# Lesson Plan Differentiator > > - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-jjuice22-classroom-ready-ai-skills-lesson-plan-differentiator` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [JJuice22](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/jjuice22) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [JJuice22](https://github.com/JJuice22) - **Source:** https://github.com/JJuice22/classroom-ready-ai-skills/tree/main/skills/lesson-plan-differentiator ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-jjuice22-classroom-ready-ai-skills-lesson-plan-differentiator ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Lesson Plan Differentiator ## Purpose Transform a single lesson plan into a multi-layered instructional design that proactively addresses the full range of learner variability — without creating separate lesson plans for each learner. The goal is not to water down or level up; the goal is to design learning experiences that are **flexible by design**. **Theoretical anchor**: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines 3.0 (CAST, 2024) — the most evidence-supported framework for proactive differentiation. Three principles drive every output: 1. **Multiple Means of Engagement** — the *why* of learning (motivation, self-regulation, relevance) 2. **Multiple Means of Representation** — the *what* of learning (how content is presented and accessed) 3. **Multiple Means of Action & Expression** — the *how* of learning (how students demonstrate understanding) --- ## What You Need From the User Gather before generating. Ask for anything missing: - **The lesson** (required): Full plan, abbreviated outline, or activity description. Even a one-paragraph description can work. - **Grade level and subject** - **Learner landscape** (the more specific, the better): - Any students with IEPs or 504 plans? What are the primary disability categories or need areas? (Don't need names — just categories) - ELL/multilingual learners? Language proficiency levels? - Gifted/advanced learners who need extension? - General education range (reading levels, background knowledge gaps, etc.) - **Constraints**: Time, materials, technology availability, class size - **Differentiation priority**: Does the teacher want to focus on access, engagement, or expression flexibility this time? --- ## Differentiation Output Structure For every lesson submitted, produce these sections: ### 1. Lesson Core (Preserved Intact) Restate the original lesson objective and core activity — unchanged. This makes clear that differentiation is *added to*, not replacing, the lesson. ``` LESSON CORE (unchanged) Objective: [original] Core Activity: [original] Assessment: [original] ``` ### 2. UDL Layer — Engagement (The Why) **Relevance and Authenticity** - How can this lesson connect to students' lives, interests, or communities? - What choice can students have in topic, product, or process? **Sustaining Effort and Persistence** - How will the teacher provide varied levels of challenge within the same task? - What collaborative structures maintain engagement (not just compliance)? **Self-Regulation** - What coping/self-monitoring tools can be made available? - How will students know how they're doing during the lesson (not just at the end)? ### 3. UDL Layer — Representation (The What) **Perception** (How content is delivered) - [ ] Visual representation of key content (diagram, graphic organizer, image) - [ ] Auditory option (teacher read-aloud, audio version, partner read) - [ ] Text-to-speech or captioning if digital **Language and Symbols** - [ ] Pre-teach key vocabulary before the lesson (Tier 2 and Tier 3 words) - [ ] Provide vocabulary anchor chart or word wall reference - [ ] Clarify syntax of complex sentences in texts or directions - [ ] Offer bilingual glossary if ELL students are present **Comprehension** (Building understanding, not just access) - [ ] Activate prior knowledge (anticipation guide, quick write, image preview) - [ ] Chunk complex information into smaller segments with processing pauses - [ ] Provide graphic organizers that mirror the text or task structure - [ ] Highlight the big idea explicitly before, during, and after instruction ### 4. UDL Layer — Action & Expression (The How) **Physical access** - [ ] Flexible response options (write, draw, speak, type, point, build) - [ ] Assistive technology accommodations if applicable **Expression and communication** - [ ] Students can demonstrate understanding through: - Written response (paragraph, outline, list, annotation) - Verbal response (oral explanation, recorded audio, discussion) - Visual response (diagram, comic, poster, graphic organizer) - Multimodal (any combination) **Executive function support** - [ ] Provide task checklist or step-by-step directions - [ ] Use a timer and visible progress indicators - [ ] Break multi-step tasks into structured sub-tasks with checkpoints ### 5. Tiered Supports (MTSS Lens) Structure differentiated supports across three tiers. **This is not tracking or grouping by ability** — it is flexible access to different levels of scaffolding based on the student's current need for support. | Tier | Who | What Changes | |---|---|---| | **Tier 1** (Core — all students) | Everyone | UDL layers above; flexible modalities; vocabulary support | | **Tier 2** (Supplemental — ~15% of students) | Students needing additional support to access grade-level content | Pre-teaching, reduced complexity in directions, sentence frames, graphic organizers | | **Tier 3** (Intensive — ~5%) | Students with significant gaps requiring individualized support | Modified task demands, one-on-one or small group support, adapted materials | Generate specific Tier 2 and Tier 3 modifications for this lesson based on the learner landscape the user described. ### 6. IEP and 504 Accommodation Integration If the user mentions specific disability categories, provide targeted accommodation suggestions aligned to that category: | Disability Category | Common Accommodations to Build Into This Lesson | |---|---| | Dyslexia / Reading Disability | Decodable or audio text option; avoid timed silent reading; allow oral response | | ADHD | Task chunked with clear checkpoints; movement break built in; sensory tool available | | Autism Spectrum | Clear visual schedule; predictable transitions; sensory-sensitive environment adjustments | | Speech/Language Impairment | Extended response time; accept alternative communication forms | | Intellectual Disability | Modified objectives; concrete manipulatives; functional context for skill | | Emotional/Behavioral Disability | Regulation check-in; co-regulation strategy; predictable structure | | ELL (not a disability, but often concurrent) | Home language support; visual vocabulary; extended time; cultural relevance | Read `references/accommodation-library.md` for a full, searchable bank of evidence-based accommodations by category and domain. ### 7. Extension — Advanced Learners One or two extension options that deepen rather than simply add more of the same task: - **Deeper complexity**: Apply the concept to a novel context or problem - **Transfer task**: Use the skill/concept to explain, teach, or create something new - **Cross-disciplinary connection**: How does this connect to another field or discipline? **Extension principle**: Extensions should push thinking *up* Bloom's Taxonomy (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, creation) — not just increase quantity. ### 8. Quick Implementation Checklist ``` Before the lesson: □ Pre-teach vocabulary to Tier 2/3 students □ Prepare graphic organizer □ Print/display visual directions □ Prepare alternative text format if needed During the lesson: □ Chunk instruction into segments of no more than [X] minutes □ Build in at least one processing pause □ Offer flexible response options explicitly to all students □ Check in with Tier 2/3 students during independent work After the lesson: □ Document which accommodations were implemented □ Note which students may need Tier 2 support next session ``` --- ## What Differentiation Is Not Use this to gently correct misconceptions if needed: - **Not separate worksheets**: True differentiation happens in the design of the lesson, not in a separate "easy version" packet - **Not just about struggling students**: Advanced learners are also underserved when lessons aren't designed for their needs - **Not about lowering standards**: Accommodations change *how* students access and demonstrate learning — not *what* they are expected to learn (that distinction is between accommodation and modification) - **Not the teacher doing the work for students**: Good scaffolding is temporary support toward independence, not permanent assistance --- ## Reference Files - `references/accommodation-library.md` — Full bank of evidence-based accommodations by disability category and academic domain - `references/udl-guidelines.md` — Full UDL 3.0 checkpoint framework for reference when the user wants deeper alignment ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [JJuice22](https://github.com/JJuice22) - **Source:** [JJuice22/classroom-ready-ai-skills](https://github.com/JJuice22/classroom-ready-ai-skills) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-jjuice22-classroom-ready-ai-skills-lesson-plan-differentiator - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/jjuice22 - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.