SCHOLARS’ SHOWCASE Birdville ISD 8 th grade Gifted/Talented Students

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 The Purpose… To engage in individual research topics— guided and directed by self-interests To prepare for future individual research opportunities

Categories of Exploration Figure It Out! Sudden Impact! Challenging the System! Time Travel!

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 Figure It Out! A mathematics unit that allows students to explore the uses of statistics in everyday life and to develop survey research skills. Students will identify an issue to investigate using survey research and then present findings in an unique oral and written presentation.

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 Sudden Impact! A social studies unit that allows students to study influential individuals, groups, ideas, and documents from various periods of history. In this project, students will investigate provocative questions about the life of an influential contributor to history. The subject of student study must be from American history from the time of colonization to As a final product, students will create a museum exhibit with approximately ten artifacts that highlight the impact of this person or group on American history.

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 Challenging the System! Science unit that allows students to explore living and non-living systems and the roles those systems play in the environment and society. Students will use technical writing and statistics to produce a scientific paper and formal presentation.

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 Time Travel! A social studies/English language arts unit that allows students to explore a historical event through a piece of literature. Students will conduct an in-depth investigation about the role a particular character portrayed in a historical novel. After reading the novel, students will use primary and secondary resources to verify the accuracy of the role as portrayed in the fictional account.

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 The Process… Choosing a topic through guided questioning, research, and narrowing of subject mattertopic Submit research plan and proposalresearch plan and proposal Follow timeline for research objectives, product completion, and teacher conferencestimeline Conduct research based on guiding questions—use the primary and secondary resource formsprimary secondary Keep a record of research through monthly logsmonthly Submit plan for product choiceproduct choice Meet with teacher for progress checks progress checks

SCHOLARS' SHOWCASE ~ 2007 Methods of Assessment Competing by category; judges score product and presentation based on the following criteria –Content knowledge and skills –Analysis and synthesis –Multiple perspectives –Inquiry research process –Communication –Presentation of learning