2 Units - Differentiation in Practice

I choose to look at the the first (ABC) and third (community helpers) units.  I was very grateful to see that there were some units differentiated on a younger level.  It seems like this semester we have been getting a lot of higher grade examples in our other classes.  It helps me to see it on the younger level, since that is what I am student teaching and want to teach after graduation.  

In both units, the KUDs are very explicit.  I like how easy it is to tell what the students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do by the end of the unit.  I did not have to try and guess what the unit was going to be teaching.  

Also, I like how the differentiated components were off to the side so it was easy to see what and where the differentiation was occurring.  Going along with this idea, it was easy to see that not every part of the unit was differentiated.  Sometimes when I am in class I start to think, "how am I going to differentiate all my lessons?"  But, I don't have to!  Also, not all the lessons are differentiated the same way.  I think this is good because it allows for variety and flexible grouping.  It was helpful that the instructional strategies used were listed at the beginning of the unit as well.  The samples backed up what was being listed.  Everything was organized and easy to follow.  

It was nice to see that most of the strategies used, I was already familiar with.  I don't have to be some magician and come up with new strategies, because the ones that I have already learned, will be useful.  

The unit plans were very clearly written and organized in a way that, if I wanted, I could use them in my own classroom.