Gifted Education: Class Curriculum and Other Important Information Leeds Elementary School Gifted Education Teacher: Mrs. Jessica Webb

Why Should Gifted Students Attend Gifted Classes? Curriculum in gifted classes includes reading, writing and thinking at high levels. Students are often reading and writing in their interest areas to complete a project of choice – this motivates students to read, write and research. Gifted classes meet social-emotional needs of gifted learners. Attending gifted classes can maintain a desire for the student to come to and remain in school. From: Alabama State Department of Education – Gifted Regional Training 2010

Our Goal for the Gifted Program at Leeds Elementary Our goal in the gifted education classroom is to promote higher order thinking skills.

Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating Analysing is breaking information into parts to explore understandings and relationships. Examples: Comparing, organising, deconstructing, finding, etc… Evaluating is justifying a decision or course of action. Examples: Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting, judging, etc… Creating is generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things. Examples: Designing, constructing, planning, producing, inventing, etc…

Concept Based Curriculum The gifted program at Leeds Elementary utilizes concept- based curriculum. This type of curriculum focuses on one concept for the whole year. Research on gifted learners shows that conceptual learning helps bridge academic and social disciplines requiring higher-order thinking, which in turn, leads to meaningful understanding.

5 th Grade – Systems This year’s concept for fifth grade is "Systems." Students will use the concept of systems to study a wide range of subjects. Three parameters of systems that we will remember as we study a variety of topics are – –Systems may provide a way to organize things. –The word systems has many meanings. –Systems may provide a common denominator for people to understand many topics. –Economic systems may positively or negatively affect other systems

Space ExplorationUnit We will study space exploration throughout this school year. The students will participate in a variety of classroom activities and class projects during this unit. The activities and projects are designed to motivate gifted students to read, write and conduct research as well as develop higher order thinking skills.

Logical Thinking and Problem Solving Students in the gifted program at LES will also participate in a variety of activities that require them to use logical thinking and problem-solving techniques. These activities include math challenges and games, logical thinking puzzles, as well as "real world" situations in which students must solve “real world” problems.

Science Fair The Leeds Elementary science fair is a great way for students to learn and practice the scientific method. All gifted students are required to participate in the LES science fair. Information regarding the science fair will be sent home later in the school year.

Field Trips The following are the proposed gifted education field trips this school year: GradeUnitField Trip Information 3 rd GradeNative AmericansBirmingham Museum of Art – Native American Collection 4 th GradeOcean LifeTennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga Tennessee 5 th GradeSpace ExplorationU.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville