Condensation. Evaporation. Sublimation.
For several days, the students in Phil Carney’s sixth-grade science classes at Walnut Springs Middle School this week have been diving into vocabulary linked to their lessons on the different states of matter and how they change into solids, liquids and gases.
Carney took a layered approach to teaching new words. He began with a short definition, added a simple sketch and invited students to link the word to something they’ll remember. Then, he asked them to use it in a sentence or real-life example.
He also had students act out the words they’re learning. To show sublimation — when a solid changes directly into a gas — one student stood with little movement as a “solid” while another moved quickly around the room as “gas.” When the “solid” received energy, the class watched the transformation happen in real time.
“I have students who struggle as readers,” Carney said. “I try to bring in some other way of understanding. If I’m going to read it, they may not understand it. This gives them a visual way to explore the information.”
His lesson is grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a teaching approach that offers students flexible paths to access and connect with information. Instead of expecting every student to fit one way of learning, UDL calls for lessons with flexibility built in — offering multiple ways for students to engage with material, show what they know and connect learning to their interests.
UDL is a component of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework that the District has adopted across all schools. (Elementaries rolled out plans last school year while preschool as well as middle and high schools launched their work this year.)
“Students have changed, the world has changed,” said Kate Thoma, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, during her presentation about the District’s MTSS work at Monday’s Board meeting. “We have the obligation to respond to that. Universal Design for Learning asks us to rethink our instruction to make sure we’re removing any barriers that could cause a student not to be successful in the classroom.”
In the past, teachers may have shaped lessons to address the needs of specific learners. UDL shifts the focus — helping teachers create lessons that reach all students, Thoma said.
The goal of UDL is to give every student equal opportunities to learn, whether that means providing visual support, hands-on activities, technology tools or choices in how they complete assignments.
There are examples of UDL all across the District — and at Walnut Springs.
They selected a project from among three different options: a totem inspired by Native American art, a dragon eye inspired by mythology from around the world or a tic-tac-toe board — which has ancient roots and is one of the oldest known games still played today.
“With UDL, it’s really important to give students a choice with how they respond, with how they learn best,” Crum said. “There’s a lot of freedom in the designs of their projects.”
In Kyle Hamrick’s physical education classes, students started by choosing how they want to warm up based on their interest, abilities and comfort level. They rotated through stations that target different components of fitness such as flexibility, cardio, balance and muscle endurance, selecting from eight or nine different options before finishing a lap around the track. Their goal: beat Hamrick.
“Whatever speed they want to go, they just have to beat me,” he said. “It usually equates to a fast walk. I’m not trying to beat all of them. I’m trying to make sure everyone is making some effort.”
This week, sixth-grade language arts teacher Janin Rosas launched a new project to help students demonstrate their understanding of plot.
After choosing a story they recently read, students worked in groups to select one of six ways to showcase it — a plot diagram poster, graphic organizer, a comic strip, interactive timeline or skit.
Sixth-grader Hanna Lungu and the other members of her team opted to do a skit because they thought it would be more fun. She liked that she could contribute in her own way, taking on the role of a videographer instead of an actor.
“I feel comfortable because it’s not like we’re being forced to do one thing,” she said. “There are more options.”
Down the hallway from Rosas’ classroom, Carney applied the same UDL-approach to reviewing science vocabulary. On Wednesday, he led his classes through a “I Have/Who Has?” game, where each student had cards with an “I have” statement and a “Who has?” question — all of which draw words and definitions from their states of matter vocabulary. Several cards featured pictures instead of words for students who are more visual learners.
The game kicked off with a designated “starter” card, and the student with the answer read their “I have” statement, then asked the “who has” question from their card. The game continued until all cards were read — and matched — and everyone was seated.
He pitted classes against each other based on how quickly they finished the game. The prize? His kids’ Halloween candy.
For Carney, the game offered another opportunity for all students to engage with the lessons and bring learning to life. It’s not about memorizing vocabulary, he said.