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Name: Kelly Lamp

Date: November 14, 2014
Instructor: Lindsay Oram
Section: 3
Differentiating Instruction Using Universal Design for Learning
Lesson Plan Project (150 points)
This assignment has 6 Parts:
Part 1: Lesson Plan Critique: You will find and critique an existing lesson plan
Part 2: Analyzing the Barriers and Considering Solutions: You will consider how
this lesson plan will meet the needs of students with disabilities (See Target Student
descriptions) and complete the UDL Chart
Part 3: Preparing Your UDL/DI Lesson Plan: You will respond to a series of
questions that demonstrate your understanding of curriculum design using the principles
of differentiated instruction and universal design for learning
Part 4: Presenting Your UDL/DI Lesson Plan: You will develop a revised lesson plan
by applying the principles of differentiated instruction and universal design to your
original lesson plan to make significant improvements to it.
Part 5: Explaining and Defending Your Instructional Decision-Making: You will
explain and defend your instructional decision making as it relates to students with
disabilities.
Part 6: Extra Credit Opportunity: Extra Credit Opportunity: Include 2 special
education resources that you find/discover yourself and include the recommendations in
your lesson plan
PART 1: LESSON PLAN CRITIQUE
First, find a lesson plan!
It should be a lesson that you would like to teach in the future.
It must be on the same topic as your journal research project
It can be a lesson you have developed or taught (including one that has been turned in to
another class for a grade), one you have watched someone else teach, or a lesson you
have found on the internet
BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE ACTIVITY, PLEASE BRING YOUR LESSON
PLAN TO CLASS AND ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR OR TA TO APPROVE IT.
ACTIVITY 1: LESSON PLAN CRITIQUE DIRECTIONS:
Please type your responses directly on this page under each item.
Attach a copy of the lesson plan that you will be critiquing and adapting.
Answer all questions fully using complete sentences and detailed explanations.
1. Describe the source of the lesson plan. (Where did you get the plan? If you retrieved it
from the Internet, cite your source.)
I found this lesson plan on the website Teachers.net. It is a great website that allows you
to search for lesson plans that have been shared by other teachers. I was looking for a

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science lesson for 3rd grade students, so I found this website to be very helpful and easy
to use in my search for a lesson.
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/4763.html
2. Standards - Does the lesson meet grade level or common core standards? If yes, how do
you know? What standards will be met in this lesson? (Give the content area, number,
citation, etc. for the standard so someone could find the standard from your information).
The lesson meets the science standards set out in Pennsylvania, since that is the state of
the lessons origin. The teacher who created this lesson provided the standards in the
lesson plan in order for others to see what standards she was teaching to. The standards
that the teacher set out for it to meet are as follows;
Science: 3.1.3.A.3 Illustrate how plants and animals go through predictable life
cycles that include birth, growth, development, and death.
S.3.B.1.1.1 Identify and describe the functions of basic structures of animals and
plants (e.g. animals: skeleton, heart, lungs; plants: roots, stem, leaves).
The lesson also meets English language proficiency standards.
Standard 1: English language learners communicate in English for social and
instructional purposes within the school setting.
Standard 4: English language learners communicate information, ideas, and
concepts necessary for academic success in the content of science.
Technology standards are also described in this lesson plan as follows.
Goal 1: Language learners demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills in
technology for a multilingual world.
Goal 1, Standard 1: Language learners demonstrate basic operational skills in
using various technological tools and Internet browsers.
Goal 1, Standard 2: Language learners are able to use available input and output
devices (e.g. keyboard, mouse, printer, headset, microphone, media player,
electronic whiteboard).
The teacher who created this lesson was very set in the standards that she hoped to
accomplish with this lesson and laid them out very clearly for me to be able to interpret
and understand how the students will learn these standards.

3. Instructional Objectives:
Read the article by Winegarden before completing this part.
List the instructional objective(s) from your lesson plan below.
Underline the performance.
Italicize the conditions.
Bold the criterion.
-

Students will be able to describe how plants grow from seed to plant
Students will be able to identify parts of a plant and their functions
Students will be able to use technology to search for information
Students will be able to use technology to present information

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See my example:

Following lecture and readings on UDL, students in this class will be able to
complete an inclusive lesson plan, receiving grades of 80% or better.

Critique the objective(s) using the criteria set in the Winegarden article.
Do the instructional objectives in your lesson plan meet the criteria set by
Winegarden? Describe why they do or do not. (For example, your instructional
objective may be missing one of the parts, may use wording that is not
observable, etc).
The objectives set out by the lesson plan I found do not fully adhere to the criteria set
out in the Winegarden article. Some of the wording was good based on Winegardens
concept of using wording that does not leave room for interpretation; however the
objectives were very simply stated. There were no conditions or criteria stated in the
objectives themselves. The objectives provided only described the performance that
was expected but did not go into any detail about how this would be done, where, by
when, etc. In relation to Winegardens ABCDs of writing instructional objectives,
these objectives fulfill the A and B (audience and behavior) while they lack the
complexity to fulfill C and D (conditions and degree). The objectives attempt to
begin with the end but do not do a great job of clearly laying out exactly what is
expected of the student and how they will accomplish it and/or be assessed. I do not
think that these objectives meet Winegardens criteria as they are now, but with some
adjustments and modifications they could be improved to be better instructional
objectives.

4. Assessment: Fully discuss the following:

How is student learning being assessed?
Student learning is being assessed in this lesson through describing the process of a plants
life cycle as they look back at the drawings that they completed in class. They are also being
assessed based on their VoiceThread that they created which shows the students learning of
plant parts and their functions.
Is there more than one assessment?
There is more than one assessment because the students are graded on their learning in
two different instances; the first time is in their description of the parts of a plant then in their
VoiceThread on the functions of plants.
Does the assessment (outcome measure) fully address the instructional objective?
Yes, the assessment fully measures the objectives because the students are assessed on their
descriptions and identifications of plant parts and functions as well as their use of technology to
search and present information.
Does the assessment align with the standards?
Yes, the assessments align with the standards set out. The assessment accurately grades
the students based on the science, English language proficiency, and technological standards that
are described in the lesson plan.
Is it logical that the instructional activities prepare students to complete the
assessment?
Yes, it is logical that the instructional activities prepare students to complete the assessment

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because they are being formatively assessed throughout the lesson based on their work. The
instructional activities, therefore, are part of the assessment process so they work well to prepare
the students. The activities that the students complete give them the appropriate basis for their
assessments and are logical to prepare the students.
What barriers do you see for students with disabilities based on the assessment
plan in your lesson plan?
The barriers that I see for students with disabilities are the lack of organizational tools for
students with learning disabilities. The students are asked to collect all of this information but
there is not a clear, set out way for them to do so. I also see the group work being potentially
difficult for students who have certain disabilities that do not allow them to work well with
others. I also see some concern with the lesson if my students have learning disabilities and
struggle with reading/material in their grade level. The advanced material and internet research
may lead some students to have difficulty with reading words that are above their level. My final
concern is that some students with disabilities may not be able to do the work without an aide
because of the limitations of their disabilities. Im very pleased, however, with the modifications
that the teacher already has in the lesson plan for students that are English language learners.
5. What comments/concerns do you have about the appropriateness of this lesson for
students with disabilities?
The concerns that I have with the appropriateness of this lesson deal with the ability to
differentiate it for all students. I can see where the teacher attempted to make this accessible for
all of her students by modifying it for ELL students, but she did not take into consideration
students with disabilities. The teacher who designed this lesson may not have had any students
with disabilities in her classroom, but the organization of the lesson and use of aides concerns
me. I do not think that the lesson is appropriate for all students with disabilities as is, but with
some modifications and improvements it could be appropriate for all students.
PART 2: ANALYZING THE BARRIERS AND CONSIDERING SOLUTIONS
Target Students: Please keep these students (and other students who may struggle to learn) in
mind when completing the following activities and improving your lesson plan.
Elementary Students
Sherry is a friendly little girl. She likes to help the teacher. But, many of her skills are below
grade level. She doesnt know all of her letter sounds and still confuses similar sounds like i/e,
b/p, and this can be seen in her reading and spelling. Similarly, she does not know her basic
number facts. She has a more limited vocabulary than her same age peers and struggles with
comprehension, not just in reading, but also in listening and following directions.
Jimmy is an active little boy! He fidgets with things on his desk, talks to himself and his
neighbors throughout class, calls out without raising his hand, and is out of his seat. He can get
very frustrated with long activities and assignments. But, Jimmy is very smart and he likes to do
well. He gets very excited to start new books/math skills, but he rarely finishes his work or turns
in homework.

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Terrance likes routines. He becomes agitated when the class schedule changes. He likes to be
near his peers, but does not make eye contact or interact. He does not seem to know how to play
or converse at grade level. While he has a lot of vocabulary, his comprehension is weak and he
doesnt understand figurative language and is not able to make inferences. He excels in math and
has a great memory for facts. Every once in a while, Terrance has a melt down and then he is
hard to console.
Regina is a second language learner. Her everyday English skills are good, and she has many
friends. She is quiet, polite, a hard worker, and obviously cares about school. But, in her home
country, Alicia did not attend school regularly, and her literacy in her primary language is
limited. In academic studies, Alicia struggles with vocabulary and complex content area
concepts. Alicia rarely speaks in class, and seems shy to ask for teacher time, even when it is
clear she does not understand the material. Her grades in all of her subjects are quite low.
ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETING THE UDL CHART: DIRECTIONS:
1. From the assignment folder in Blackboard, please print the UDL Chart.
2. Complete the UDL Chart and attach it to your assignment.
3. For barriers list and describe any barriers to learning for students with disabilities (and
other students who may struggle to learn) posed by your original lesson plan and for your
particular content.
4. For solutions, that you will recommend to address the barriers, please:
a. consider the target students,
b. consider your original lesson plan,
c. refer to the UDL principles, including guidelines and checkpoints available at
http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines, and
d. consider evidence-based practices for students with disabilities that you have
learned about through your readings, online and in class-activities in this course.
e. If you refer to other resources, please provide full citations that demonstrate their
effectiveness for students with disabilities.
LIST CITATIONS FOR PART E HERE (did not refer to any other resources)

PART 3: PREPARING YOUR UDL/DI LESSON PLAN

In Part 3, you will begin making instructional decisions and planning for your students with
disabilities. You will answer a series of questions and complete activities to help you complete
Part 4.
First:
1. Please describe your previous experience in completing lesson plans (how many, what
content, planning for students with disabilities):
When I was in high school I was a part of the cadet teaching program which required me to
teach 2 lessons per semester using the Madeleine Hunter template. At that point in time I didnt
really know how to make a lesson plan, so the ones I made were not high quality or good in any
sense of the word. Since Ive been in college Ive only made about a handful of lesson plans,

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mostly in science courses. For this reason I chose to do this project on the subject of science
because I have the most experience in this subject area and feel that I can differentiate it better
than I would be able to with other subjects. I do not have any experience, however, with creating
a lesson plan for students with disabilities. This project will be my first ever experience with
differentiating instruction for these types of students.
2. Please describe your Phase II teaching experiences (how many lessons have you taught?
who did you teach? what did you teach?):
In Phase II, I have worded with various groups of students about 10 times but have only
taught lessons about 3 times. Being in the blue block has allowed me to have experiences
observing multiple grades and subject areas throughout the semester. I have worked with 1st, 3rd,
and 5th grade students in mathematics; kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students in literacy; and
1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students in science. Most of my experiences with these students have been
observing what they know in order for me to learn from them except in science. In science I have
taught 3 lessons total, but in my other courses I have simply observed the students. My host
classroom this year has been in a first grade class and Benton Elementary.
ACTIVITY 3: IDENTIFYING STANDARDS: DIRECTIONS
1. Standards: List the state standards/common core standards/other standards specific to
your discipline (e.g. NCTM for math or NEA for art) that will be addressed as a result of
student learning in this lesson (You may copy, cut, and paste them directly into this
document)
Science Standards:
Science: 3.1.3.A.3 Illustrate how plants and animals go through predictable life cycles that
include birth, growth, development, and death.
S.3.B.1.1.1 Identify and describe the functions of basic structures of animals and plants (e.g.
animals: skeleton, heart, lungs; plants: roots, stem, leaves).
Technology Standards:
Goal 1: Language learners demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills in
technology for a multilingual world.
Goal 1, Standard 1: Language learners demonstrate basic operational skills in
using various technological tools and Internet browsers.
Goal 1, Standard 2: Language learners are able to use available input and output
devices (e.g. keyboard, mouse, printer, headset, microphone, media player,
electronic whiteboard).

ACTIVITY 4: PLANNING FOR INCLUSIVE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

1. Read the article by Schumm, Vaughn, & Harris
2. Print the Planning Pyramid document from your Blackboard folder and review the
example.
a. *Remember that the bottom of the pyramid meets your standards and that you are
planning up so that each student will be challenged and reach their potential for
learning.
3. As you complete the Planning Pyramid, consider,

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a.
b.
c.
d.

the standards you have identified

your original lesson plan
every student in your class meets the standards (the bottom of the pyramid)
your brightest students are challenged in your curriculum (the tip of the pyramid)
i. How can you challenge these students without giving them more work?
4. Attach your Planning Pyramid to your assignment
ACTIVITY 5: PLANNING FOR INCLUSIVE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
1. Review the Winegarden article
2. Consider the standards you have identified
3. Refer to your Planning Pyramid
4. Develop 3 instructional objectives and list them below. To receive full credit, your
instructional objectives must:
a. be observable and measurable
b. include a performance, condition, and criterion
c. align with standards
d. align with your planning pyramid
INSTRUCTIIONAL OBJECTIVE 1:
Following watching the video The Life Cycle of a Plant, students will be able to draw
and label a picture of the life cycle of a plant on their graphic organizer demonstrating how
plants grow from seed to plant, with 80% accuracy or better.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE 2:
After researching for information online and working with a partner, students will be able
to describe one part of a plant and its function in 5 sentences or more.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE 3:
After conducting research online and in class, the students will use technology, such as
VoiceThread, to present information in a video that is 1 minute or longer in length.
ACTIVITY 6: PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS TO STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
Under federal law (IDEA and Section 504) students with disabilities are entitled to
accommodations specified in their IEP plansall day, every day, in every single lesson!!
As you will be a future member of IEP teams, in this activity, you will identify accommodations
to support target students and prepare to include those accommodations in your lesson planning.
1. Refer to the Accommodations List in your Blackboard folder.
2. From this list, select one reasonable accommodation for each of the target students (either
elementary or middle/secondary) that you will include in your UDL Lesson Plan.
3. Below, next to the students name, type the fair accommodation you believe matches the
students needs
Elementary Students

Sherry: Skills training; teach the student how to identify key terms and phrases in
instructions and in reading

Jimmy: Adaptations for a student with hyperactivity; allow the student to move around
often and engage in physical activities

Terrance: Prepare the student for transitions; prepare the student for changes in the usual
routine and supervise them during these transitions

Regina: Alter presentation of lessons/accommodations for assignments; provide the

student with a legible outline before a lesson/lecture and with legible teachers notes of
lesson/lecture

ACTIVITY 7: INCLUDING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

In instructional planning for students with disabilities, you must include evidence-based practices
to ensure that they have access to your curriculum and the opportunity to learn.
1. Below, please describe your plans for including the required EBPs briefly.
a. For example, for cognitive strategy instruction, please tell the purpose of the
strategy and describe how you will teach it to your students.
2. To help you include these components, supportive readings and web-based resources are
posted in your Blackboard assignment folder.
In this lesson, to receive full credit, you must include each of the following in your lesson:
INSTRUCTION THAT IS NOT LECTURE OR TEXT-BASED (although you can include
lecture and text in your lessons as components):
Explicit instruction is a very influential strategy in teaching students that deviates away
from the traditional lecture or text-based instruction strategies. Evidence shows that this type of
instruction is better suited for students because they are actively involved and ensures that the
students are actually learning rather than brainlessly copying down information. This would be
especially beneficial for students with special needs who either have trouble paying attention to
lectures, or have difficulty with reading or comprehension. I would use explicit instruction in my
lesson by taking out one of the videos and instead conducting an experiment that allows students
to see how the plant grows on their own instead of relying on someone else telling them thats
how it works. This explicit instruction will make the information stick better in the students
minds because they were actively and mindfully involved in the instruction instead of being
bystanders in their own learning. The students and teacher could develop an investigation in
which they grow a plant beginning at its seeds and ending after its death when it repopulates by
spreading its seeds to the soil. This would be a very effective strategy for all students, but
especially for students with disabilities.
GROUPING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES (e.g. not all instruction will be delivered by
the teacher to the whole class):

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The purpose of this strategy is to allow students to learn in smaller groups so that they
can have more focused attention or work with others during instruction. Students could partake
in peer tutoring/pairing in which one student teaches their information to another student. This is
most beneficial when a student with a learning disability is paired with a student without a
disability and is tutored by them. The use of peer tutoring allows the students to share
information with each other but also allows the students with LDs to learn from their peers in a
way that is less threatening than whole group instruction. This could be used in my lesson by
having students pair up with someone who researched a different plant part and they could
exchange what they found about each of their plant parts. This strategy would work very well for
students with learning disabilities or those who need to move around a lot. The teacher could
have these hyperactive students work with multiple different pairs of students so that they could
move around the classroom and get to interact with their classmates.
A COGNITIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY (Please attach a copy of the strategy to your
lesson plan):
A great cognitive instructional strategy that can be taught to students is self-regulated
strategy development. In this strategy, students follow 6 steps in order to retain their information
in a better way. I would teach it to my students by making a chart in the classroom that dictates
the 6 steps (develop and activate background knowledge, discuss it, model it, memorize it,
support it, independent practice). This strategy can be used classwide alongside a 5E Learning
Cycle lesson because it would allow students to follow all of the steps together instead of being
isolated. This is a strategy that can be beneficial to all students, not just students with learning
disabilities. I would use this in particular to benefit students who need to have structure or have
difficulty retaining information. This strategy will allow students to connect information to their
prior knowledge, have conversations about their learning with their peers, show their learning
through modeling, and then memorize and put it to use. In this lesson in particular I would
associate this strategy with learning the plant parts and functions. The students would discuss
their background knowledge on the subject (as set out in the lesson plan), discuss their ideas with
peers, have a teacher model the task that they are going to accomplish, memorize the steps, have
teacher support along the way, and then the student will be able to complete the drawing of the
plant parts on their own because they had this self-regulated strategy development.
A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (Please attach a copy of the graphic organizer to your lesson plan):
One of the tools that this lesson plan came equipped with was the idea of a science
journal for the students to keep. I think this would be a great place to incorporate blank pages for
writing, making observations, etc. but I also think that including some graphic organizers in it
would be extremely beneficial for the students. I would make a booklet with 5 pages of lined
paper, 5 pages of blank paper, a graphic organizer for writing down key vocabulary terms, a
graphic organizer for drawing the life cycle of a plant, and a graphic organizer for labeling the
parts of a plant. I would, of course, plan these in the order of instruction but I think that by
having these organizers planned out and ready for the students in a single location (journal) it
would allow them to refer back to it easily and they would have lots of resources throughout the
lesson. I have compiled three graphic organizers that I would like to use with this lesson and they
are attached to this assignment.
A FORM OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

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A form of assistive technology that would be effective for students is a word prediction
technology. This would be especially beneficial for students like Sherry and Regina who may not
have the strong language arts skills like other students their age. Instead of writing out their
assignments on paper they could use a word processor with word prediction. Sherry would
benefit from having the words predicted because she confuses some letters and has a difficult
time with writing. Word prediction would be helpful for Regina because it would allow her to
make use of her sight words and allow her to focus more on the content rather than the spelling.
A word predictor would help these students because they could use them in the same
environment as their classmates and it would allow them to be on a level playing field with their
peers. This would also be an aide for the teacher when he/she is reviewing the students work
because it will be easier for them to read and interpret what the student is trying to get across
instead of trying to decipher the words.
ACTIVITY 8: PLANNING FOR ASSESSMENT
1. Please attach copies of your planned assessments to your lesson plan.
2. Below please address the following questions:
a. Are your assessments aligned with (a) your planning pyramid, (b) your
instructional objectives, (c) the standards, and (d) your activities?
My assessments are aligned with my planning pyramid because they allow students to go
above and beyond the class-wide expectations in order to show their increased
understandings. They also abide by the modified instructional objectives and standards
that have been set out in the lesson plan. The assessment do a good job of assessing
students on what they have learning during the activities. Since I chose to incorporate
formative assessment, I was able to subtly link my activities and assessments together to
be cohesive during instruction. My final assessment takes the technology standards into
account and is sure to assess the students on these concepts.
b. Are your assessments inclusive for students with disabilities? Do you anticipate
any barriers? If so, how will you either accommodate students or use principles of
UDL to enable students to demonstrate their learning?
My assessments are inclusive for students with disabilities because students have the
opportunity to write out their descriptions of the life cycle, but if that is not an
appropriate avenue of assessment for that student then it can be modified to be typed on a
word processor that uses assistive technology such as word predictors in order to aid
students with disabilities who have trouble writing, spelling, etc. My second assessment
is also great to include students with disabilities because it allows the students to verbally
discuss their understandings on VoiceThread so that they dont even have to write out
their responses. The only barriers I anticipate are the students who have trouble staying
focused may find these assessments difficult to complete, but they could take breaks
during the assessments in order to get out some energy before working again. I would use
alternative strategies that I have described in Activity 7 in order to accommodate all of
my students in these assessments, regardless of their disability. Both of the assessments I
have planned can be modified in order to be beneficial for every type of student.

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PART 4: PRESENTING YOUR UDL LESSON PLAN

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Please select a lesson plan format that is appropriate to your discipline.

You may use the format provided by your department, program, etc.
You may keep the format of the lesson you chose to critique.
You may use a format common to the schools you are working in.
You may find a template that you like on the internet.
*Please be sure to include student accommodations in your lesson plans
Now, create an improved, differentiated lesson plan
a. consider your original lesson plan
b. integrate all of the elements you have developed in previous activities
8. Attach your lesson plan to the assignment!
Here are a few example lesson plan formats:
5 Es is commonly used in Science:
http://rmmsmsp.ucdenver.edu/files/5_e_lesson_plan_template.pdf
The Hunter model is another commonly used lesson plan
http://raider.mountunion.edu/~schnelpl/ED%20355ME345/MadelineHEightSte.pdf
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/132226777/Madeline-Hunter-Model-Lesson-Plan-Form

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PART 5: EXPLAINING AND DEFENDING YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION

MAKING
1. Connections to Research:
a. Below describe how you included the findings from your research journal project
in your lesson plan.
i. *Be very specific in this response, citing the references and page numbers
from the articles in your journal research project. You may include quotes,
diagrams, or documents to support your response to this question.
b. Attach your journal research articles to the lesson plan. Use sticky notes or
obvious highlighting to show where your information came from.
One of the many evidence-based practices that I included in my modified lesson plan is
the use of peer tutoring/pairing, an instructional grouping for students with learning disabilities.
Since my lesson entails the students reading information online and conducting research, I
thought that this evidence based practice would be very beneficial. The research on this practices
shares that students with LD prefer to work in pairs (with another student) rather than in large
groups or by themselves (Vaughn et.al., 134). This practice is most beneficial for students with
learning disabilities when they are the student being tutored. According to the article, the
magnitude of the effects for peer pairing differed considerably depending on the role of the
student within the pair.they derived greater benefit (ES = .43) from being tutored rather than
from engagement in reciprocal tutoring (ES = .15) (Vaughn et. al., 134). This goes to show that
in my lesson having students with learning disabilities work in pair is not only a higher
motivation to learn, but they also gain great rewards from being taught by their peers. The article
goes on to say that many students with LD consider other students to be their favorite teachers
(Vaughn et. al., 134). By knowing this information, the teacher is then able to make a plan of
which students will pair together and they can even facilitate who teaches who. The implication
for practice that I incorporated in my lesson was Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT). According to
Vaughn et. al., CWPT requires 30 minutes of instructional time during which 10 minutes is
planned for each student to serve as a tutor, 10 minutes to be tutored, and 5 to 10 minutes to add
and post individual and team points (Vaughn et. al, 135). Splitting the entire class into pairs and
allowing them to take turns sharing the research that they gathered will be immensely important
for their learning about the parts and functions of plants.
Vaughn, S., Hughes, M., & Moody, S. (2001). Instructional grouping for reading for students
with LD: implications for practice. Intervention in School and Clinic, 36(3), 131-137.

Another fantastic practice that I found in my journal research to practice project in the
use of different kinds of assistive technology. In the article Tech Tools for Students with
Learning Disabilities: Infusion into Inclusive Classrooms, I found many different tools to use in
the classroom to help these students, but the one I chose to implement in my lesson plan was the
use of word prediction. According to Quenneville, computers change the writing process by
making it easier to develop and record ideas, to edit ideas, and to publish and share with others

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(Quenneville, 1). By allowing students with learning disabilities or language impairments to use
technology it allows them to be on a level playing field with their other peers. I found this
important to implement in my lesson when the activity called for writing out answers,
observations, or prompt responses. Giving students the ability to use computers and assistive
technology allows them the opportunity to share their ideas without being held back by their lack
of knowledge in the language arts field. Word prediction, in particular, would be especially
beneficial for students like Sherry and Regina who need help in this area. According to the
article, word prediction augments spelling and syntax to enable users to make choices, find
words, and complete sentences (Quenneville, 2). When students need to complete a written task
in an assignment they can instead use a word processor with word prediction in order to create
their responses. Students can then begin typing out the word they want to say and be given
choices of which word to type. This is beneficial for students who mix up letter or word sounds,
as well as those who do not know the language very well. Word prediction has many features
that help students such as the ability to add words to the dictionary, automatic guessing, and
automatic capitalization. Altogether, allowing assistive technology to aid students in their work
is very important and can be seen in use in my modified lesson plan.
Quenneville, J. (2001). Tech tools for students with learning disabilities: infusion into inclusive
classrooms. Preventing School Failure, 45(4), 167.

The final evidence based practice from my previous project that I used was the cognitive
strategy instruction of self-regulated strategy development. The article Self-Regulated Strategy
Development in the Classroom: Part of a Balanced Approach to Writing Instruction for Students
with Disabilities does a great job of relating the strategies used in this practice to
implementation. The main reason that SRSD is used in classrooms is described by the authors as
being that students who face significant and often debilitating difficulties would benefit from an
integrated approach to instruction that deliberately and directly addresses their affective,
behavioral, and cognitive characteristics, strengths, and needs (Harris et.al., 2-3). This strategy
uses six steps in order to help the students remember information in a better way. According to
the article, the stages can be reordered, combined (in face, most lessons include at least two
stages), revisited, modified, or deleted to meet the student and teacher needs. Further, the stages
are meant to be recursive if a concept of component is not mastered at a certain stage, students
and teachers can revisit or continue that stage as they move on to others. Some stages may not be
needed by all students (Harris et.al., 5). The flexibility of this strategy is very important to note
because it allows teachers to differentiate the strategy to the students needs instead of having a
mandatory set of steps to follow. This is evident in my lesson plan during the explanation phase.
At this point the students have been working with some of the concepts for a little while, but now
is the time that remembering information is key. The teacher should have a poster listing the
stages displayed in the classroom at all times and have a song that sings the stages of the strategy
so it is easy for kids to remember. The stages of this strategy are 1) develop and activate
background knowledge, 2) discuss it, 3) model it, 4) memorize it, 5) support it, and 6)
independent performance, as discussed in the article (Harris et.al., 6-7). By giving students the
control in this strategy it holds them accountable, hence the self in self-regulated. The teacher
will be essential in the support stage to keep the students persevering through the material and
tasks at hand. Although this strategy is meant for students with disabilities I have found that it is

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beneficial for all students so in this lesson plan it is being used as a class-wide strategy.
Harris, K.R., Graham, S., & Mason, L.H. (2003). Self-regulated strategy development in the
classroom: part of a balanced approach to writing instruction for students with
disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 35(7), 1-16.

2. Target Students: Describe how your lesson plan meets the needs of the target students
for the content. Include specific information for each student.
a. What features of UDL were most helpful to each student?
Sherry: Representation was very helpful for Sherry because it allowed her to receive information
in a way that was more effective for her type of learning. Because of her trouble with written
text, Sherry was able to have key words pointed out and she was able to have information shown
through multiple media types. All of these worked together to allow Sherry to gather information
better since she could learn about them through different representation styles.
Jimmy: Action and Expression were most helpful for Jimmy because it allowed him to use his
hyperactivity to his advantage in order to get him up out of his seat and engage in his own
learning. By putting his learning in action, Jimmy will be more able to learn and engage with his
classmates, which is just what he needs. This was shown in the lesson by giving him multiple
opportunities to move about the classroom and interact with his peers.
Terrance: Terrance also benefits from Action and Expression because he needs help with
scheduling, adjusting to changes in routine, and dealing with transitions. Action and expression
allows him to have control and support in his planning and strategy development with the help of
his teacher. The teacher helps supervise Terrance during his work and transitions to keep him on
track and following the routine that works for him.
Regina: Regina benefitted mostly from helpful representation. She was able to gather
information beforehand which would help her later on in the lessons so she wouldnt be behind
her peers. Representation also allowed her to use multiple forms of media to get her information
across as well as access information in different ways.
b. Describe how and when the accommodation you assigned to each student was
implemented.
Sherry: The feature of UDL that was most helpful to Sherry was being able to use multiple forms
of media in her instruction and having key words pointed out during instruction. Sherry is able to
complete her assignments in a word processor that is equipped with word prediction in order for
her to more easily write down her responses and get her ideas across.
Jimmy: This lesson is differentiated for Jimmy by giving him opportunities to move around and
actively participate in the classroom. Also, setting up stations will be beneficial for Jimmy

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because it will allow him to move about the classroom and interact with other students which
will help him avoid doing long, tedious work from his seat. This lesson was made so that
students are not in a traditional classroom but instead are actively engaged, working with peers,
and getting to use technology.
Terrance: The feature of UDL that was most helpful to Terrance was how structured it is. Being
able to give Terrance a schedule of what was going to happen when is essential in his success.
As a student who struggles when his normal routine is changed, Terrance will find assurance in
having a printed out schedule and the teacher by his side during transitions to make them go as
smoothly as possible.
Regina: Regina benefitted from UDL by being given an outline from the teacher prior to the
lesson Regina was able to learn in advance in her native language and then later on work with
her classmates in English. This allows Regina the ability to stay on the same level as her peers
but also catering to her strengths. This lesson also allowed her to use word predictions, just like
Sherry, in order to aid her during writing tasks.

3. Describe how you have used principles of UDL to make your lesson plan more inclusive.
Include at least 2 examples for each principle, list the guideline (include the number) and
the checkpoint (include the number) and describe how you used it and why:
Multiple Means of Representation
Example 1:
Guideline 2: Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
Checkpoint 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media
How I used it and why:
o This strategy is used through showing information in more ways than just in text.
The lesson plan displays information through videos as well which helps students
who have text or language related disabilities. By providing an alternative means
of representation the teacher is allowing students with and without disabilities the
opportunity to learn through multiple avenues. By adding videos I am making
sure that students are able to learn the same information but in ways that allow
them to understand it better.
Example 2:
Guideline 2: Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
Checkpoint 2.4: Promote understanding across languages
How I used it and why:
o In order to aid ELL students, I was able to preview the information for the
students in their native language before we began the lesson. By doing this I am
ensuring that the student will know what to expect the next day in class when it is
taught to them in English. This goes along with connecting new information to
background knowledge because once the students understand the concepts they
are able to make connections between experiences and their knowledge. I used

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this so that my students could better understand the concepts so they wouldnt get
lost during instructional time.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Example 1:
Guideline 4: Provide options for physical action
Checkpoint 4.2: Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
How I used it and why:
o The option to use assistive technologies is given to students who struggle with
writing by giving them word processors with word prediction. By giving students
the ability to use assistive technology to complete their work they are then able to
perform on the same level as their peers. They are given the opportunity to work
without the struggle of their disability getting in the way. These students are given
tools to help them get through their work with the least amount of difficulties as
possible. They are also able to use computers to create their final assessment
project in a VoiceThread which allows them to make their responses verbally.
This is widely beneficial for those students who struggle with reading or writing.
Example 2:
Guideline 4: Provide options for physical action
Checkpoint 4.1: Vary the methods for response and navigation
How I used it and why:
o I used this strategy by allowing my students to navigate around their physical
environment whenever they needed to get out some energy. By allowing
hyperactive students to walk around, run errands, and have brain breaks it will in
turn get them more focused in the time that they have to work. Setting up this
schedule of 10/2 (10 minutes of work to 2 minutes of their time) I am able to
focus in with the student while I have their attention and then allow them to get
away for a moment when they need to release some energy. This was also present
in times such as watching videos when I allowed hyperactive students to hold a
stress ball which allows them to have some physical action while they are also
working on a visual task.
Multiple Means of Engagement
Example 1:
Guideline 8: Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
Checkpoint 8.3: Foster collaboration and communication
How I used it and why:
o I used this strategy of fostering collaboration and communication among all
students by setting them up into peer tutoring groups as well as small work groups
in order to allow them to discuss ideas and work together through the tasks. By
setting up this type of environment I was able to give students the opportunity to
learn from their peers instead of constantly being lectured to or reading straight
out of a text book. Students are shown to learn well from each other and enjoy it
as well, so I wanted to give them a time to learn and explore the concepts without
being explicitly told the answers or information. I used this during the stations in

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the exploration phase, during the pair research, and during the research
discussion. Altogether this strategy worked to link my students together and
sustained effort and persistence in the classroom.
Example 2:
Guideline 7: Provide options for recruiting interest
Checkpoint 7.3: Minimize threats and distractions
How I used it and why:
o By minimizing threats and distractions, the teacher is able to help the students
work in a safe space that encourages learning. Limiting distractions was necessary
for students like Jimmy, so having them sit in the front of the classroom during
videos allows him to be less distracted by what his peers are doing. Giving him a
stress ball also allows him to release some energy so that he is not becoming a
distraction to other students.

4. Do you have any final questions or comments about this assignment?

The only final questions or comments that I have about this assignment are how in depth
do your differentiated lesson plans need to be when you are working in your future
classroom? Is it necessary to go through all of these steps when making lesson plans for
your students or are there some steps that you can skip later on? My only concern is that
the length and time commitment to this assignment was so long, but is this exactly what
you need to go through each time there is a lesson? Im assuming that once you get to
know your students you will use some of the same strategies every time and you will get
into a flow of knowing what will and will not work.