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SAMS |
Middle School |
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Gifted Education Enrichment |
Course Description
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This course will focus was on developing higher-level extension, creativity, and integration activities that add depth and challenge to the curriculum. The goal is to help the students develop their skills and abilities within the context of the regular curriculum rather than in isolation. |
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N/A |
Philosophy
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I really enjoy the challenge of working with this group of students, and it thrills me to see them extend themselves and rise to a challenge. My goal is to stimulate as well as challenge them. We are fortunate to be able to offer a whole year of Gifted Enrichment (G.E.) this year. This will give us time to explore more topics, and investigate them in greater depth. In the end you will also be able to rest in the satisfaction of successfully meeting the challenge. |
Grading Policy
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DoDEA Grading Scale: 90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 59 or below = F |
Assessment
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The course grade will be determined by total points achieved. Most work will be evaluated on the following criteria: ¨ª Depth This covers thoroughness, completeness and level of detail (elaboration). ¨ª Creativity This area encompasses originality, use of humor, different or unusual points of view, etc. ¨ª Critical Thinking This focuses on developing connections, and use of higher-level thinking skills (application, analysis, evaluation, etc) ¨ª Craftsmanship Here I am looking at ¡°production values¡± and presentation. More specific evaluation criteria will be provided for every assignment. There will also be grades given for task commitment (daily work, research progress, participation). Late ¡°daily¡± tasks will cost 5-10 (out of 15) daily work points. Missing work will earn a 0. Late projects will cost ¡°Craftsmanship¡± points. |
Homework
The vast majority of work will be intended for completion in class. However, there may occasionally be times when something needs to be completed outside of class. |
Late Work Policy
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Timeliness is important. There will be little time available to accommodate late work. If a student is going to be absent arrangements will be made to complete or make-up the work. Otherwise, work not completed on time will be subject to penalty. |
Tutoring/Extra Help
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I am willing to make myself available after school, during lunch, and during seminar to work with any student who feels like they need some extra assistance. |
Classroom Management
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I expect the following of my students: v Follow directions when and as given. v Be Prepared ¡°Chance favors the prepared mind.¡± ~ Louis Pasteur v Be Respectful Demonstrate care and respect for others, their things, their ideas, their selves. Consequences: If you choose to disregard these simple guidelines there will be consequences. 1st offense Warning 2nd offense Time out away from activity 3rd offense Call home and detention 4th offense Referral to administrator There will also be incentives to encourage and reward positive behavior J |
Content Outline
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Students will participate in a variety of activities and projects to practice and refine their skills. Each day there will be activities designed to develop critical thinking skills and/or creativity skills. Students will also spend some time each session working on a larger scale project designed to complement or extend topics and concepts from their core classes. These projects will involve independent research and production. As such, there is no set scope or sequence to the units investigated. Each semester WILL include a ¡°Special Interest Unit¡± where the students will do an in depth investigation of a topic of their choice. The investigation will focus developing on research skills, good (higher level) research questions, and advanced product development. Beyond that, typical semester at each grade level may look something like this:
6th Grade A Meeting of the Minds – 6 (approx 6 weeks) (An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Intelligence, Learning, and Life)
Objective: Begin a process of self-discovery by investigating an eminent (gifted) individual who probably shares similar learning characteristics with you. 1. Develop a personal ¡°learning profile¡± using a Multiple Intelligence inventory and a computer-based test. 2. Research an eminent individual that seems to share some of your learning characteristics. 3. Develop a product, based on your own learning style(s), which answers the 4 ¡°Key Questions.¡± 4. Share that product with the class. 5. A Meeting of the Minds. Draw a broader generalization of the meaning and nature of eminence, using examples from the class¡¯ research and presentation.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (approx 6 weeks) (A ¡°Stellar¡± Web Quest)
Objectives: To see the heavens as the ancients did, discover the science and the stories behind the stars, their names, and their groupings, and see how other cultures saw the stars. Finally, like the ancients, you will use the stars to answer your own natural mystery. Procedures: You will choose one of the following constellations Orion, the Pleiades, the Big Dipper, Scorpio, or Draco, and use the provided web sites to do the following: Part-1¡§ Explain what a constellation is; tell when (season/time of year) and where (sky directions) to find yours; give the names, their meaning (and original language), and a brief description of some (2 –3) of the most important stars in it; research and retell the story that goes with your constellation Part-2¡§ Find out what it is known as in at least one other culture (stars too if possible), and the story, if available; answer the question: How are the story/meaning different, alike in the two cultures? Why are stars¡¯ names often different from those of the constellations? (For example why do the Polynesians and Arabs have more star names than the Greeks or Japanese?); create a ¡°family tree¡± of the Greek gods (and what they were ¡°god¡± of), add the character of your constellation Part-3 ¡§ Use a map of the sky to create your own constellation; write your own original myth/story explaining some natural phenomenon and how your constellation got into the heavens The final product, pulling all of the pieces together will be in the form of either a power point presentation, or a web page. OR
In the Beginning: An Interdisciplinary Look at Creation Stories (approx 5-6 weeks)
Objective: This unit will lead you to examine creation stories from a variety of cultures, in a variety of media. We will use a ¡°Web Quest¡± format to discover depictions of creation stories in story, art, poetry, and music. We will analyze the stories to discover common threads, and offer hypotheses on the reasons for cultural variations. We will also use the information to explain the probable purpose of the specific depictions. This unit incorporates individual investigation/research/ inquiry, independent thinking and analysis. You will be keeping a digital portfolio of your discoveries and your responses. As a final product, you will create and present your own ¡°original¡± creation stories using the media of their choice (visual arts, prose, poem, music). Key Elements: After discussing modern scientific and religious traditions of the Beginning, you will be using a ¡°Web Quest¡± type of approach to create a ¡°digital portfolio¡± containing the following: * Creation stories from at least one culture from each of 3 different continents; * A visual depiction of a creation story and; * A musical representation
7th Grade A Meeting of the Minds – 7 (approx 6 weeks) (An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Intelligence, Learning, and Life)
Objective: Continue a process of self-discovery by investigating an eminent (gifted) individual who probably shares similar learning characteristics with you. 1. Develop a personal ¡°learning profile¡± using a Multiple Intelligence inventory and a computer-based test. 2. Research an eminent individual that seems to share some of your learning characteristics. Use your research web to help guide you. 3. Develop a product, based on your own learning style(s), which answers the 5 ¡°Key Questions.¡± 4. Share that product with the class. 5. A Meeting of the Minds. Draw a broader generalization of the meaning and nature of eminence, using examples from the class¡¯ research and presentation.
Faces in the StreamAn Integrated Geography, Science, Math Activity (approx 5-6 weeks) Objective: Integrate geography, science, math, and language to map and describe a newly discovered island. Use your knowledge of maps, facial proportions, and latitude/ longitude to turn your face into a contour map of an island located somewhere in the world. Then add ecosystems, including appropriate flora (plants) and fauna (animals). Geographic Requirements: Your map must contain the following elements: - At least 4 contour lines (not including the outline of your face) measured in meters. - The highlights of the contours (nose, eyes, mouth) must be in the correct place based on proportion. - A latitude and longitude location to the nearest ¨ö degree (30 minutes). (1 minute of latitude = 1 nautical mile or 2,000 yds). Be prepared to show where in the world your island is. - A name for your island, the mountain of your nose, & the valleys/ lakes/oases (or whatever) of your eyes. - At least one city and two rivers, all with names. The direction of flow must be consistent with the topography (water don¡¯t naturally go uphill). - A legend with a compass rose, distance scale (in both metric AND English units), and a key to physical features. Ecology/Environment: You must describe the ecology of your new found land. Your descriptions need to include the following: At least 3 biomes. These must be appropriate to the physical location of your island based on lat/long and other ¡°real-world¡± considerations such as currents, etc. < At least 2 different plant species (with Latin taxonomy) in each zone. < At least 2 ¡°producer¡±(prey) and 1 ¡°consumer¡±(predator) animal species (with Latin taxonomy) for each zone. The flora and fauna may include some fictitious species, unique to your island, but they must include at least one actual organism each (flora and fauna). < Descriptions need to cover physical characteristics, habitat, and interactions. Your description MUST include some scientific thinking about how your organisms arrived on the island. Cool Points: You can earn ¡°cool points¡± by including any of the following: v Writing your descriptions in the form of a journal or diary (as if you are actually there, making discoveries, inferences, and conclusions on a day-by-day, real explorer basis) v Annotated, ¡°scientific¡± drawings of your flora and fauna v Writing your discoveries in the form of a scientific article (a professional journal/ magazine) v Adding descriptions of the human culture discovered (economy, politics/government, trade/industry, religion, arts) v Making a physical model of your island OR
The Hero¡¯s Quest: The Mythic Journey (4-5 weeks) Objective: This unit will give you a deeper understanding of the almost universal nature of the hero and his quest or journey in mythology. In these tales the hero is defined a little bit differently than you might be used to. The hero has some very specific characteristics, and the quest follows a very regular pattern. The quest or journey may be a ¡°physical¡± journey (the hero) actually goes somewhere) or it may be an ¡°interior¡± journey. The movies we will watch will involve both kinds. Be on the lookout for the stages of the ¡°Mythic Journey.¡±
Activities: After determining the characteristics of the ¡°Hero¡± and the steps/stages of the ¡°Quest¡± or mythic journey, we will view a series of movies in order to see how this most ancient story type is still told today, by modern ¡°story-tellers¡± in a modern medium. For each movie you will complete a critique sheet in which you will discuss how the movie reflects the elements we are looking for. We will then discuss your responses as a group. There will then be a ¡°reflection¡± exercise. The unit will end with a final product (a ¡°mind-map¡±) to bring all the pieces back together. You will have a chance ot create your own, original hero quest.
8th Grade
A Meeting of the Minds – 8 (approx 6 weeks) (An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Intelligence, Learning, and Life)
Objective: Continue a process of self-discovery by investigating a career field you are interested in, and that your learning styles seem to fit well with. 1. Develop a personal ¡°learning profile¡± using a Multiple Intelligence inventory and a computer-based test. Discuss what career fields best fit the various learning styles. 2. Research a career field that seems to make use of some of your learning characteristics. Use your research web to help guide you. 3. Develop a product, based on your own learning style(s), which answers the 5 ¡°Key Questions.¡± 4. Share that product with the class. 5. A Meeting of the Minds. Draw a broader generalization of the meaning and nature of eminence, using examples from the class¡¯ research and presentation.
What¡¯s Bugging You?A Problem Based Learning Medical ¡°Detective¡± Simulation(approx 8 weeks) This ¡°Problem-Based Learning¡± simulation is designed to allow you to apply learning from science and other disciplines, while investigating an ¡°ill-defined¡± problem. You will be presented with a vague problem, and then decide what info you have, what is relevant, what else you need to find out, and in the end, what to do about it. Along the way, we will have visits from guest experts, and acquire any necessary skills needed to answer specific questions. You will essentially be detectives; searching for, analyzing, and evaluating clues, and formulating a response.
Objectives: * Design and conduct scientific investigations * Communicate scientific procedures and explanations * Demonstrate abilities in technological design * Understand about science and technology * Investigate examples of science as a human endeavor * Understand important historical events of science * Understand and apply concepts of modeling (conceptual, mathematic, physical)
Procedures: Students will be expected to maintain a ¡°Problem Log¡± for the duration of this simulation. This log will contain ALL of the information and worksheets, as well as the daily question responses and research results All of the information will be summarized in a final presentation on a date to be determined. Options for the format of the final presentation will be discussed as we draw closer to the date.
Most of the research activity will take place in class. However, some of the work, especially the problem log daily questions/reflections may need to be completed outside of class.
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Space - The Final Frontier: Mission to Mars (approx 10 weeks)
Objective: The students will plan a hypothetical mission to Mars. They not only plan the travel aspects of the mission (when to launch, what type(s) of craft to use, propulsion systems, provisions, etc), but also design and launch a ¡°scouting mission¡± to reconnoiter the planet before landing, decide what earth-based environmental components to take, and design the structures, habitats, transportation, and long-term survival/living. They will work in three teams: Scout Mission; Environmental; and Infrastructure. This science and technology focused unit will take the students through a variety of advanced DoDEA science standards including the following: Design and conduct scientific investigations Communicate scientific procedures and explanations Relate solar system motions to time Compare the planets and consider the probability of similar stellar systems in our universe Evaluate the space program¡¯s contributions to society Relate structure to function in living systems Investigate international efforts to explore the earth and space Demonstrate abilities in technological design Understand about science and technology Investigate examples of science as a human endeavor
Procedures: 1. Introduction; form teams; KWL 2. Martian Investigation 3. Where is it/How do we get there? Solar System modeling, orbital mechanics 4. Work in Design Teams 5. Design Integration, presentation
Resources: I will provide you (or direct you to) a variety of resource to accomplish your mission. Some will be computer-based, others will be from a variety of space science literature, as well as traditional information gathering sources (text book, other books, encyclopedia). Finally, much of the eventual design work must come from inside your own heads. In the end, you will need to take the factual information you discover, and synthesize it into a reasonably workable product.
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DoDEA has not set specific content or skill standards for gifted education. However, in general gifted education best practices provide ¡°Students with experiences in which the content, strategies, and expectations of student performance have been adjusted to be appropriate for gifted children.¡± DoDEA |