Interest

Differentiating by Interest

Personal Interest Situational Interest

Example: The jigsaw strategy involves groups of students reading different material based on readiness or their interests. Students then teach each other what they have learned. Group configuration #1: Arrange students in initial groups and assign or let them choose a subtopic of a greater topic of study. Students read, discuss and clarify information about the subtopic to become experts. Group configuration #2: Students form a different group comprised of one individual from the first group who have become experts on a subtopic. Each student’s job is to teach others in his/her group about what s/he has learned from the first group. Students ask questions for clarification and take notes on the subtopic a classmate has explained. At the end of the exercise, students will have learned information about several subtopics. Extension: Teachers extend the jigsaw with additional activities to further students’ understanding of the reading, plus they can issue an assessment.

Differentiating by Interest using Technology: Jigsaw activity using a wiki:

Resources: Sample Lesson Plans for Readiness, Interest, and Learning Style