Fifth Grade TAG Curriculum

Due to the nature of TAG plans are subject to change according to student needs/interests

2016-2017

1st Quarter
3 weeks
Unit: Affective Development
Conceptual Lens: Identity
THEME: Gifted Identity
Essential Understandings
Ø  Having a gifted identity may result in conflict with positive and negative consequences.
Ø  The exploration of gifted characteristics in literature may help gifted learners discover their own identity.
Ø  Communication may affect social interactions positively or negatively among age peers and teachers.
Ø  Social interactions with gifted peers may enhance relationships
Weeks 6-9
Conceptual Lens: Balance
Focus Topic: Ecosystems
Essential Understandings
Ø  It is the nature of the universe to seek balance.
Ø  Perfect balance is not maintainable.
Ø  Imbalance brings about change.
Ø  Discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history.
Art: environmental art, earthworks,land art,sustainable art,landscape painting, andlandscape photography, and patterns in nature
Literature: award winning literature about biomes, food webs and ecosystems
Mathematics: Graph and analyze ecosystem data to confirm or refute hypotheses
Music: American folk music
Science: biomes
Social Studies: ecology & regions of the U.S. / 2nd Quarter
Conceptual Lens: Influence
Essential Understandings
Ø  Influence takes many forms.
Ø  Influence has the power to bring about change and new ideas.
Ø  Culture influences a people’s beliefs.
Ø  Discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history.
Focus Topic: Ancient Greece
Art: Greek Architecture, Impressionism
Literature: Award winning books related to Ancient Greece and to Europe in general
Mathematics: Number Systems
Music European Folk Music, Waltz, Impressionism
Science: Inventions
Social Studies: Ancient Greece
3rd Quarter
Unit: STEMConceptual Lens: Manipulating Systems & Discovering OrderEssential Understandings
Ø  Systems can be discovered and understood by manipulating their components.
Ø  Order can be discovered and understood by identifying the patterns and processes within a system.
Organizational
· Problem solving · Decision making
Critical Thinking
· Relevance vs. irrelevance · Unstated assumptions
Analytical Thinking
· Patterning · Observing · Evaluating · Synthesizing
Creative Thinking · Flexibility · Elaboration · Evaluation
Art: Architecture/types of bridges
Mathematics: graphing, budgets, bridge building
Science: Building Bridges
Unit Overview: Students will explore an existing system (such as a building kit or the game of chess) by manipulating its components. Students will discover and articulate the underlying patterns and processes of the system. Students will understand the relationship between systems and order. Students will learn about the laws governing the construction of structures from ancient civilizations through skyscrapers. They will explore the math and science used in building structures from towers to bridges. Students will construct their own toothpick bridge according to specific standards and finish by testing the strength of each bridge.
STEM units
·  Bridge building
·  Engineering Design Activities are also embedded into the following units:
·  Lego’s Systems & Simple Machines
. / 4th Quarter
Unit: Independent Projects and Research
Concept: : Fundamentals of Research
Theme: Enigmas
Essential Understandings
Ø  Balanced research employs multiple sources.
Ø  How does balanced research affect the quality of understanding?
Ø  Culture influences a people’s beliefs.
Ø  Discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history.
Ø  A sound thesis statement or hypothesis guides research.
Ø  A research product reveals understanding and instructs others.
Organizational
· Goal Setting · Planning · Problem solving · Decision making
Critical Thinking
· Point of View · Fact vs. opinion · Detecting bias · Credibility of a source · Relevance vs. irrelevance · Unstated assumptions
Analytical Thinking
· Main idea · Finding evidence · Analyzing · Inferring
Creative Thinking
· Fluency · Flexibility · Originality · Elaboration · Evaluation
Unit Overview: Students will be led through the research process while choose an enigma to study as an individual. The student will complete research and identify the type of scientist that would be needed to investigate the enigma. The teacher will meet with the students regularly to set goals and guide them with their research. Students will create a final product that includes their findings. The product will include a written, technology component, and creative element. Students will also develop their own cases for and against the reality of these enigmas. They will present newscasts about enigmas, basing them on Orson Welles' infamous 1938 radio broadcast, War of the Worlds.