1. Michelle Patenaude Post University
Differentiating Social Studies Instruction: A Grade One Unit on Community
Michelle Patenaude
Post University

2. CT K-8 Social Studies Frameworks
Educational Context
First Grade general education classroom
Experienced with differentiating instruction for literacy and math
This year, we will implement the new Social Studies Frameworks
CT K-8 Social Studies Frameworks
Outline common themes, essential questions and core content
All students need to access this material to understand the key ideas of citizenship, social skills and cultural awareness

3. Rationale for Differentiation
Content
Process
Product
Essential Social Studies content like geography, economics and history can be accessed in many ways (Mindes, 2015).
Tiered activities and questioning can be varied for levels of support
Balance choice with teacher direction to encourage students to move beyond their comfort zone (Fitzgerald, 2016).
Guidance/Modeling on structured, concrete tasks befor emoving to open-ended, abstract tasks (Tomlinson, 2001).
Real-world, authentic inquiries (Mindes, 2015).
Personally meaningful to students’ lives (Tomlinson, 2001).
Common expectations for all students (Tomlinson, 2001).

4. Learner Profile
Students come to our classrooms with “virtual schoolbags”: the skills, knowledge and experiences that influence their learning styles and preferences.
(Fitzgerald, 2016, p. 17)

5. Lesson/ Activity Overview
Unit Plan
Lesson Sequence
Key Questions
Standards Addressed
Lesson/ Activity Overview
EDU 605 Project
Guided Discovery: Urban, Suburban, Rural
How are communities the same/ different?
CCSS.SL1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details (through other media).
CCSS.SL1.4 Describe places with relevant details, expressing ideas and feeling clearly
Students will review images of suburban, urban and rural areas to notice similarities and differences.
Pre-Learning Activity
Choosing a Focus
What makes a community special?
CCSS.W.1.8 With guidance from adults, gather information to answer a question.
CCSS.RI.1.9 Identify similarities & differences between two texts on the same topic.
CCSS.SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners.
After a jigsaw activity, students will choose one region to focus on (rural, suburban or urban) and begin researching that area.
Differentiating Content
Geography
What do maps tell us about the communities we belong to?
GEO 1.1 Construct maps, graphs and other representations of familiar places.
GEO 1.2 Use maps, graphs, photographs and other representations to describe places and the relationships and interactions that shape them.
Students will analyze and/or create maps of a real or pretend section of their chosen region.
During-Learning Activity & Differentiating Process
Climate
How does climate affect peoples’ lives?
GEO 1.4 Explain how weather, climate, and other environmental characteristics affect people’s lives in places or regions.
Students will analyze how climate, weather and environment affect people’s lives in their region.
Economics
How do people earn a living in their communities?
ECO 1.3 Describe the goods and services that people in a community produce.
ECO 1.4 Explain how people earn income.
Students will analyze how people in their chosen region earn a living.
Creating a Product
CCSS.SL1.4 Describe places with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
Students will create a product to demonstrate their understanding of key geographical, environmental and economical features of their region.
Post-Learning Activity & Differentiating Product

6. Pre-Learning Activity: Differentiating Content

7. During-Learning Activities: Differentiating Process
Balance teacher- directed and student- chosen activities (Tomlinson, 2001).
Open-ended activites based around an essential question mimic real-world, authentic learning tasks (Mindes, 2015).

8. Post-Learning Activity: Differentiating Product
Student choice can be balanced with core expectations (Tomlinson, 2001).
Rubrics show varying levels of mastery; students are more likely to strive for the highest level (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013).

9. Additional Differentiation Strategies
Interest Groups
Flexible groups of students investigating a similar topic (Tomlinson, 2001).
Parent volunteers
For example, police officers.
Graphic Organizers
Pre-made forms available to students in an accessible location
Students’ social studies questions should evolve as their investigations grow, so they’ll need to keep track of their ideas (Mindes, 2015).

10. Future Goals and Summary
1. Collaborate with outside colleagues Reading Rockets 2. Differentiation for ELL students ELL Differentiation Strategies 3. Technology to Differentiate CSDE Technology Resources

11. References
Access Center (2004). Differentiated Instruction for Reading. Retrieved from Reading Rockets website: Connecticut State Department of Education (2015). Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks. Retrieved from CDSE website: Connecticut State Department of Education (n.d.). Websites and Apps That Support Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved from CSDE website: Fitzgerald, P. (2016). Differentiation for All Literacy levels in Mainstream Classrooms. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 24(2) Retrieved from EBSCO host database. Goodwin, B., & Ross Hubbell, B. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: A Checklist for staying focused every day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Mindes, G. (2015). Pushing Up the Social Studies from Early Childhood Education to the World. Young Children, 70 (3) Retrieved from EBSCO host database. Sternberg, R. J., & Li-Fang, Z. (2005). Styles of thinking as a basis of differentiated instruction. Theory Into Practice, 44(3), 245–253. doi: /s tip4403_9 Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Vawter, D.H. & Costner, K.M. (November 2013). Differentiating Instruction for ELLS: The Core Tenets of Differentiation Should Guide Our Education of ELLS. Retrieved from the Association for Middle Level Education website: ng-Instruction-for-ELLs.aspx