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Bibliographic Data
Title: Activities for the Differentiated Classroom: Math, Grades 6–8
Author:
G.H. Gregory and C. Chapman
Copyright Year:
2008
Grade Levels:
6-8
Format Type:
Book;
Descriptors:
Professional Development: Understanding how students learn; For The Classroom: Investigations/activities; Topic Area: Mathematical Structures;
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Order from:
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Corwin Press, Inc.
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2455 Teller Road
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Thousand Oaks CA 91320-2218
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Toll free:
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805-410-7750
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Fax number:
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805-410-7003
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Web address:
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www.corwinpress.com
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Email:
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info@corwinpress.com
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ISBN:
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9781412953429
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Price per copy:
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15.95
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Review
Activities for the Differentiated Classroom: Math, Grades 6–8
Reviewed By:
E. Todd Brown
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I. Description of Materials
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This 96-page resource book contains integrated activities for students in grades 6–8. The topic is mathematics activities for the differentiated classroom.
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II. Purpose and Audience
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The resource book has lessons that address five strands of the National Mathematics Standards. The authors advise readers to “Use these activities as they fit into differentiated lessons or units you are planning." The description of the instructional strategies recommends that teachers adjust and redesign learning activities to the unique learners in their classrooms.
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III. Content and Quality
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The real focus of the book is presenting differentiation in the context of mathematics. The five chapters have a total of 31 integrated mathematical activities. Each chapter has a different mathematical focus: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, and probability. The introduction on pages 6–8 provides a brief overview of the differentiation planning and philosophy.
The instructional strategies are identified at the beginning of each activity. These include rehearsal, mnemonics, think-pair-share, cooperative group learning, lab groups, journaling, problem-based learning, game, choice board, jigsaw, graphic organizer, role play, and rotation reflection. Even though the strategies are not specifically defined, each activity has a section titled “ideas for more differentiation.”
The overview on page 9 mentions the importance of pre-assessing student knowledge, although the activities in the book do not have rubrics or assessments. The activities are labeled as authentic task, structured project, multiple intelligences, pre-assessment, presentation, center activity, or adjustable project, but this is not explained further.
The integrated mathematical tasks complement curriculum appropriate for grades 6–8. A portion of the tasks have algebraic content on equations, patterns, relationships, and function. Another section has geometric concepts on angles, transversals, and quadrilateral relationships of 2D and 3D figures. There are five application tasks that include graphic organizers for students to use in collecting and reporting data. For example the planning of a trip with a designated budget and develop a game to solve linear equations.
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IV. Reviewers' Ideas for Using this Material
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The authors recommend using the ideas to fit into lessons and units to support differentiation. One use of the tasks in a professional development setting would be to engage teachers in analyzing the activities' components to identify the forms of differentiation that they address. Also, discussing the activities could foster teacher talk about incorporating small-group mathematics activities to infuse more differentiation into their curriculum. The tasks could also be individualized for students with exceptionalities. The breadth of some of the application tasks promotes higher-level thinking and reasoning through student choice and design.
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V. Comments and Cautions
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The book's activities can be used without prerequisite knowledge about differentiation. But the effectiveness and rigor of the mathematics would require minimizing the scripts and involving students in making decisions. For example the "Travel the States" task includes graphic organizers that instruct students to find information about hotels, airfares, and rental cars. The budget and trip dates are set and do not allow students to find the best deal for the dream vacation.
Differentiation of mathematics lessons requires more than using a graphic organizer, worksheet, or game. This range of mathematical content could supplement instructional ideas for 6th–8th grade mathematics curricula. But, the text should be used in connection with other resources that provide more background and discussion about the types of differentiation.
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