How To Best Differentiate Instruction

An example to add substance.

It is one thing to talk about differentiation of instruction, but I have always found that a hands on example if very helpful. Below you will find a social studies test that my students took a few weeks ago. I met with the regular education teacher that I co-teach with, and together we created two versions of the test. You will notice that the content for each test is identical. This is important to ensure that every student is learning the same material. The only difference is how the information is presented to them.

First lets look at the unmodified test.

Europe Test Name ____________________________

Part 1: Map Identification. Physical (1 points each)

1. ______________________________ 9. ______________________________

2. ______________________________ 10. _____________________________

3. ______________________________ 11. _____________________________

4. ______________________________ 12. _____________________________

5. ______________________________ 13. _____________________________

6. ______________________________ 14. _____________________________

7. ______________________________ 15. _____________________________

8. ______________________________

Part 2: Fill in the Blank (2 points each)

1. Two reasons that Europe is one of the global economic powers include __________ ____________ and _________________.

2. _________________ are the type of landform that best describes the continent of Europe.

3. The ______________ ______________ affected Europe by transforming it from an agricultural society to an industrial society.

4. The _____________ ______________ has built economic unity among the countries of Europe.

5. The _____________ River in Eastern Europe and the _____________ River in Western Europe are the two major rivers in the continent.

6. The snow-capped ______________ are Europe’s highest mountains, towering over the central and southern parts of the continent.

7. All Western cultures have their roots in the ancient periods of Classical _______________ and _______________.

8. Competition among European nations in the past led to two __________ _____________ and a bitter division into communist and democratic areas.

9. Today countries such as France,_____________ Germany, _____________, and the United Kingdom rank among the world’s top manufacturing centers.

10. Most Europeans practice the ____________________ religion.

Part 3: Country-Capital Matching. Write the letter of the capital that matches in the space to the left of the country. (1 point each)

_____ 1. Ireland A. Athens

_____ 2. Russia B. Reykjavik

_____ 3. Denmark C. Berlin

_____ 4. Greece D. Copenhagen

_____ 5. Hungary E. Vienna

_____ 6. Italy F. Budapest

_____ 7. United Kingdom G. Dublin

_____ 8. France H. Kiev

_____ 9. Germany I. London

_____ 10. Spain J. Madrid

_____ 11. Belarus K. Moscow

_____ 12. Austria L. Paris

_____ 13. Iceland M. Minsk

_____ 14. Poland N. Rome

_____ 15. Ukraine O. Warsaw

Part 4: Map Identification. Political (1 point each)

1. ______________________________ 9. _______________________________

2. ______________________________ 10. _______________________________

3. ______________________________ 11. _______________________________

4. ______________________________ 12. _______________________________

5. ______________________________ 13. _______________________________

6. ______________________________ 14. _______________________________

7. ______________________________ 15. _______________________________

8. ______________________________

Part 5: Identification. We will choose four of the following terms. Your job is to explain the significance of those terms in complete sentences. Be sure to provide at least one example related to Europe. (5 points each)

European Union Industrial Revolution Cold War

Imperialism Communism Ethnic Cleansing

Princip Gavrilo

Term # 1 - ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Term # 2 - ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Term # 3 - ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Term # 4 - ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Now here is the modified test. You will notice that the content is identical.

Europe Test Name ____________________________

Part 1: Map Identification. Physical (1 points each)

Strait of Gibraltar Black Sea Pyrenees Mtns North Sea

Thames River Alps Caucasus Mountains Italian Peninsula

Seine River Ural Mountains Balkan Peninsula Scandinavian Peninsula

Northern European Plains Iberian Penninsula Mediterranean Sea

1. ______________________________ 9. ______________________________

2. ______________________________ 10. _____________________________

3. ______________________________ 11. _____________________________

4. ______________________________ 12. _____________________________

5. ______________________________ 13. _____________________________

6. ______________________________ 14. _____________________________

7. ______________________________ 15. _____________________________

8. ______________________________

Part 2: Fill in the Blank (2 points each)

Alps Christian Danube River European Union

Greeks Industrial Revolution Italy Deep Harbors

Natural Resources Peninsula Poland Rhine River

Romans French Revolution Russia World Wars

1. Two reasons that Europe is one of the global economic powers include __________ ____________ and _________________.

2. _________________ are the type of landform that best describes the continent of Europe.

3. The ______________ ______________ affected Europe by transforming it from an agricultural society to an industrial society.

4. The _____________ ______________ has built eeconomic unity among the countries of Europe.

5. The _____________ River in Eastern Europe and the _____________ River in Western Europe are the two major rivers in the continent.

6. The snow-capped ______________ are Europe’s highest mountains, towering over the central and southern parts of the continent.

7. All Western cultures have their roots in the ancient periods of Classical _______________ and _______________.

8. Competition among European nations in the past led to two __________ _____________ and a bitter division into communist and democratic areas.

9. Today countries such as France,_____________ Germany, _____________, and the United Kingdom rank among the world’s top manufacturing centers.

10. Most Europeans practice the ____________________ religion.

Part 3: Country-Capital Matching. Write the letter of the capital that matches in the space to the left of the country. (1 point each)

_____ 1. Ireland A. Athens

_____ 2. Russia B. Reykjavik

_____ 3. Greece C. Warsaw

_____ 4. Italy D. Berlin

_____ 5. United Kingdom E. Dublin

_____ 6. France F. Moscow

_____ 7. Germany G. London

_____ 8. Spain H. Madrid

_____ 9. Iceland I. Paris

_____ 10. Poland J. Rome

_____ 11. Austria AA. Kiev

_____ 12. Ukraine BB. Minsk

_____ 13. Hungary CC. Vienna

_____ 14. Belarus DD. Copenhagen

_____ 15. Denmark EE. Budapest

Part 4: Map Identification. Political (1 point each)

Austria Germany Italy Poland United Kingdom

Denmark Greece Netherlands Russia Ukraine

France Iceland Norway Sweden Portugal