Already have great lesson materials? Now you can instantly align them to standards, differentiate for every learner, adjust reading levels, and add real-world examples — all without starting from scratch.
Hi everyone! As educators, you have told us that some of your most time-consuming work is not creating lessons — it is adapting them. Adjusting a reading passage for different grade levels, aligning an existing activity to new curriculum standards, or adding scaffolds for diverse learners can eat up hours of prep time each week.
That is why we are excited to announce that Modify Content is now generally available in Copilot in Teach — a set of AI-powered tools that help you take content you already have and quickly tailor it for your classroom.
What is Modify Content?
Modify Content lets you transform existing lesson materials — instructions, reading passages, lesson plans — using AI, so every student gets what they need without you having to rewrite everything manually. Just paste your content (or upload a Word or PDF file), choose how you want to modify it, and review the result.
It is designed to keep you in the driver's seat. Every modification is generated as a suggestion that you review and approve before it becomes part of your lesson.
Four powerful ways to modify your content
Align to Standards
Have a lesson you love but need it to meet specific curriculum requirements? Select one or more educational standards, and the tool adjusts your content to reflect what students should know and be able to do — without losing the original context of your lesson.
Example: A middle school science teacher has a hands-on weather observation activity. She selects the relevant Next Generation Science Standard and the tool weaves in the learning expectations, so her lesson now clearly supports the required competencies.
Differentiate Instructions
Adapt your instructions for different grade levels and add scaffolding — like step-by-step breakdowns, example answers, or hints — so every student can access and engage with the task.
Example: A high school English teacher adapts a literary analysis prompt for students reading below grade level. She selects a lower grade target, adds "Hints" as the scaffold type, and chooses "Expanded" length. In seconds, she has a version that guides struggling readers through the same assignment.
Modify Reading Level
Rewrite any text to match a specific grade level while preserving the original meaning and key vocabulary. You can also generate a glossary — with clear, age-appropriate definitions — right at the end of the passage.
Example: A secondary social studies educator wants learners to work with a primary source written at a university reading level. Using Modify Reading Level, she produces a version that keeps the document's key ideas and important historical terms intact while simplifying sentence structure for her students.
Add Supporting Examples
Enrich your content with real-world, historical, or scientific examples that make abstract concepts more concrete and relatable — without altering your original text.
Example: An elementary teacher is introducing the concept of ecosystems. She adds two "Real World" examples at "Moderate" depth, and the tool appends relatable scenarios — like a local pond ecosystem and a school garden — that help students connect the concept to their own experiences.
See it in action
Here is a quick look at how Modify Content works:
- Open Teach and select Modify Content
- Paste your content or upload a Word/PDF file
- Choose your modification — Align to Standards, Differentiate Instructions, Modify Reading Level, or Add Supporting Examples
- Configure your options — grade level, scaffold type, number of examples, and more
- Generate and review — the AI produces a modified version for you to approve, edit, or regenerate
- Save your result — download as a Word document or copy the text directly
Tip: You can iteratively refine the output using the description box to request adjustments — like changing sentence length, clarifying a concept, or modifying specific sections.
Tips for getting the most out of Modify Content
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Tip |
Details |
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Start with clear, detailed input |
The more context you provide, the more relevant the output. A well-written paragraph gives the AI much more to work with than a few bullet points. |
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Always review before saving |
AI-generated content is a starting point, not the final word. Check that the output matches your instructional goals and is appropriate for your students. |
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Combine modifications |
Use Align to Standards first, then Differentiate Instructions on the result. Layering modifications can help you build exactly the version you need. |
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Preserve key vocabulary |
When modifying reading levels, use the key terms feature to ensure important subject-specific words stay in the text, even if the overall reading level changes. |
Requirements
To use Modify Content:
- License: Microsoft 365 Education (A1, A3, or A5)
- Role: Educator (the feature is not available to students)
- Input: Minimum 50 characters of content to generate modifications
Helpful links
- Getting started with Teach
- Modify content — Align to Standards
- Modify content — Differentiate Instructions
- Modify content — Modify Reading Level
- Modify content — Add Supporting Examples
- Share feedback with us by joining our EDU Insider Program
Have questions or ideas? Drop them in the comments below — we would love to hear how you are using Modify Content to save time and support your students!
Until next time,
Leif Brenne · Microsoft Education
Microsoft