Differentiation using Learning Contracts

WWII Research Project

Collin Case
9th Grade World History

WHAT ARE LEARNING CONTRACTS?

Understanding Learning Contracts
Learning contracts are beneficial for all learners from those who struggle to those who excel. Under a
learning contract, students are asked to provide agreements and understandings between individuals and
the instructor as well as within groups in Group Contracts. Another purpose of the contract is to provide
accountability for the students while granting some leniency for the individual. A good learning contract has
clearly defined expectations and outcomes for the learner. Group contracts also provide specific
expectations for the individual groups members to follow and a system to correct undesirable actions.

BIG IDEAS
Big Ideas
Individuals make choices that have consequences whether big or small:
This idea addresses Kansas History Government and Social Studies standard number 1 Choices have
consequences.
Essential Questions
What decisions made by major leaders of the war had the biggest impacts on the outcome of the war?
Why did they make the decision they made?
What are the modern implications of those choices?

Students need to
Know: Student will need to be familiar with the major players, places, and key events of the war.
Specifically, they will need to know the main figures involved in the decision they choose to research.
For example, if I research into the decision to bomb Pearl Harbor, I will need to be familiar with the
people involved in planning the attack, who approved the decision, what happened and what were the
effects of the decision.
Understand: Students will need to understand the rationale behind the decisions, how it plays into the
war at large, and how that still affects us today or how it could have affected us today. Using Pearl
Harbor again, I would need to understand why the Japanese thought bombing the US was a good idea
or what resistance might have existed. I would also need to understand how the Pearl Harbor attacks
play into the overall outcome of the war. How does Pearl Harbor affect relations between Japan and the
US today or does it?
Be able to: Students will need to be able to comprehend both primary and secondary sources in order
to determine the answer to the essential questions. Students will also be able to research more
effectively using good search techniques. Ultimately, students will need to create a product that shows
their understanding of the essential questions and big picture.

GIVE ME DETAILS
What will the groups be made up of?
Students will work in homogeneous partner pairs in order to practice cooperative learning but with both
learners able to be challenged.

How will groups be divided?

Students will be placed with a partner who closely matches their readiness level. The readiness level will
be determined based upon the students reading comprehension and writing abilities as determined by a
pre-assessment.
Pre-assessment: Students will be given short passages from https://sheg.stanford.edu a mixture
primary source and secondary sources. Students will be given twenty minutes to read through the
passages and answer as many questions about the documents as possible. After twenty minutes the
 students will be given ten minutes to write an argumentative response to the Central Historic Question.

How will students pick their topic?

After being placed in their partnership, students will pick with their partner a decision made by one of the
major players of WWII (e.g. Hitler, Stalin, Eisenhower, Churchill, Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, Patton, and
Rommel, etc.). The person and decision will then be used in the development of a learning contract.

How will it be differentiated?

Both product and process with be differentiated. Within the learning contracts, students and I will discuss
what product they will produce, how they will do it and how it will be evaluated. More advanced students
will be given more responsibility in ensuring theyre on task and are completed on time. Struggling
learners will have more teacher guidance in the production of the learning contract and production of the
learning process. Students may be assigned a decision, if they would like, and I can provide the some
resources (recommended only for the most severe struggling learners.

Learning Contracts
Students will meet with me after developing their learning contract. Within the learning contracts,
students will establish several key factors: the decision they will research, their hard and soft dates for
completion, the product they will complete, and roles of the partners. After meeting with me, students will
be able to begin their project.

RESOURCES
Sample Learning Contract

Contract.docx Contract Blank.docx

Teacher Resources
https://sheg.stanford.edu
Tomlinson, Carol A. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001. Print.