Layered Curriculum ™

How to teach if there’s more than one student in your class

What is Layered Curriculum™

Every Child deserves a Special Education• Tasks arranged in levels of understanding• Individualized expression and assessment • Research-based • Curriculum tailored to the variety of

students you serve

Levels of Understanding

C Level—basic skills, facts, and understanding

B Level—able to manipulate their knowledge, problem-solve, brainstorm

A Layer—requires the most complex, critical thinking.

C Layer

Maximum “C” grade—basic skills, knowledge, and understandingVocabulary, basic mechanicsDo project with detailed directionsDo experiment someone else has designedWide variety of choices—other languages,

music, poetry, art, hands-on projects, listening, reading at a variety of levels

Something for EVERYONE in your class

Maximum “B” grade—able to apply knowledge and skills to practical situations

Design their own experiment

Do projects with just basic directions

Interdisciplinary studies

Creative displays of compare & contrast

B Layer

“A” grade—independent research and/or advanced/complicated project

Mix traditional research with other things like values, morality and personal opinion

Literature research and written response—report, persuasive essay, letter to Congress

Usually outside of class time

A Layer

Why Layered Curriculum™

Allows for more individualized programLet’s students decide their gradeGives teacher more time for each studentAllows for more “intelligences” to be usedProvides variety in the periodEasily adjusts to a variety of period lengthsAllows resources to be sharedReduces at-home grading timeAllows a variety of students to succeed

How to create a unit

List all the objectivesList a variety of ways students could

learn the basic materialList a variety of ways to reinforce the

materialOrganize them into basic, intermediate,

and advanced levels of understanding Decide the point values for each activity

Suggestions for Activities

Provide a variety of levels of reading material—hit the library!

Have a parent or other volunteer record the chapter on tape

Get tape player “listening center” elementary schools often have them

Print out, list URLs, or bookmark pertinent sites/articles on the Internet

Use a WebQuest

Assessment

Oral defense of the students' assignments.

As students finish each assignment they spend a couple of minutes, on a one-on-one basis, discussing what they learned

Oral reports and presentations—privately or to the whole class or a group

Variety of written papers, art projects, experiments

More Ideas

Set up learning centers or stations Provide art material for making posters or

other creative works Allow students to “perform” songs or skits

privately or publicly Allow students to answer verbally or in writing Let students help each other by working

together—adjust points

Getting Started

Start slowly!! Make sure students and parents (send a

letter home) understand the concept Explain time limits Explain how points work Give out all assignments at the start Be sure they understand the rubric

Must do work at all three levels to get an “A” 150 points can still be a “C” Doing an “A” project does not guarantee an “A”

FAQs Yes, you can still do whole class work

make it short—20-30 min. Yes, you can still do lectures, discussions

points for notes, participation, record on tape Yes, you can still give tests (but why?!)

Use multiple, preferably self-grading, quizzes Yes, you can still require writing, reading,

anything you want Yes you can still have homework

Allow parents to sign off some work Think of other means of assessment

Helpful Websites

Help4teachers.comBrain.orgQuia.com—student and teacher created

quizzes, flashcards, website, etc.MS.com--Education tutorials and

lessonsEXPAN—create future-oriented

activitiesResumes and cover letters to real placesCollege searches, job searches,