Advanced Learning ProgramCurriculum Night

Bullard Elementary

IntroductionKendra Berry Nikki Brooks Valerie

King

The Cobb County School District Advanced Learning Curriculum

integrates interdiscipinary processes, content, and concepts through the

study of real world problems.

What is ALP ? The Georgia State Board of Education defines a gifted

student as a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative abilities, exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instructional services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities.

Cobb County provides services for identified gifted students in first through twelfth grade. The gifted program (known as ALPS) is designed to meet the specific needs of these students and extend competencies in the areas of cognitive skills, learning skills, research and reference skills, communication skills, and metacognitive skills beyond the experience of the regular classroom.

Gifted?Gifted?

How does the state of Georgia identify students as gifted?

There are two methods:

1. Eligibility Option A: Psychometrically

2. Eligibility Option B: Multiple criteria

Option A: PsychometricallyTwo Indicators: (Must be a nationally

normed tests. We may not use the CRCT.)

Mental Ability Test Score (CogAT/OLSAT) › 96%ile on composite only

Achievement Test Score (ITBS/Stanford) › 90%ile in Total Reading or Total Math or

Composite

Option B: Multiple CriteriaMust meet criteria in three of the following four

areas:

Mental Ability (CogAT/OLSAT)› 96%ile on composite or appropriate component (Verbal,

Quantitative, Nonverbal) Achievement (ITBS/Stanford)

› 90%ile on Total Reading, Total Math, or Total Battery Creativity (Renzulli Rating Scale/Torrence)

› 90%ile Motivation (Renzulli Rating Scale)

› 90%ile

Continuation CriteriaIn K-3 General Education Classroom

Acceptable progress is defined as: Maintaining a majority of 2’s and 3’s in each content area during a

nine-week reporting period (reading, English, mathematics, science, and social studies)

Meeting standards in core subjects on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)

 In 4-5 General Education Classroom

A student must maintain acceptable progress, defined as: A minimum average of 80 (or all A’s and B’s) in grades 4-5 in the

core subjects of reading, English, mathematics, science, and social studies

All students must meet expectations in 14 out of 20 areas on Target report card.

Goals and Expectations Displays Analytical Problem Solving Is a Collaborative Team Member Is an Effective Communicator Is a Perceptive Thinker Is a Self-Directed Learner Comes to Class Prepared Is Not Afraid to Take Risks

Brainstorming 15- 30 minutes per day is devoted to

brainstorming activitiesDaily brainstorming activities may

include: Scratch Visualizations Transformations Elaborations

Critical Thinking and Logic 30 minutes per day is devoted to

critical thinking activities.Some examples are: QuoteFalls Versatiles Pentominoes Analogies Matrix and Non-Matrix Logic

Quote Fall

Albert Einstein

Versatiles AnswerWith the answer case open on the desk, complete each question by placing the tile with the number of the question on top of the letter in the Answer Case that corresponds to the correct answer.

Close the Case & FlipTurn the closed case over. Then open the case to check the pattern shown on the tiles.

MatchIf the pattern on the tiles matches the pattern shown on the bottom of the activity page, all of the answers are correct. If not, remove any tiles that do not match, and flip over the case again. LearnReread the incorrectly answered questions and rethink the solutions. Place the number tiles on the right letters in the Answer Case. Flip it over again. When the patterns in the case and the book match, the activity has been successfully completed!

PentominoesA pentomino is a shape composed of five congruent squares connected by at least one side. Since there are twelve pentominoes made of 5 squares each, there are 12 pentomino shapes. They are named for the letters they represent: F I L N P T U V W X Y Z.

Pentominoes

Matrix Logic

Non-Matrix LogicRIVER CROSSING:

A man needs to cross a river in a canoe.  With him, he has a bag of grain, a chicken, and a fox.  He can only carry one of the three at a time.  If he leaves the grain and the chicken, the chicken will eat the grain.  If he takes the grain, the fox will eat the chicken.

How does he successfully cross the river with his load?

Solution:The man first takes the chicken across, leaving it on the other side.  He returns alone in the canoe and picks up the bag of grain.  After bringing across the grain, he takes the chicken back to the original side, dropping him off, and picking up the fox.  After bringing the fox to the other side, and leaving it with the grain, the man returns back to the original side, retrieving the chicken, and making his 3rd and final trip crossing the river.  At no point was the fox left alone with the chicken, or the chicken with the grain.

AnalogiesAn analogy is a comparison of certain similarities between things which are otherwise unlike.

Fourth Grade Logic

Fifth Grade Logic

Hands on EquationsHands-On Equations is a visual and kinesthetic system developed by Dr. Henry Borenson for introducing students in grades 3 to 5 to essential algebraic concepts. It is a system designed to enhance student self-esteem and interest in mathematics. Students learn to solve equations such as: 4x + 3 = 3x + 9 and 2(2x + 1) = x + 8.

Later lessons teach additional concepts. The students physically set up the equation using the game pieces and a flat laminated balance and then proceed to carry out "legal moves" to solve the equation. The legal moves are the physical counterpart of the abstract mathematical principles which are used to solve these equations.

Unit StudyBeyond The

Magnifying Glass Essential Questions

How can deductive reasoning, analysis, and methods used for crime-solving be applied in real life?

How can reading and writing mysteries and learning about solving them help me be a better critical thinker?

This unit focuses on critical thinking and problem solving. For the first approximately 2/3 of the unit, students will study various methods of forensic science (fingerprinting, DNA, etc) in the context of studying a simulated crime scene. Crime-solving: keen observation of detail--- social skills/picking up on social cues Deductive reasoning--- not jumping to conclusions or making assumptions based on too little data, whether it’s judgments about people or making decisions Analyzing data—making decisions, evaluating information

Using evidence to draw conclusions—making inferences from data, written material, etc. General problem solving skills--- math or real world

Overview

The last portion focuses more on writing a mystery story after studying the elements of mysteries. The novel study, Chasing Vermeer, is a mystery that focuses on thinking critically—about art, about codes, and about life.

The Great Chocolate Caper

Differentiate between valid conclusions and invalid assumptions to reach valid assumptions, recognize false premises, solve deductive matrix puzzles, decode a secret message.

Each logic puzzle presents clues that allow students to narrow the field of suspects to the one guilty person. Extra worksheets give you related deductive logic puzzles for extra practice

Novel Study

When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one — neighbors, parents, teachers — is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem-solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?

Unit StudyInquiring Minds Need to

Know

Essential Questions: How is scientific inquiry practiced? How can we use scientific inquiry in our daily lives?

How can we use scientific inquiry as concerned citizens of the world?

Overview When using scientific inquiry, fourth and fifth grade students will use higher order thinking skills and learn science from a minds-on approach. While learning to ask questions, design experiments, conduct investigations, and present findings students are engaged in higher order critical thinking. The focus of this unit is for students to determine that scientific inquiry is an age-old skill that has played a large part in shaping the world we live in, and will continue to shape it in the future. Much of the science that students typically engage in is teacher directed and demonstration oriented. This unit will allow students to focus on the process of learning how to question and research as scientists and use the tool of inquiry in many aspects of life instead of focusing on only one topic (science). Students will ask questions, formulate explanations, gather evidence, make evaluations, and communicate their findings.

Major ConceptsThe process that scientists use to learn about the natural world is characterized by: asking questions that can be answered through investigations

designing and carrying out scientific investigations thinking logically to make relationships between evidence, explanations, and conclusions

communicating procedures and explanations using higher level thinking skills to investigate, evaluate, and create

Science Extravaganza In-Class Project Your child will have the opportunity to investigate his or her own scientific question by completing a project for our Science Extravaganza. This is a required project which will be completed in Target class. Students will have the option to work individually or with a partner. Your child will be able to choose a topic that interests him or her. The students will do research to find out more information about the topic in order to form a hypothesis and design an experimental procedure related to their topic. The students will perform the experiment, collect data, and draw conclusions. Students will write up their experiment and research in the form of a report. Students will also create a visual to communicate their work to others. We will go over how to do this in class. Students will have a schedule indicating when each part of the project is due in order to help them with their time management and project planning. Please check this schedule on a weekly basis in order to keep track of your child’s progress. We look forward to their final projects!

Middle School InformationAdvanced Content: Gifted students in middle school are served through advanced content classes in English/Language arts, science, and social studies. Foreign Language courses are also considered Advanced Content in the middle school.  Students in middle school advanced content classes are expected to go beyond baseline standards and develop the critical thinking, reasoning, and writing skills in core content areas that will ensure academic success during their high school and college academic careers.

Communication

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Questions and Answers