CURRICULUM
OUR WORK:
ENVISION:
Travel Passport
Envision is a real-world independent study program for gifted students who are not sufficiently challenged by the standard curriculum. It includes a series of four multidisciplinary projects, one for each quarter, and is designed to span the entire school year. Our first project is Travel Passport.
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At the beginning of each quarter, students will receive a Student Instruction Guide containing all the instruction needed for the upcoming project. The instruction guide allows students to work on their projects independently, guiding them step-by-step through the project. If students need additional guidance along the way, a set of important Student Resource Cards will offer a wide range of supplemental instruction including definitions, helpful tips, and visual examples for certain tasks listed on the Student Instruction Guide. Of course Mrs. Hagest will also be available for guidance, encouragement, and assessment.
In Travel Passport students plan every aspect of an imaginary trip, to a destination of their choice, while managing a travel budget. They will research and make decisions about where and when to travel, modes of transportation, types of accommodations, and which sites to visit. Each student will create their own daily travel itinerary, a travel expense chart, and a computer-generated chart showing statistical information related to their destination.
After carefully planning their trip, students will imagine they have returned and then write a creative memoir in which they reflect on their journey. All of this written material will be collected in a portfolio. Students will design and create an exhibit that captures and conveys the highlights of his/her trip. The exhibit will include maps, brochures, photos, a self-created postcard, and a 3-D visual that represents a memorable aspect of their fictitious experience. Students will also dress in clothes that relate to his/her destination for their in-class presentation and parent presentation.
At the conclusion of Travel Passport, we will host "Project Expo" for friends and family. This will take place on October 22, 2015, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
Do you have
Adobe Photoshop?
As tech integration into Travel Passport, I would LOVE if I could teach the students how to "put" themselves into photographs from their travel destination using Photoshop. I don't have the program though and am wondering if anyone has suggestions/recommendations before I purchase it.
INTERACT:
Genre Journeys
Genre Journeys is an independent contract approach to developing language arts skills through reading and literature. With mRs. hAgEsT as their Travel Advisor, students will earn stickers in their passports as they travel through four genres: sports fiction, biography, realistic fiction, and fantasy. Together we will devleop customized "itineraries" that accommodate the needs and interests of each individual student.
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Each student pursues his or her individual journey by reading their chosen book and completing the selected activities. Travel miles are earned each time a student successfully completes an activity. These miles move the student toward the goal: completing the Travel Itinerary (contract) and earning the appropriate Passport Sticker.
To reinforce verbal communication skills, each student will select at least one activity to share with the class. This will allow students to learn from and motivate each other. Hearing about a fun project or interesting book might get other students excited about furthering their own Genre Journey. We will recognize individual achievements and creativity while students practice presentation and listening skills.
The journey ends when the student earns enough travel miles, including completion of the presentation, to complete the Travel Itinerary and earn a Passport Sticker to commemorate his or her experience. The student is then ready to create a new personal reading adventure. The combinations of books and activities are endless.
Our first genre to explore is Sports Fiction. Mrs. Hagest will be sending home a recommended reading list, but students are not limited to the books from this list. Start looking for interesting Sports Fiction stories today!
Keeper
by, Mal Peet
I will introduce the Sports Fiction genre by sharing this story with the class.
Scholastic
SCOPE
Scholastic SCOPE is a monthly magazine that combines complex texts with rigorous support materials to build skills in every strand of the standards. The magazine covers a wide range of genres including informational and narrative nonfiction, short fiction, infographics, debates, speeches, and dramas based on myths, classic literature, and history.
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Scholastic SCOPE features paired texts that explore one topic or theme through two or more genres, requiring students to synthesize, analyze, and make meaningful cross-genre connections. Key grammar concepts are modeled in the stories and then reinforced through various activities. With their subscription, students will have access to the magazine's bonus features online. Scope Online features in-depth support with videos, audio articles, activity sheets, and quizzes modeled on key assessments. Students will build argument writing skills with debates that feature thoughtful writing prompts and clear essay templates.
With your contribution, we’ll get 9 issues that your child can bring home and share with you. Your help in making this valuable resource a part of your child’s education is greatly appreciated. Please send cash or a check made payable to Scholastic Scope in the amount of $9.89 ($8.99 plus shipping and handling), so that we can start using the magazine as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support in helping me make your child’s education as meaningful and successful as possible.
Please help bring Scholastic SCOPE into our classroom each month.
INTERACT:
Egypt
Egypt is one of the great river civilizations of ancient history. While participating in this simulation, students will learn Egyptian history, architecture, art, geography, and language. Students will be organized as citizens of important cities of ancient Egypt and journey through six 'cataract' divisions of the Nile River as they successfully complete a variety of activities.
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Sixth Cataract: Kemet / Deshret
After reading a short background essay on the geography and climate of Egypt and the Nile River, each city creates a 3-D map of the Nile River including major landmarks, cities, cataracts, delta, hippos, crocodiles, papyrus marshes, quarries, farms, and land characteristics. Students also learn about their particular city, create city standards depicting their patron god or goddess, and make collars and uraeus or nekhbet headbands to show their position in society. They learn about the clothing of ancient Egypt and make headdresses to wear under their uraeii or nekhbets. They also create posters showing virtues of ancient Egyptians and then participate in a "carousel" viewing and discussion.
Fifth Cataract: Scribe School
Each student studies Hieroglyphs, the making of papyrus, and the life of a scribe in Egypt. They learn to write their own Egyptian name on a cartouche and to translate ancient texts which gives clues for completing their final task at this cataract. They calculate using the Egyptian number system and create math problems to challenge another city. They read background essays on the religion of ancient Egypt and play the Sarcophagus Game, requiring them to use their knowledge of the mummification process and the gods to earn eternal life "at the weighing of their heart against the feather of truth."
Fourth Cataract: Artisan Workshop
Members of each city read a myth of ancient Egypt and use Egyptian-style art techniques to create a tomb painting and write a poem about the myth. Students also make a mask to represent themselves in eternal life so their ba (i.e., earthly personality) can recognize their ka (i.e., eternal life force).
Third Cataract: Pyramid
After studying the construction techniques of Egyptians, each nome is assigned to a level of society: nobility, priests, government workers, scribes, artisans, other laborers, and farmers. Each level then builds a pyramid of accomplishment indicating its class level importance to ancient Egyptian life.
Second Cataract: Palace
Students research, memorize information about a famous Egyptian person or Pharaoh, create a costume appropriate for the character, apply the appropriate makeup, and participate in a "wax museum." Here they are "frozen" statues which can be activated to animatedly tell their stories to classroom visitors- at the end of which they suddenly freeze back and assume once again their waxen statue poses.
First Cataract: Festival
To traverse this final cataract, city plays city in two ancient Egyptian games- "Senet" and "Snakes." The city which has traveled the farthest on the Nile River by the end of the competition wins the double crown of Egypt with its noble son of Ra being crowned Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. This new Pharaoh then begins his/her reign over all at an Egyptian banquet held to honor the patron deities and each city's workers.