Owl Environmental & Sustainability Program

Program Design Students in the GT program will be served with a 1 hour session every Friday. First through fifth grade students will be meeting with G.T Coordinator. During this time G.T students will work on research, hands-on experiments and projects. Students will participate on a weekly basis with their grade level initiative projects that will enrich their learning and creativity. Students will be taken on field trips to help them gather information on themes being studied and apply what has been learned. Guest presenters will be brought in to help them further understand their projects/concepts. Homeroom teachers are responsible to modify instruction for GT students. Modifications should be included in lesson plans, grade books and projects. Homeroom teachers will work with GT teachers on a regular basis to extend their learning and further their social and emotional needs along with their creative thinking skills during class and outside the classroom. Homeroom teachers will be asked to turn in GT Checklist every nine weeks to the GT committee for individual review of progress. This will help the GT committee make proper recommendations to that child’s teacher. Rubrics will be used throughout the GT Program to assure that each GT student, teacher, and parents understand desired expectations. Parents will be notified through a newsletter and Web page every nine weeks about what will be expected each quarter of study.

Program Goals: The Owl Environmental & Sustainability Program promotes and maintains direct enhancement of each identified G.T students’ academic performance by providing the following: -Develop insight into his special needs, abilities and into his relationships with other people; -Utilize the creative thinking skills of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration in order to become a creative problem-solver and the producer of advanced products; -Use higher level thinking process in order to solve self-selected problems; -Receive systematic training in the skills of creativity, logic, research, problem-solving, critical thinking, planning, and time management; -Will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, and communication as evidence by the development of innovative products. -Improve student performance as measured by state assessment -Increase student self-concept -Improve literacy skills -Decrease student absences -Greater community involvement

Curriculum, Instruction, & Projects at a Glance 1 st 9 Weeks: -Sustainability Research & Mission Ridge Building Construction Research -Field Trip (Pending) -Speaker (Nicole Ferrini: Uncommon) -Web Page Development -Community: Informational Flyer -School: Informational Tours

Curriculum, Instruction, & Projects at a Glance 2 nd 9 Weeks: Animal Habitat Exhibit Project -Animal Research -Field Trip (El Paso Zoo) -Speaker (Zookeeper) -Web Page Update -Build Eco-Owl Sanctuary -Community/Parent Night (Owl Sanctuary exhibit Extravaganza)

Curriculum, Instruction, & Projects at a Glance 3 rd 9 Weeks: Project -Garden & Agriculture Research -Field Trip (El Paso Agricultural & Rose Garden) -Speaker (Gardner) -Web Page Update -Tree Donations: School Wide Arbor Day -Community/Parent Day (Earth Day-Making our Community Beautiful)

Curriculum, Instruction, & Projects at a Glance 4 th 9 Weeks: Aquaponics System Project -Aquaponics Research -Field Trip-Pending New Mexico -Speaker-pending -Web Page Update w/research & project development -Create an on-site Aquamonster System

Overall Student Learning & Application Ecoliteracy & advocacy Interdisciplinary Projects

Mission Ridge Elementary Gifted & Talented Coordinator Maricela Morgan