Nurturing Gifts: Challenge Classes Will Not Meet September 16th

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Challenge Classes Will Not Meet September 16th - September 27th

Note to all Parents,

Due to Gifted Program Testing, Challenge classes will not meet from
September 16th - September 27th. Classes will resume October 1st. All homework is due the week of October 1st.

Homework for 1st - 2nd Grades (M. A. Jones only)

This week you identified various American symbols and their meaning, defined the word "symbol" with your team members, and were able to explain the importance of symbols. You used higher order thinking skills to respond using your Window Notes Organizer to the reading of the poem, American Symbols.

For Homework

Homework: Create a symbol that represents your family. Provide a written explanation for the importance of the symbol and why you chose the symbol. You will present them in class.

Homework for 1st – 2nd Grades (Cascade only)

The Week of September 9th

Before we read the article this week in class on Hieroglyphics, you did an Inductive Word activity. You sorted words from the article into groups that you felt they belonged. Then you created titles for each group. As the class took a Museum Walk to view the work that was done, you made 3 hypotheses, or guesses. Then as a last step, we read the article together and you were able to find support for or against your 3 hypotheses using the text of the article.

Homework Task:

Cut out your words and form groups now that you have read the article. Come up with titles for each group. Write whether you grouped your words differently this time and tell why (reflection). Bring in your work the week of October 1st. We will discuss how your word groupings and titles changed.
*Be sure to glue your categories on a piece of paper and white your tiles for each group. Turn this in along with your written reflection.

Inductive Word List

Homework for 3rd-5th Grades, The Week of September 9th

Packing My Suitcase…My Special Place

Due Date: October 1st (Jones), October 3rd (Cascade)

Your Task: If you could travel to any country in the world, where would it be? Pick a country. Once you have chosen a country, you are to collect background information about that country. You may use books or online resources to research facts about your country.
Check the National Geographic Countries A-Z website for news and information about your country: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries. Find the following information:
• A map of your country, including the continent
• Type of economy with examples of goods produced there
• Climate and physical characteristics (such as mountains and rivers)
• Population
• Languages
• Religions
• A current event happening in your country
• Pictures of people or places located there
Your Product: Create a pamphlet, travel booklet, or digital travel brochure that will persuade visitors to travel to your country. Your brochure must include physical and human characteristics of your special place. *The brochure must include all of the bullets.

***Bonus: Explain your top five places that you would like to visit. Explain why you would like to visit each place. You may use 3 of the places you selected today, with 2 new places that you add.

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Teacher Bio

Certification: Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Howard University, Master of Education in Educational Psychology (Gifted & Creative Education) from the University of Georgia

Teaching Philosophy: For students to be successful in a global 21st century environment, teachers must ignite students’ passion for learning while transforming them to become critical thinkers, advanced communicators, creative problem solvers, and advanced researchers of the future.

Special Interests: Mrs. Dickson enjoys reading, decorating, arts and crafts, family activities, traveling, and spending time with her family and dog.

As your Gifted Teacher, you can expect the following: I will provide students with meaningful and engaging opportunities to develop their abilities and explore academic subjects and interests with both rigor and creativity.

My Focus: Creating opportunities to expose all learners to gifted and talented pedagogy in an effort to improve achievement and increase the identification of underrepresented students in the program.

About This Class

Click here for the Atlanta Public Schools Office of Gifted and Talented Website

Welcome to our class blog

Class Overview

Welcome parents and students to the Gifted/Talent Development Program! I am Mrs. Dickson and I will provide Gifted and Talented as well as Talent Development instruction beginning the week of August 14th. The classroom will be a place the gifts, talents, multiple intelligences, and learning styles of both gifted and Talent Development students alike are embraced, while critical thinking and problem solving skills are better developed. Classroom curriculum is developed from interdisciplinary, differentiated, and standards-based lessons and activities for high ability learners. Units of study are aligned with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards, as well as the Atlanta Public School’s Gifted and Talented Program Standards, which focus on advanced communication skills, advanced research skills, creative thinking and problem solving skills, and higher order critical thinking skills.

Curriculum

Supplies/Student Expectations

To ensure academic success, all students must come prepared every week on their assigned Challenge day with 1) a 2-inch wide three ring binder (new or recycled) with paper, 2) pencils, and 3) a composition book for journaling. Without these materials students will not be able to complete tasks, assignments, or the end of the unit project. The projects require students to synthesize all learning gained through note taking, handouts, discussions, research, and experiences documented in the binder. One project will be expected at the end of each large unit of study. Projects related to the mini units of study will be completed in class. Although homework tasks will be reviewed in class weekly, students may also visit the class blog (QR code linked below), to retrieve assignments and participate in any posted tasks or discussion questions. EdModo will be a classroom collaboration tool. Students will be expected to retain their login information and abide by the Edmodo Code of Conduct whenever they are utilizing this tool to collaborate about learning tasks, either at school or home. All behavior standards and expectations in the gifted and Talent Development classroom reflect and mirror those of the school.

Lastly, the class newsletter will keep you abreast of what is taking place in the classroom, celebrate student successes, such as becoming student of the month, and share essential gifted education news and resources. As always, I look forward to having a successful year of teaching and learning with our students. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.