| name | differentiate |
| description | Apply ONE differentiation profile (ELL, IEP/SPED, Gifted, 504, Below-grade, Above-grade) to a SINGLE piece of existing content. Use this when a teacher says 'make this activity ELL-friendly' or 'add IEP supports to this passage'. Do NOT use for full lesson differentiation — call this atom once per content piece. Do NOT generate new content from scratch — use atom-activity-generate or atom-assessment-item first, then differentiate. |
differentiate
Takes one piece of instructional content (activity, passage, question, instructions) and returns a differentiated version for the specified learner profile. Keeps the learning target constant; only modifies scaffolding, vocabulary, format, and support level.
Read first — boundaries (security/SECURITY_AND_SAFETY.md §1-2). A profile here — IEP,
504, ELL, Gifted — is a generic scaffolding pattern, not a student's plan. The output is
decision support and must be validated against the student's actual IEP/504/ELL plan and local
policy before it is used with them; matching a profile name confers no accommodation and no legal
entitlement. Where a request needs a specific student's plan details, escalate rather than
assume (protocol-layer/assumptions-protocol.md). Never request, infer, or include real student
data — placeholders only.
Input
{
"content": "Complete the number line by placing these fractions: 5/4, 3/2, 7/4.",
"content_type": "activity_instructions | passage | question | rubric | directions",
"profile": "ELL | IEP | gifted | below_grade | above_grade | 504",
"grade": "4",
"subject": "Math",
"standard_code": "MA.4.FR.1.1",
"notes": "Student reads at grade 2 level; native language Spanish"
}
profile: the differentiation target. notes: optional additional context about the learner (no real student names or IDs — use descriptors only).
Output
{
"tool": "differentiate",
"profile": "ELL",
"original": "Complete the number line by placing these fractions: 5/4, 3/2, 7/4.",
"differentiated": "Put each fraction on the number line. Use the word bank below.\n\n• 5/4 means 5 pieces of size 1/4\n• 3/2 means 3 pieces of size 1/2\n• 7/4 means 7 pieces of size 1/4\n\n[Word bank: number line, fraction, place, between]",
"supports_added": ["simplified vocabulary", "visual word bank", "decomposed fraction meaning"],
"supports_NOT_changed": ["learning target", "standard alignment", "required fractions"],
"human_review_required": true,
"note": "Verify the differentiated version still meets the standard before use. No real student data used."
}
Profiles reference
- ELL: simplified vocabulary, sentence frames, visual supports, native-language glossary note
- IEP: chunked instructions, reduced items, visual schedule, extra time note, reduced reading level
- Gifted: extension question, independent research prompt, higher DOK, open-ended variation
- 504: formatting adjustments, reduced visual clutter, extended time note
- below_grade / above_grade: Lexile and vocabulary adjustment, keeping standard alignment
Do NOT use this atom for
- Generating new content (use atom-activity-generate first, then differentiate)
- Writing IEP goals (use atom-iep-goal)
- Real student PII — descriptors only (grade level, language, profile type)
Pipeline note
Follows references/method.md at the Differentiation step. Output conforms to protocol-layer/metadata-schema.md. Runs after Generation (atom-activity-generate / atom-assessment-item). human_review_required: true.
