The Gifted program prepares students for active and imaginative intellectual life by fostering analytical and critical thinking as well as self-expression and reflection. In the elementary years, students learn to apply logic, reasoning and analysis. This focus on questioning transitions into personalizing a method for inquiry. Student interests and modes of working are nurtured as students become more aware of their knowledge development. In the middle school years, students explore world cultures, mythology, communication, research, and metacognitive skills while building an awareness of the humanities.In the high school years, students will follow Socrates’ dictum that “the unexamined life is not worth living” by engaging in seminars that focus on philosophical theory and analysis of literary and visual texts.All in all, instruction is designed to meet their individual needs.
Gifted Grade 4 Description
The Grade 4 Gifted course builds upon the reading, writing and research skills previously cultivated and further develops them for use in application to problem-solving and analysis. Creative writing will be developed to support growth through the use of a successful pre-writing process. Students will begin preparation for understanding real-world issues by exploring civics as it applies to the structure of a culture or civilization. Skills developed through the course will culminate in an individual end-of-year research project. Opportunities for more formal writing will be supported. Students will create products to demonstrate growth.
Grade 4Units:
- Unit 1: Reading; Analysis & Literature
- Unit 2: Technology Integration
- Unit 3: Civics and Creative Problem-Solving
- Unit 4: Research Writing; Reasoning and Synthesis
Subject: Gifted / Grade: 4 / Suggested Timeline: 7.5 Weeks
UnitTitle:
Unit 1: Reading; Analysis & Literature
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
This unit is designed to develop more detail oriented skills in identifying the more complex concepts of conflict and plot detail. Related skills will later be transferred to writing and to choosing reliable and appropriately leveled source material for research in the fourth quarter as students are better able to assess appropriately leveled materials based on their Lexile Level. A Lexile Level will be determined in October and again at the end of the year, so that students can find literature and content materials that will support growth without causing frustration, and so that the proper level of support can be planned through instruction.
Unit Objectives:
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
- Use literature selections to identify plot details and the story’s conflict
- Identify various conflicts within familiar literature
- Accurately identify Genre and Subgenre
- Record details of literary elements onto a whole class collection table to be viewed for editing purposes
- Complete an assessment through Read 180 to determine a Lexile Level
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.1.4.3.O Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations
- CC.1.4.3.N Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.1.3.5.A Determine a theme of a text from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text
- CC.1.3.4.C Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
Misconceptions:
- It’s difficult to find books I can enjoy for pleasure or that are on my reading level.
- There are no available research materials that I can understand, for my topic.
Concepts/Content:
- What information reveals the type of books I may enjoy reading?
- What does the author reveal about setting; time and place when it is not given?
- Identify plot details and types of conflict.
- Identify subgenre accurately
- Record literary element details onto a class data collection table.
- Find Lexile Levels online for books I consider reading
- Book share of “free” selection of literature; identify setting and sub-genre; later include conflict
- Compile data of literary elements for student chosen literature
- Edit data to increase accuracy and detail
- Complete an online assessment to determine a Lexile Level for each student
Assessments:
- Completion of the accurate and complete recording of literary elements onto a class data sheet, reviewed online.
- Rubric to assess the transfer of skills into a piece of writing.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Research and Reading for Content
- Read 180 Assessment
- Conflicts in Literature
- Plot Structure
- Subgenre Descriptions
- Literary Elements
- Power Library
- Destiny
- Teacher created materials
Subject: Gifted / Grade: 4 / Suggested Timeline: 5 Weeks
Unit Title:
Unit 2: Technology Integration
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
This unit focuses on technology, design, marketing and innovation. The unit begins with matching a product to an identified need and creating an effective visual ad to market the product to a targeted audience. The project is designed to challenge students’ current technology skills through a creative experience in a new application, while introducing new concepts of visual esthetics, composition, graphic appeal and marketing strategies. Students will make distinctions between essential content vs. superfluous information in editing. This unit also continues the previous development of presentation skills and public speaking. Later application to effectively designing support materials for presentation of research will reinforce skills and demonstrate their more universal and practical usage.
Unit Objectives:
During this unit students will:
- Develop awareness of product development and marketing strategies
- Demonstrate proficiency with related technology skills to develop either a print ad or “commercial” using PowerPoint or Google Slides to market their product, using effective graphics and content to capture the attention of their target audience
- Transfer learned skills to other applications including end-of-year research
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.8.5.6-8.G. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts
- CC.8.6.6-8.E. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.1.4.3.T With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing
- CC.1.4.3.U With guidance and support, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others
Misconceptions:
- Buying habits of consumers are based on product popularity and need alone.
- Products are marketed to a mass audience.
Concepts/Content:
- Marketing a product
- Identifying a target audience for a product
- Creating a successful print or video ad to market a product
- Use and develop technology skills to create a visual ad
- Demonstrate understanding of graphic composition
- Demonstrate competency with technical applications
- Demonstrate understanding of marketing strategies
- Buy My Gizmo project; identify a need, develop, modify and market a product to a target audience
- Plan, create and edit a visual advertisement using technical application
- Presentation of ad to small group audience
- Complete a self-assessment rubric
Assessments:
- Rubric to assess the level of success and quality in the areas of marketing, graphics and technical application to the creation of a product ad
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Art: Composition and Graphics
- Marketing
- Consumerism
- Examples of ads
- Product marketing strategies
- Composition of Graphic Elements for Advertising
- “How to Copy and Paste” document
Subject: Gifted / Grade: 4 / Suggested Timeline: 7.5 Weeks
Unit Title:
Unit 3: Civics and Creative Problem-Solving
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
This unit strengthens the concept of the potential impact of group dynamics to a common cause. Students will be introduced to a simple ideological concept of culture. They will conduct research and apply to answering questions of determining factors of a sustainable and viable culture. Later, they will apply knowledge to an investigation on the controversy of the issue of fracking in PA and determine whether it is in the best interest of the residents of Pennsylvania. This unit prepares students for subsequent inquiries into topics with ethical implications affording the opportunity to formulate and defend their position.
Unit Objectives:
During this unit students will:
- Investigate civics for historical and structural foundation through a simple literature selection.
- It poses the question: How could you improve on our current society with a better more sustainable replacement?
- Demonstrate understanding of the structure of government in deciding on questions of land usage and apply that to the issue of fracking for natural gas resources in PA
- Explore connections to related scientific content to support understanding
- Write an opinion paper, defended through student collected data
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.1.4.2.G Write opinion pieces on familiar topics or texts
- CC.1.4.2.B Identify and introduce the topic
- CC.1.4.2.C Develop the topic with facts and/or definitions
- CC.8.6.6-8.G. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.1.4.3.V Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic
Misconceptions:
- You can’t have growth without forfeiting natural resources.
- Powerful people will always benefit from factors they can control, allowing them to take advantage of less powerful people.
Concepts/Content:
- Who makes decisions about land use?
- What brings a group of people together?
- What are the needs of a civilization or culture?
- What determines a sustainable culture?
- How can we manage our natural resourcesand support economic growth?
- What is “fracking” and how is it done?
- PA Map Skills
- Making Connections to Real World & Present Day Issues
- Writing a Defendable Opinion
- Ecotopia unit w/ PA civics for historical and structural foundation.
- How could you improve on current society with a better more sustainable replacement?
- Create A Culture Activity
- Opinion Paper: Fracking in PA; Economically Justified or Environmentally Misguided?
- Videos on Fracking
Assessments:
Checklists to assess:
- Quality of written responses used for data collection and to support discussion.
- Quality and participation in discussions.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Map Skills
- Writing
- Research and Technology
- Nordgaarden, Carol, Create a Culture. Creative Teaching Press, Huntington Beach, CA.
- Fleischman, Paul, Weslandia. Candlewick Press, Somerville MA, 1999.
- Educational Impressions, Inc. Creative Problem Solving; Planning New Worlds
- Opinion Paper Rubric
Subject: Gifted / Grade: 4 / Suggested Timeline: 8.5 Weeks
Unit Title:
Unit 4: Research Writing; Reasoning and Synthesis
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
The fourth grade unit on Research Writing is designed to expand and broaden student skills related to research. Students who demonstrate readiness, will incorporate more sophisticated multi-media components. Students will perfect their editing skills. Skills will be developed through the Civics unit then applied during the individualized research at the end of the year, demonstrating growth in the student’s ability to maintain productivity on a more independent level while retaining the quality of their written and visual products. Student content writing expectations will increase as topics and source materials become more sophisticated and challenging, making it necessary to adhere to timelines and use more detailed means of organization and planning. Students will collaborate in designing checklists and in organizing a flow chart, gradually empowering students to become more capable in pursuing their interests outside of structured assignments, in seeking answers.
Unit Objectives:
During this unit students will:
- Increase their proficiency in research skills, with emphasis on more sophisticated content writing by pre-planning the sequential subtopics within their research
- Broaden their proficiency with multi-media components, incorporating a new usage they have not used previously
- Perfect their skills in time management by using graphic organizers which can be either teacher-created or designed collaboratively, for students who are ready to be included in this step, allowing them to transition to creating their own “helps” in subsequent applications
- Prepare summary of content, visual support materials and present a multi-media summary of content of an area of inquiry
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.8.6.6-8.C. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
- CC.8.6.6-8.D. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
- CC.8.6.6-8.E. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently
- CC.8.6.6-8.G. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
- CC.8.6.6-8.F. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration
- CC.8.6.6-8.H. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research
Misconceptions:
- Research can be done in many different ways with no particular order to the steps and result in a successful end product as long as all the steps are included and it will not affect the end result.
Concepts/Content:
- Identifying a specific methodology to apply to the research process will result in more efficient use of time and allow for a better and more cohesive project.
- Locating appropriate source materials
- Creating effective summary
- Application of effective writing to the research process
- Application of effective writing to the research process
- Culminating Research: Individual Project Research, Production and Presentation
Assessments:
- Research Project Rubric assessing targeted skills in writing content, creating support materials, the integration of technology and student presentation of a multi-media summary of an area of inquiry.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Technology Skills in Creating a PowerPoint or Google Slideshow
- Speaking and Listening
- Art; Creating Visual Materials
- 12 Steps to Completing a TAG Project
- Research Project Rubric
- Checklist of Steps for Conducting Research
- Teacher created materials