Units of study that provide students with the option to choose tasks are a great way to differentiate instruction. Activities are placed on graphic organizers called Choice Boards for students to select. Tasks may be organized based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the complexity of the tasks, learning styles, or multiple intelligence.
Some advantages include —
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- The teacher can easily tier challenges based on the level of learners.
- Students become actively engaged because they are more interested in the tasks.
- Students can use media that best fit their teaching style. For example, textbooks and articles, podcasts or audio, or videos may be an option. You may also have some activities that incorporate hands-on construction. Other activities may appeal to the arts such as create a song, paint a picture, or write a script.
This download includes a PowerPoint presentation with editable Choice Board templates.
Think-Tac-Toe Choice Board
With the Think-Tac-Toe Choice Boards, students are given a choice of nine items printed in a 3 by 3 grid to look like Tic-Tac-Toe. Students must complete three tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal Tic-Tac-Toe row. The boards need to have a variety of activities that include different types of learning.
For example, for a list of vocabulary words students might:
| Write the words in shaving cream. | Draw a picture of each word. | Divide the words into syllables. |
| Write sentences with the words. |
Write the words in triangles. | Make up a song or rap using the words. |
| Use the words in a letter to a good friend telling about your school. | Use the words in a story. |
Make up riddles or silly questions with the words. |
BINGO Choice Board
Bingo Choice Boards are very similar to Tic-Tac-Toe boards. Students must select tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row. This will include 4 or 5 tasks depending on the direction a student decides to go.
Menus
With menus, students select activities the same way they select from a menu in a restaurant. The activities can be for a single lesson, a series of lessons, or a full unit of study.
Appetizers (Flexible – Open for Discussion)
Students must select one appetizer from a list.
The Main Dish (Required – Non-Negotiable Assignment)
Side Dishes (Flexible – Open for Discussion)
Students must select two items from a list.
Desserts (Optional)
These are high-interest challenging activities that enrich instruction.
RAFT
RAFT is a writing strategy to help students focus on four areas of communication:
Role of the Writer
Audience
Format
Topic
Students select the role, audience, format, and topic from a chart listing approximately 16 categories. Within one lesson you may have a student who is a reporter writing an article for women about ways to recycle. In the same lesson, a student might be an advertiser creating an ad for youth on ways to take trash and turn it into furniture. The possibilities are great even within your structured lesson. You can read more about RAFT here and download a free sample lesson using this method.
1-3-5 Activity
Students select from a list of activities. Each activity is valued at 1, 3, or 5 points. Students must complete activities that total at least 12 points.
Give Choice Boards including Menus, RAFT, or 1-3-5 a try with these free templates.
This download includes a PowerPoint presentation with editable templates. You can change the text, format, and resize the font in any of the table boxes. Click on the text to highlight the table. Then retype the text to create your own choice boards.
Click here to download this download includes a PowerPoint presentation with editable Choice Board templates.
You might also like the post RAFT Writing Strategy. This post describes RAFT in detail and provides free Google Slides example templates that can be edited to meet your needs.
