ERIN MADDEN

Agenda for Open House

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Gifted Education

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Curriculum

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Schedule

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Expectations Assessment

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Bright child versus Gifted Child In general…

A Bright Child….

A Gifted Child…. Knows the answer • Is interested Is attentive Answers the questions 6-8 repetitions for mastery Grasps the meaning • • • • • Asks the questions sometimes deep, probing questions Is highly curious Is mentally and physically involved Discusses in detail, elaborates 1-2 repetitions for mastery Draws inferences and opens up new questions Absorbs information • Manipulates information Source: http://gleigh.tripod.com/brightvG.htm

 Expand their Horizons ◦ Allow leeway during class discussions ◦ ◦ Encourage curiosity and allow students to explore ideas Resist the urge to attach a grade to everything- spend time thinking, creating, and exploring  Stimulate Creativity ◦ Create open-ended projects that allows students to focus on something that interests them ◦ However, do not ignore core domains of learning  Raise Expectations, then Raise them Higher ◦ Create a rigorous curriculum ◦ …but don’t overwhelm them! Give students time to hone their skills. Start slowly and raise the level of difficulty as time goes ◦ on Source: Education Update, Volume 55: Number 5

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Gifted learners have special learning needs.

Characteristics Power of concentration Ability to make connections and establish relationships Ability to memorize well and learn rapidly Learning Needs Longer time frame that allows focused, in-depth work in an area of interest and challenge Exposure to multiple perspectives and domains of inquiry Rapid movement through basic skills and concepts in traditional areas • • • • • Curriculum Implications “Chunks” of time for special project work and small group efforts Interdisciplinary curriculum opportunities such as special concept units, humanities, and the interrelated arts Use of multiple text materials and resources Curriculum organized according to its underlying structure or concept Infusion of higher-order thinking skills into content Instruction: Faster-paced; Inquiry techniques; questioning; cooperative learning groups; use of discussion; independent work Source: VanTassle, J., “Appropriate Curriculum for Gifted Learners”

21 st Century Student Outcomes

Creativity and Innovation Critical thinking and Problem Solving Communication and Collaboration Information, Media and Technology skills Life and Career skills

Teaching Models

Problem-Based Learning, Inquiry Skills, Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing Paul’s Elements of Reasoning, Analyzing Primary Sources, Literature Web, Vocabulary Web Group work, Presentations Research Model, Vocabulary Web, Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing, iPads Paul’s Elements of Reasoning, Problem-based learning, Literature Web

Units of study are aligned with the Common Care State Standards. Each unit was developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary. Each was created to engage high-ability learners and to strengthen a student’s higher-order thinking skills. 

Literature (September-June)

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Social Studies (September- January)

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Science (February-June)

 In any given day, students will have the opportunity to work in small groups, with a partner, or individually. They will also have the chance to work on a variety of projects, from written assignments and literature circles, to creating songs or learning a dance from a specific time period.  Projects vary from short to long term assignments. While one project may be completed in an hour, another may take several weeks to finish.

 Assignments and projects vary by subject and objective. Instruction is diverse and interdisciplinary in order to meet the needs of every student.

 Literary Reflections The core of the unit involves students interacting with literature while enhancing reading comprehension and textual analysis skills.

 Unit activities engage students in discussion and writing about what they have read and in independent and group learning opportunities that promote skill development in vocabulary, grammar, persuasive writing, literary analysis, oral communication, and thinking. Students will hone their reading and comprehension skills through in-depth textual analysis. Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary

 Patterns of Change ◦ Theme: Change affects people and their relationships, as well as the world around them ◦  Novel: Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (also links with our social studies unit) ◦ Additional Reading:  Short stories and poetry can be found in the “Literary Reflections” student book in the front of the room. Emphasis is on multicultural and global literature (Japanese folktales, African American poetry, Hispanic-American Poetry, etc.) . ◦ Students will use the following strategies while reading:      Make connections to their own lives, other literature, and the world around them Question before, during, and after reading Infer from the text in order to create meaning and grasp the deeper essence of the text Determine importance and purpose Synthesize information by sifting and sorting through the text

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Sample Lessons

        Work in small groups to answer questions about change (What words come to your mind when you think of change? What kinds of things change? How do you know when a change is happening? What types of things never change? What are some generalizations about change?) Discuss the questions and record ideas on large paper for sharing. Be prepared to teach the class what you have learned. Write a persuasive essay, using the Hamburger Model as a guide.

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says and when drawing inferences from the text. Prepare a persuasive speech to defend a particular side of an issue. Determine how change is portrayed in other forms of writing and artwork. Analyze several pieces of artwork and poetry. Create your own poetry and artwork that show the characteristics of changes. Use the Elements of Reasoning Model to help think about a problem or issue. (Goal, Issue, Point of View, Assumptions, Data, Inferences, and Consequences) Conduct research in the library and computer lab to learn about a topic or event.

Use post-it notes while you read to jot down questions and inferences about the text.

A House Divided? The Civil War, Its Causes and Effects  The concept of cause and effect serves as a central organizing theme of this unit, which explores the events and perspectives leading to the American Civil War and the chronology and context of the war itself. Using primary source documents as a major resource, students investigate the social, political, and economic influences that were significant in this period of history. In addition, the unit focuses on particular individuals and groups and their contributions and responses to the events of the time.

Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary

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The Civil War, Unit Goals:

     Develop understanding of the concept of cause and effect and its relationship to events and eras in history Develop reasoning skills with application to social studies Develop interpersonal and social group process skills Develop skills in historical analysis and primary source interpretation Develop understanding of causes of the Civil War, the major events and influential individuals of the period, and the complex reasons for the outcomes.

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Sample Lessons

         Research the economic, social and political structure of America before the Civil War. Determine what factors led to tensions between the North and South. Read primary source documents related to the “Lincoln-Douglas Debates” Analyze how the two speeches address a similar topic in order to compare. Engage in a debate about a particular topic or issue. Choose a side, research the topic, and prepare an organized argument to defend your choice. Participate in a Reader’s Theater play on the Battle of Bull Run. Make an influential speech to convince the people of a Border State to side with either the North or South. Study photographs of people of the Civil War. Describe the experience of the people living in both the North and the South and determine how individual’s experiences differed. How would you have felt living during that time? Compare and contrast photographic and artistic renditions of the war. Read primary source documents to determine the role that President Lincoln played during the time. Analyze how the two speeches address a similar topic in order to compare. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a child living in during the Civil War. Write one from the perspective of a northerner and one from the perspective of a southerner. Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

Acid, Acid Everywhere  Acid, Acid Everywhere has been designed to introduce students to chemistry in an engaging fashion. The problem-based learning format was chosen because students acquire significant science knowledge through solving an interdisciplinary, real-world problem. This format requires students to analyze the problem situation, to discover and select information that applies to the problem solution, and to obtain that information in a variety of ways. In addition to research, students will conduct experiments of their own design in order to generate useful data and to formulate possible problem solutions. Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary

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Acid, Acid Everywhere, Unit Goals:

    Understand the concept of systems Understand the principles of chemistry Understand and apply the basic principles of experimental design Develop reasoning skills with application to science •   

Enduring Understanding:

Matter, on all levels, has predictable properties that can be related to structures of the elements that make up that matter.

Chemical knowledge is, as are all of the sciences, a process and not a finished product.

Experimentation about the world around you can lead to a better understanding of scientific concepts.

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Sample lessons

 Students will learn through experimentation and inquiry-based lessons.     Study the periodic table in order to reveal patterns and relationships between atoms and elements Examine subatomic arrangements of particles in order to explain relationships between atoms Use pH strips to determine if a solution is acidic, neutral, or basic Design an experiment to determine the amount of baking soda needed to neutralize an acid    Learn the basics of Microsoft Excel to construct a data table and display information in a clear and organized way Create graphs to display information in various ways Investigate what makes an atom different than a molecule

 Students check in with their homeroom teacher in the morning for attendance and announcements.  Students come to the Q.U.E.S.T. program after morning announcements and spend the full day in the Q.U.E.S.T. classroom. Time is spent in the computer lab and library as needed. Students have lunch and recess with their Q.U.E.S.T. classmates. (We also have a snack break- Please remember to pack your child a healthy snack!)  The students return to their home school at the end of the day for dismissal. Students will be back to their home school approximately 20 minutes before dismissal.

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Q.U.E.S.T. students are self-directed learners. They are able to work well both independently and in groups. QUEST students take initiative, work-hard, and always try their best.

◦ ◦ ◦ Code of Conduct: Group Work Self and Peer evaluations Traits of a successful student

Q.U.E.S.T. Contract

 There is no homework for Q.U.E.S.T. All work is completed during the Q.U.E.S.T. day. ◦ Exception: If a student does not finish an assignment during the given class time, he or she may need to finish it at home. ◦ In addition, students are expected to make up the work that they miss from their homeroom teacher while in the Q.U.E.S.T. classroom.

  ◦ Students take pre and post assessments for each unit of study. Results of the pre test aid instruction and planning. ◦ The pre and post-assessment results are compared in order to evaluate student progress. Ongoing assessment continues throughout the unit and is both formal and informal. Rubrics are used to provide feedback and grades.  Comments report card.

are sent home quarterly as a supplement to the  Parent Conferences will be scheduled, if necessary, on November 13 th and 14 th .  Due to the number of students in QUEST, conferences will only be scheduled if necessary. I will contact parents who I need to meet with by early-November. If you do not hear from me by then, but feel that you would like a conference, please let me know. Please note- I am available to meet throughout the year as well.

    Parent-Teacher Collaboration ◦ Read the weekly newsletter. A lesson overview is provided, as well as “at-home connections” that link what we are learning in class to what students may encounter at home. Sample 1 , Sample 2 Ask your child what he or she worked on and learned each week in class (Don’t accept “nothing” as an answer  ). Check the take-home folder for grades or notes. Email me with any questions or concerns.  Teacher-Teacher Collaboration Communication with homeroom teachers ensures a successful QUEST experience for the students.

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Students who are successful in fourth grade QUEST can continue to fifth grade QUEST.

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Critical Inquiry

Critical Inquiry is a rigorous sixth grade class that focuses on advanced reading and writing. All interested fifth graders must retake the CogAT test.

Verbal and nonverbal scores of the CogAT will be considered. Other data, including QUEST, may be considered.

      Encourage your child to read stories or books that are of interest to him/her Hold a family debate on one of the issues discussed in the unit Play word games such as Scrabble or Boggle to enhance vocabulary and language usage with the family Encourage your child to write everyday in a diary or journal Try to set up a letter-writing arrangement with a friend, relative, or student from another school When viewing movies or television together, discuss the ideas presented with your child, and encourage close attention to how ideas are handled in the media.  Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] with any questions or comments.

In addition, you can keep up to date with the Q.U.E.S.T. program by visiting my website: http://www.shenet.org/district/Quest/questhome.html

The Q.U.E.S.T. website is listed on each elementary school’s homepage, under “More Quick Links” on the bottom right-hand side.