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**__Differentiated Instruction Trends/Strategies__**

**__Oral Reports:__** An oral report is a presentation, usually done for a student’s teacher and classmates, though it can also be done for a larger segment of the school community, for parents, or for a more open group, depending on the circumstances. For example, at a science fair, a student might present an oral report on his or her project periodically for his or her class, for other visitors who pass by, and for judges. An oral report may have a variety of elements including an introduction, body, and conclusion. Audio-visual aids — such as posters, slides, movies, PowerPoint™, models, or other demonstrations — may be allowed or required. A question-and-answer session in which the student giving the presentation interacts with his or her audience may also be part of the expected proceedings. An oral report is an opportunity for students to practice their speaking skills, but other skills may come into play as well. There are presentation skills, such as making eye contact with one’s audience, listening skills of a question and answer session, and the skill of anticipating how to present something in a way that will be understandable as well as appealing to one’s particular audience.

**__Hands-on Activities:__** Hands-on learning means many different things to different people. It has become a slogan and is often used to describe any activities in classrooms that use materials. As a slogan, it can easily become a fad. Hands-on learning, however, is not simply manipulating things. It is engaging in in-depth investigations with objects, materials, phenomena, and ideas and drawing meaning and understanding from those experiences. There is no doubt that there is more emphasis on hands-on materials than in the recent past. That does not mean, however, that the hands-on science activity ever passed away. Furthermore, good science programs cannot exist without hands-on.

__**Inquiry Based Learning:**__ Inquiry based instruction is an approach where teachers create lessons where students solve problems through making connections from previous knowledge. In doing this, students solve their own questions and problems through investigating them. They also design ways to try out their proposed questions. This popular in science where the students investigate their own questions by collecting data, graphing, charting, and presenting their finds to the class. There are many benefits. The students find meaning in their results and do not simply perform experiments. They come to realize that there are no wrong results. The student’s learn is more meaningful.

__**Small Group Collaboration :**__ Small group collaboration is an approach where students are group either by ability or randomly. Students are teamed together to create projects or solve problems in a meaningful way. For this to occur, the learning environment must be safe and challenging for learning. The groups also need to be small so that every one can contribute to the project. And, the lesson must be clearly defined for the students to understand and accomplish. Through this process students will work on their interpersonal skills as they learn how to deal with other students. Students actively participate in their learning and develop respect for fellow classmates. Through this approach students learn to deal with one another as they learn.

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