place. Will it be in
Use pictures and the same area, or lots of
Create a timeline to Choose one important
words to describe a different areas, far apart or
show the different places setting to the story and
setting the book. close together? Consider
Row 2 introduced in the story. create a travel
Identify a similar place this when creating your
Settings Explain why these brochure that
you have visited and map.
settings are important to showcases its
highlight the Then create a map of your
the story. important features.
similarities. favourite place and
highlight similarities and
differences, and explain
why you think this is.
Create a poster to Create a set of interview
promote one of the main questions to find out what Find at least two songs
Summarise and themes of the story. a character has learnt that reflect the one of
describe one of the Include elements such about one of the themes in the main themes of the
main themes of the Row 3 as; what makes the the book. You then need book. Explain your
story and then explore Theme theme important to the to pretend you are the choices. Then find at
how this theme is story or what does the character and answer the least two songs that
evident in your life. theme mean? You may questions. You may write represent your life and
represent your thoughts this interview or record explain your choices.
with words and visuals. it as a pod cast.

Choice Board 2 for The BFG

Instructions: You will need to complete all activities in the compulsory column and then select and complete one activity
from each row. These choices will help you to explore and think about different aspects of The BFG novel. For each activity
you will need to consider the language used by Roald Dahl and connect your response to the text, this may occur through
use of quotations or referring to certain sections, elements or words. Remember to consider how your choice needs to be
presented and how this will affect your response. Your responses will either be handed up or presented to the teacher or
teacher and class depending on their format.

Compulsory
The way the task is
Focus Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3
presented can be
negotiated.
Imagine you are one of
Create a personal Select at least 5 words Imagine you are one of
the characters in the
profile about one of the the author has used to the characters in the
book.
characters from the describe your favourite book.
Row 1 Create a series of diary
book and also one character and what they Create a pod cast with
Character entries to reflect the
about yourself. See if mean. dialogue and perhaps
story from their
there are any Illustrate your character narration to continue
perspective.
similarities or and label how those the story from their
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 differences, and why words create your perspective, from
this might be. illustration. when the book ends.
Create, compare and
contrast two picture
collages. One collage Use persuasive writing Create a map or
is to represent a setting to show that the Draw or paint an model of an important
in the book and the characters in the book important scene from the place in the story and
other your favourite Row 2 have been influenced by book. Name and caption create a way to
place. Label your Settings the settings they found your image in a way that express the
diagram to show your themselves in. This may captures the importance importance of the
thinking how similar include events or of the scene to the story. place to the characters
are settings in the book physical settings. in the story.
compared to in your
life?
Create a set of interview Find some music and
questions to find out what create lyrics that
Identify one of the main Create a PowerPoint or
a character has learnt reflect one of the main
themes and explain how Prezi presentation that
about one of the themes themes in the book.
it makes an impact on explores at least one of
Row 3 in the book. You then Explain your music
the story. Then explore the key themes of the
Theme need to pretend you are and lyric choices. Then
how that theme impacts story. Include at least 3
the character and answer find some music and
or is prevalent in your different media to
the questions. You may create lyrics that
life and/or wider society. support your exploration.
write this interview or represent your life and
record it as a pod cast. explain your choices.

Introducing the task:

Explore previous learning across unit to orientate student thinking.
Hand out sheets to appropriate students.
Explain to students they will be given one of two boards.
Explain what a choice board is; allows you to choose activities that appeal to you the most, whilst
working towards the same learning objectives.
Explain that they will need to complete all of the tasks in the compulsory column, and then one from
each row to explore character, setting and theme.
Remind students they can revisit their notes around these topics to help them with anything they are
unsure of.
Go through each task on each board so students are able to make informed decisions about which
tasks they would like to complete.
Explain that students have access to iPads and computers as well as pen and paper to work on the
activities, and may work in their own space across the classroom and wet area, so they are
comfortable.
The due date for their work and expectations in relation to work quality and presentation.
Explain to students how they will be assessed; they will be assessed on their level of depth and
analysis used in answers. It is important then that they focus on thinking carefully about how they are
answering the task, and making connections to the book where necessary.
Allow time in the introduction for students to ask any questions.

Explanation:
The task presented to students is a choice board summative task. The choice board task will allow students to
have choice over which 3 assessment tasks they would like to complete. Choosing a task from each row is what
lends it to being a choice board (School of Education, 2017, p. 61). A compulsory task column has also been
added for elements of content that needs to be explored. Students still however, have choice over how these
tasks are presented. In the column a suggestion has been made to assist some students as this may interest
them, but students are able to be creative about it if they wish.

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This task has been differentiated as it allows students to work in different ways, but they are all still working
towards the same learning goal. It has been designed to differentiate according to student differences in interest,
readiness and learning preferences. This allows all students to engage in an activity that they can be excited
about, is at their readiness level and can be produced in a manner that suits them. Differentiating for interest
predominantly refers to connecting student interest to curriculum learning or providing opportunities for students
to discover new interests (Department of Education and Communities, 2015). The choice board allow students
to select activities based on which ones appeal to them. This could be based on interest in the content the activity
allows them to explore or it could be because of the way the activity is being produced.

Learning preferences or profiles ensures efficiency of learning and is shaped by learning style, gender, culture
and intelligence preference, and is therefore unique to each child, and can even differ for the one student of
topics or activities (Department of Education and Communities, 2015). The element of variety for each child
means it is important to always offer variety as assumptions cannot be made. Students have access to different
presentation choices for each row, and as outlined in the task introduction can choose the medium they work
on, as well as their location so they can choose a learning space that is tailored by and for them. Students are
also able to work at their own pace, and are in control of their own learning.

The task also allows students to work in their zone of proximal development, as it has been tiered to offer
differentiation for readiness. Two choice boards have been presented, and these take into account students level
of readiness based off of ongoing assessment over the course of the unit. The ongoing assessment has been
exit cards and summaries of readings. It is important to base tiering off of this assessment as readiness between
subjects and concepts differs for students. As there is two tiers it is a representation of differentiating for
readiness as this involves providing learning choices at different levels of difficulty (Department of Education
and Communities, 2015, p. 1). Providing each tier with a choice board that is set up the same lends itself to being
a respectful task. Students are aware they will all be completing different activities at the same time and can
choose what they would like to complete which does not make one task better or more appealing to another.

It is important to consider differentiating aspects of learning for students to ensure teaching for inclusive
education is occurring. Inclusive education ensures that all students have equal access to learning (Ainscow,
2013).

References
ACARA. (2017). The Australian Curriculum. Retrieved 4 March 2017, from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.
Ainscow, M. (2013). Making sense of inclusive education, Trinity Education Papers, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 2-11.
Department of Education and Communities. (2015). Differentiating according to readiness, interests,
learning profiles. Retrieved 2 April 2017, From
http://www.ssgt.nsw.edu.au/documents/4_readiness_profile.pdf.
School of Education, Flinders University (2017). Workshop Materials Differentiation for Diverse Learners,
Non-Semester 1. [EDUC4721]. Adelaide: Flinders University.

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