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Strategy #3: Extending unit plans to respond to multiple intelligences and learning styles

This strategy builds on the weekly overview you created for your content area unit or cross-content area unit to help you examine the extent to which your chosen activities address multiple intelligences and learning styles in your classroom. Use the Weekly overview for unit tool below to examine each activity and make notes about which intelligence the activity emphasizes. Then brainstorm alternative activities that would tap additional intelligences.

Example: Weekly overview for content area unit

Week

Learning objectives

Activities

Which intelligence does each activity emphasize?

How can I tap additional intelligences?

See Activities for multiple intelligences for ideas.

[Word study objective]

[Comprehension objective]

Use pre-writing strategies.

Spell frequent words.

Reading: Read together Commander Toad and Tuesday. Choose a fantasy to read during silent reading. Response: Identify problem and solutions.

Writing: Use Wiesner books as places to start writing from. Talk about dreams and write.

Make words: Commander

verbal-linguistic

verbal-linguistic, intrapersonal

verbal-linguistic

kinesthetic: dramatize the story

visual-spatial: draw/illustrate stories

[Word study objective]

[Comprehension objective]

Characters’ thoughts and motivations

Set a purpose, consider audience, replicate authors' styles.

Reading: Van Allsburg Author Study. Read Two Bad Ants and Jumanji together. Read Mysteries of Harris Burdick aloud. Students must read two other Van Allsburg books during silent reading. Responses: write about characters. How do you know it’s a Van Allsburg? Make class list of Van Allsburg traits. Students must cite evidence.

Writing: Quick writes from pictures in Harris Burdick. Tell stories aloud to partners. Write scratch stories to develop ideas.

verbal-linguistic

visual-spatial: view Jumanji movie; make posters of Van Allsburg traits

interpersonal/kinesthetic: small groups write stories and perform skits

See Using art in elementary science and Planning for multiple learning styles in elementary social studies for other examples.

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