1. Differentiated Instruction using Dimensions of Depth
Dr. Sandra Kaplan's Model for Differentiation
Presented by Kirsten Kershaw O’Leary

2. Dimensions of Depth The Study of Disciplines Ethics Details
The Big Idea
Patterns
Change Over Time
Trends
Different Perspectives
Unanswered Questions
Relationships
Rules

3. The Three Components Key questions Thinking skills Resources
can be used in the context of lesson plans to probe understanding and to prompt students during discussions.
Thinking skills
can be used to initiate the type of cognitive operation or thinking that could best prompt each of the dimensions of DEPTH or COMPLEXITY.
Resources
listed are the most logical references in which to locate the type of information required by each of the dimensions of DEPTH or COMPLEXITY.

4. The Study of Disciplines
Key Questions
What terms or words are specific to the work of the ________________?
What tools does the ___________ use?
Thinking Skills
Categorize
Identify
Resources
Texts
Biographies
Three Little Pigs:
A contractor would use words like mortar to build the house made from bricks.
What other words would help understand this story?

5. Details Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources Three Little Pigs:
What are its attributes?
What features characterize this?
What specific elements define this?
What distinguishes this from other things?
Thinking Skills
Identify traits
Describe
Differentiate
Compare/contrast
Prove with evidence
Observe
Resources
Texts
Biographies
Three Little Pigs:
How are the three pigs different? The same?
How would you compare yourself to each of the three little pigs?

6. Patterns Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources Three Little Pigs:
What are the reoccurring events?
What elements, events, ideas, are repeated
over time?
What was the order of events?
How can we predict what will come next?
Thinking Skills
Determine relevant vs. irrelevant
Summarize
Make analogies
Discriminate between same and different
Relate
Resources
Time lines
Other chronological lists
Three Little Pigs:
What did the three pigs learn from these events?
How would you have handled this situation differently?

7. Trends Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources Three Little Pigs:
What ongoing factors have influenced this
study?
What factors have contributed to this study?
Thinking Skills
Prioritize
Determine cause and effect
Predict
Relate
Formulate questions
Hypothesize
Resources
Journals
Newspapers
Graphs
Charts
Three Little Pigs:
What influences could have changed the behavior of the three pigs?
Predict what would happen if the pigs had not killed the wolf.

8. Unanswered Questions Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources
What ongoing factors have influenced this
study?
What factors have contributed to this study?
Thinking Skills
Prioritize
Determine cause and effect
Predict
Relate
Formulate questions
Hypothesize
Resources
Journals
Newspapers
Graphs
Charts
Three Little Pigs:
Which pig was the older of the three? Were any of them girls?
If there were four pigs, what would the fourth house be built of?

9. Rules Key Questions Resources Thinking Skills Three Little Pigs:
How is this structured?
What are the stated and unstated causes
related to the description or explanation of
what we are studying?
Thinking Skills
Generalize
Hypothesize
Judge credibility
Resources
Editorials
Essays
Laws
Theories
Three Little Pigs:
How is this story similar to other children’s tales?
What is the moral of this story?

10. Ethics Key Questions Resources Thinking Skills Three Little Pigs:
What dilemmas or controversies are involved in this area or topic?
What elements can be identified that reflect bias, prejudice, and discrimination?
Thinking Skills
Prove with evidence
Generalize
Identify the main idea
Resources
Editorials
Essays
Autobiographies
Journals
Three Little Pigs:
Who was right, the wolf or the pigs?
Is this story still relevant today?

11. The Big Idea Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources
What overarching statement best describes
what is being studied?
What general statement includes what is
being studied?
Thinking Skills
Prove with evidence
Generalize
Identify the main idea
Resources
Quotations
Discipline-related essays
Three Little Pigs:
Can you explain this story in one concise sentence?

12. Change Over Time Resources Key Questions Thinking Skills
How are the ideas related between the past,
present, future?
How are these ideas related within or during
a particular time period?
How has time affected the information?
How and why do things change or remain
the same?
Thinking Skills
Relate
Sequence
Order
Resources
Time lines
Text Biographies
Autobiographies
Historical documents
Three Little Pigs:
Do you think the pigs learned anything from this experience?
What do you think they would do if another wolf came along?

13. Different Perspectives
Key Questions
What are the opposing viewpoints?
How do different people and characters see
this event or situation?
Thinking Skills
Argue
Determine bias
Classify
Resources
Biographies
Autobiographies
Mythologies
Legends vs. Non-fiction Accounts
Debates
Three Little Pigs:
How would the story be different if told from the wolf’s perspective?

14. Relationships Key Questions Thinking Skills Resources
What are common elements among topics from the different disciplines?
How does this idea/topic/concept relate to other disciplines?
How do topics/ideas from across the disciplines contribute meaning to this idea?
Thinking Skills
Relate
Compare/contrast
Differentiate
Synthesize
Evaluate
Resources
Original and secondary sources
Internet searches
Textbooks
Encyclopedias
Three Little Pigs:
Re-write the story, but instead of pigs, write about three middle
school students.

15. Bibliography Standards
Facilitating the Understanding of DEPTH and COMPLEXITY. Texas Performance Standards Project, 10 May 2008
What is Differentiated Instruction? Visalia GATE PAC, 10 May
Standards
GATE 1:3 The program is planned and organized to provide articulated learning experiences across subjects and grade levels.