The examples below illustrate how teachers supported all the students in their class to participate and learn across the learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum. Each example uses the teaching as inquiry model to show effective strategies the teacher used. The examples include student, whānau, and teacher voices to show how these strategies affected student learning and participation.
To enhance professional learning conversations, the examples also include questions for discussion and links to related content in Implementing an Inclusive Curriculum.
Example 1: English, Reading, level 1 – Greedy Cat
A teacher used differentiation in an English reading lesson to support all her students to explore Lunch for Greedy Cat by Joy Cowley.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 1 (PDF, 533 KB)
Example 2: English, Writing, levels 2–3 – Haiku
A teacher differentiated and adapted an English task so that all her students could explore syllabification and write a haiku.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 2 (PDF, 720 KB)
Example 3: English, Writing, level 6 – Curriculum vitae
A teacher with a year 11 class differentiated and adapted an English task to support all his students to create a curriculum vitae.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 3 (PDF, 444 KB)
Example 4: English, Speaking, level 8 – Oral presentation
A year 13 English teacher worked with the learning support coordinator to differentiate an oral presentation task. Most of the class were working towards NCEA level 3, with some students working towards NCEA level 1. A student working at level 1 of the curriculum was engaged in a learning goal related to visual arts.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 4 (PDF, 560 KB)
Example 5: Mathematics and statistics, Number, levels 2–3 – Entertaining patterns
A teacher worked with two colleagues to differentiate a Figure It Out task to support all his students to explore some key mathematical ideas in number and algebra.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 5 (PDF, 349 KB)
Example 6: Mathematics and statistics, Number, levels 2–3 – Fraction problems
A teacher differentiated a problem-solving task to support all her students to explore some key mathematical ideas about fractions.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 6 (PDF, 435 KB)
Example 7: Mathematics and statistics, Number and measurement, level 3 – Growth industry
A teacher differentiated and adapted a Figure It Out task to support the learning of all her students in number and measurement.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 7 (PDF, 584 KB)
Example 8: Mathematics and statistics, Number and measurement, level 4 – Planning a settlement on a new planet
A teacher established the mathematics content for an integrated unit on the solar system and then differentiated the content to support all his year 9 students to explore some key mathematical ideas in number.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 8 (PDF, 592 KB)
Example 9: Science, Physical world, level 3 – Floating and sinking/buoyancy
A teacher used differentiation and adaptation within an introductory lesson on floating and sinking/buoyancy to support all her students to explore key ideas in understanding and investigating in science.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 9 (PDF, 525 KB)
Example 10: Social sciences, levels 2–3 – School election
A year 3–6 syndicate designed and carried out a 10-week unit focused on civics education. A school election provided a rich context for teaching and learning at multiple levels of the curriculum; students with additional learning needs participated and learned alongside their peers.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 10 (PDF, 633 KB)
Example 11: History, level 8 – Research on a historical event
A teacher used adaptations within a history task so that all students in the class could participate and achieve. The task involved researching an historical event or place of significance to New Zealanders.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 11 (PDF, 679 KB)
Example 12: Technology, level 1 – Making and evaluating a biscuit
A teacher used differentiation and adaptation in a practical technology session to support all her students to explore the idea that food can be a technological outcome.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 12 (PDF, 526 KB)
Example 13: Technology, level 3 – Making a lantern
A teacher differentiated a technology task (planning the stages for making a lantern) so that all her students could explore the ideas in technological practice.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 13 (PDF, 473 KB)
Example 14: Physical education, level 5 – Invasion games
A teacher used basketball to develop the movement concepts and motor skills required for invasion games and to foster students’ ability to relate positively with others. She drew on a range of strategies to include students working from levels 1 to 5 of the curriculum.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 14 (PDF, 234 KB)
Example 15: Music, level 4 – Exploring the elements of music through composition
A teacher differentiated a task to ensure that students working at a wide range of curriculum levels could create and perform a composition based upon a natural phenomenon.
Inclusion in Practice - Example 15 (PDF, 242 KB)
Updated on: 20 Apr 2016
