DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION WITH
MENUS
A choice for learning
THERE ARE 5 DIFFERENT MENUS
Tic-Tac-Toe Menu
List Menu
20-50-80 Menu
Baseball Menu
Game Show Menu
20-50-80 MENU
Time for this menu to be completed is one week
Works best with in-depth study of one topic
No Free Choice because point values need to be assigned based on Bloom’s Revised taxonomy
With this menu students will complete one activity at a higher level of thinking in order to reach their point goal
FREE CHOICE
With most menus, the students are allowed to submit a free choice for their teacher’s consideration
Proposal forms must be submitted before students begin working on their free-choice products
Once approved, the forms easily can be stapled to the students’ menu sheets and the teacher can refer to the agreement for the graded features of the product
LIST MENU
Time period for this menu to be completed is two weeks
This menu can be used for more than one topic
Requires advanced planning ~teacher must have all materials ready at the beginning of the unit for the students to be able to choose any activity on the list
Students have complete control over their grades by doing the required work; those still learning can choose lower level point value projects to reinforce the basics before jumping into the higher level activities
TIC-TAC-TOE MENU
Time needed to complete is usually one to three weeks
Eight predetermined choices and one free choice for students
All choices are created at the same level of Bloom’s Revised taxonomy and carry the same weight for grading
Only covers one to three topics
Friendly design is easy for students to understand
BASEBALL MENU
Time needed to complete is usually four to five weeks
Twenty predetermined choices, given values as singles, doubles, triples, or home runs based on Bloom’s Revised taxonomy
Singles represent remember and understand, double- apply and analyze, triples-evaluate, home runs-create
This menu is best for one topic with many objectives for in-depth study
GAME SHOW MENU
Time to complete this type of menu is four to six weeks
Most complex menu, covers multiple topics or objectives with at least three predetermined choices and a free student choice for each objective, choices are assigned based on the levels of Bloom’s Revised taxonomy
It has the flexibility to allow for individualized contracts for different learning levels with in the classroom
Students and parents must understand the guidelines for completing the menu
ME NUS CAN B E IMP LEME NTE D IN A VARIE TY O F WAYS
Enrichment and Supplemental Activities
Standard Activities
Mini-Lessons
GUIDELINES FOR PRODUCTS
Different types of products are included in the featured menus, as well as guidelines and expectations for all products
$1 Contract- is part of the product criteria- this limits the amount of money a child can spend, and creates an equal amount of resources for all students- encourages creativity
Products are listed and chosen to meet different learning styles- visual, kinesthetic, or auditory - explanation of the criteria for all products
RUBRICS FOR MENUS
All –Purpose Rubric
Student –Taught Lessons
Oral Presentation Rubrics
Student Feedback Rubric