Menus

A menu offers students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements.  A menu could be for a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study.  In order to create a menu:

• Identify the most important elements of a lesson or unit. 
• Create a required assignment or project that reflects the minimum understanding you expect all students to achieve.
• Create negotiables which expand upon the minimum understands.  These negotiables often require students to go beyond the basic levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. 
• Create a final optional section that requires students the opportunity for enrichment.  The optional section often reflects activities that students can use for extra credit.

from Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom by Rick Wormeli