Anchor ActivitiesContent from Early Release October 2010

Anchor Activities and Anchor Activities and RigorRigor

Pre-planned activities

Tied to current or past units of study

Readily available

Anchor Activities and Anchor Activities and RigorRigor

Not “busy work”MeaningfulExtension, enrichment or practice

Instructional Practices-Anchor Instructional Practices-Anchor

ActivitiesActivities

Differentiated classroom = complete assignments at different rates

‘Nothing to do’

What to do when they complete assigned work.

Stepping stone for flexible groups

Differentiation

Is a teacher’s response to learner’s needs

Guided by general principles of differentiation

Respectful tasks Flexible grouping Continual assessment

Teachers Can Differentiate Through:

Content Process Product Environment

According to Students’

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Through a range of strategies such as:

Multiple intelligences…Jigsaw…4MAT…Graphic Organizers…RAFTSCompacting…Tiered assignments…Leveled texts…Complex Instruction… Learning

Centers

Instructional Practices-Anchor Instructional Practices-Anchor

ActivitiesActivities

“In this class we are never finished.  Learning is a process that never ends.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson

Benefits of Anchor Benefits of Anchor ActivitiesActivities

Differentiation

Explore a concept more deelpy

Enrich their skill development

Management strategy when working with small groups

Vehicle for more student-centered classroom

Steps to Implement Steps to Implement Anchor ActivitiesAnchor Activities

1. Explain, model and practice

2. Be clear on expectations

3. Develop ground rules

4. Tasks that require time and thinking

5. Clear instructions

6. Develop an anchor activity that uses multiple skills

ANCHOR ACTIVITIESANCHOR ACTIVITIES

Can be:

used in any subject

whole class assignments

small group or individual assignments

tiered to meet the needs of different readiness levels

Interdisciplinary for use across content areas or teams

Anchors to Help with Anchors to Help with OrganizationOrganization

Step 1 Teach students to work independently on the Anchor Activity

Step 2

Step 3

Half the class works on an Anchor

activity

Other half works ona different lesson.

One third ofclass works

on an anchor.

One third ofclass works ondifferent lesson

One third of classworks with teacherdirect instruction

Organization for Anchor Organization for Anchor ActivitiesActivities

Practice-Rigor or Practice-Rigor or Rigormortis????Rigormortis????

1. Silent reading

2. Jigsaw Puzzle

3. Journal Writing

4. Math Problem of the Day

5. Read and select two current events, summarize one for group discussion

6. What’s in the Middle? Students take two photos (one is beginning and one is the end) Write the story.

7. Utilize a graphic organizer to classify rocks and mineral samples.

8. Compile a picture glossary

9. Problem-based learning example

Anchor Activities and Anchor Activities and RigorRigor

Resources available on the EIMS PD Wiki

www.eimspd.pbworks.com

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