Every core unit of Amplify Science features a formal formative assessment opportunity around the mid-way, or “Critical Juncture,” point of the unit, which provides an important opportunity for differentiation.

The Critical Juncture signifies a point at which it is especially important that students understand the content before moving on so that they are well positioned for success in subsequent instruction. To give teachers the tools they need to monitor and adjust student learning at this critical juncture, the Critical Juncture assessment results indicate students’ progress since the beginning of the unit and are used to group students for differentiated, adaptive instruction in the next lesson.

The following video provides information about how this differentiation day works, including how to determine which students experience which version of the activity.