1st Edition
Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner Standards-Based Activities and Extensions for Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner supports middle school teachers in teaching all students, including those with high ability. The book contains extension lessons in each content area with learning activities that align to the national content standards, embed ELA Common Core Standards, and correlate to DOK levels. The extension lessons provide for active learning tailored to address multiple learning levels. Using this semi-structured process ensures differentiated learning experiences that align to the standards while also respecting that students have different interests, different methods of learning, and most importantly, that they are learning at different challenge levels. The time is now upon us to emphasize interdisciplinary learning experiences that provide real-world connections and engage students in relevant and meaningful learning. We have long known that while critical for gifted and talented students, these higher level thinking strategies benefit all students.
Foreword by Karin Hess, Ed.D.
Grades 6-8
Biography
Susan Winebrenner is a full-time consultant in staff development. She presents workshops and seminars nationally and internationally, helping educators translate educational research into classroom practice.
Today's teacher is bombarded by multitude of standards coming from seemingly every direction. By the time that many of us were almost comfortable with 21st Century Skills and the Common Core State Standards, we were confronted with the Next Generation Science Standards. Meanwhile the pendulum is swinging from No Child Left Behind to the Every Students Succeeds Act. Combine all of this with the ever-evolving world of technology and increasing demands to differentiate for all students, and many teachers are left wondering, “How do I manage to do it all?”
In Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner, Brulles, Brown, and Winebrenner provide a series of roadmaps to help teachers to find multiple paths to meaningful activities, out of the wilderness of confusion, and into a well structured learning environment. Incorporating Depth of Knowledge, the lessons cover the core content areas as well as areas of music, arts and theater, physical education, and foreign language. The lessons provide not only extensions for advanced students but offer suggestions for all students that go beyond just more of the same. If you have ever had a student who said, “I'm done. I'm bored. What's next?” and wondered what to say, this book is for you.
,Dr. Brian Housand, Professor of Education,East Carolina University, 1/19/16Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner is a fantastic resource for teachers who want to meet the various needs of the students they serve. How much intervention is needed? Does the student need additional help? Or, perhaps she requires something extra challenging? Is the need intense? If so, is remediation or more advanced thinking the answer?
Brulles, Brown and Winebrenner offer teachers quality extension lessons using national standards and Depth of Knowledge Levels 1-4. To make differentiation accessible and easily implementable, all core content areas are broken into subject titles such as Novel Studies, Poetry, Informational Text, United States History, Earth Science, Physics, and Geometry, to name just a few. In addition, 19 of the extension lessons are written for specialist areas and electives coursework.
I highly recommend Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner to everyone who acknowledges the unique needs of the students they serve. I have added it as a go-to resource when consulting with school districts, training teachers, and working with families within the gifted community.
,Tammy L Notehelfer,Gifted Education Consultants, 4/11/16
An absolute “must read” for any classroom teacher needing to craft individualized lessons for middle school students in accordance to today's national, state, and local school district standards, “Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner: Standards-Based Activities and Extensions for Middle School” is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. “Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner” should be a part of every school district and academic library's teacher instructional education resource and reference collections.,Midwest Book Review, 3/1/16
