k12-lesson-differentiation

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from review. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: k12-lesson-differentiation
description: Adapts an existing K-12 lesson (math, ELA, science, or social studies) for students at different proficiency levels (below / at / above grade level). Load this skill BEFORE asking the teacher any clarifying question about the lesson, tiers, or student levels. Triggers on explicit asks to differentiate, tier, or scaffold a lesson, and on implicit signals like "my students are at different levels". Produces 1 teacher-facing differentiation plan + 3 student-ready tier documents as editable Word documents in a single output turn, rendered from one material-source JSON via bundled scripts (shared content is written once so tiers cannot drift). Uses the Learning Commons Knowledge Graph when connected; works without it. This skill adapts a lesson the teacher brings or names. Not for creating a new lesson from scratch — a new-lesson request that asks for differentiated or leveled materials is k12-lesson-planning's job, one package. Not for grading, rubrics, assessment feedback, or quizzes.
license: Complete terms in LICENSE
---

<!--
SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Anthropic, PBC
SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Learning Commons
SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-->

# K-12 Lesson Differentiation

Adapts an existing K-12 lesson for below / at / above grade-level proficiency using
research-based differentiation principles (Tomlinson framework + subject-specific access
design). Works with or without the Learning Commons Knowledge Graph connector.

"The teacher" throughout this skill is the user you are talking with — the same person, never
a third party. "Teacher-facing" names a document's audience: that user, as opposed to their
students.

---

## Keeping the teacher posted

Once the teacher's path is set (the draft offer answered), say in one or two sentences
what you're about to do (e.g. *"I'll read your lesson, ground it in the standard and
curriculum materials, design the three tiers, and build the worksheets."*).

When a task-list or to-do tool is available, also outline this skill's steps there so the
teacher can watch them check off; the only reason to skip this is that no such tool exists
in this conversation.

Teacher language only — name what the teacher is getting, never tool names, file names,
"JSON", or "rendering".

---

## Step 0 — Route (silent, before anything else)

1. **Subject.** Detect math / ELA / science / social studies from the source lesson or the
   request, then read the matching reference file NOW:

   - math → `references/math.md`
   - ELA → `references/ela.md`
   - science → `references/science.md`
   - social studies → `references/social_studies.md`

   **Loading the matching reference file is mandatory.** It carries the pedagogy for Steps 1
   and 3 (source-lesson identification, curriculum detection, the eight differentiation rules
   R1–R8, the document content templates, and the differentiation.json mapping).
   Differentiating without first reading the subject reference is a critical failure on par
   with skipping the Knowledge Graph.
2. **Curriculum.** The subject file's "Identify the source lesson" section includes curriculum
   detection (Illustrative Mathematics / OpenSciEd). When confirmed, use that
   curriculum's discourse language and structures in the teacher plan, per the subject file.

   **Curriculum is confirmed when:** the teacher explicitly names it, OR the uploaded source
   lesson references it (a lesson from an IM unit or an OpenSciEd unit
   counts — the upload is implicit confirmation).

   **If curriculum is NOT confirmed** (not detectable from upload or link, no explicit mention):
   never name a specific module, unit number, lesson number, or proprietary routine name anywhere
   in the output OR in any chat message — even if you recognize the routine from training.
   Describe the instructional move in your own generic terms ("a compare-strategies
   discussion", not the routine's trademarked name). This is a hard rule; violating i