CURRICULUM GUIDE

Gifted & Talented

School-wide Enrichment Program

CEDAR GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

520 Pompton Avenue

Cedar Grove, New Jersey 07009

Approved by the Cedar Grove Board of Education25 May 2010

Dr. Gene Polles, SuperintendentThomas J. Altonjy, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent

Joanne Cooney, Curriculum FacilitatorWendy Amsterdam, Teacher

Board of Education

Frank Mandala, PresidentLaura Marinelli, Vice - President

Pamela Burke, Joseph Cicala, Michael Grabas

CEDAR GROVE SCHOOLSGIFTED AND TALENTED/SCHOOL-WIDE ENRICHMENT

PROGRAM

PhilosophyYou don't prepare a young man or woman to become a world class athlete by keeping him or

her in regular gym classes and by not allowing him or her to compete against other youngsterswho can provide appropriate levels ofchallenge.... You don't develop world leaders such asMartin Luther King, Golda Meir, andMahatma Gandhi by having them practice basic skillsover and over again or by reiterating mundane concepts that they can undoubtedly learn fasterthan all their schoolmates and, in some cases, even many of their teachers. Talent development isthe 'business' of ourfield, and we must never lose sight of thisgoal.

- Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis

Cedar Grove's Gifted and Talented/School-wide Enrichment program provides specializedenrichment experiences to students in third through eighth grade. School-wide enrichmentactivities are made available to all students and also meet the needs of an identified populationthrough a pull-out program and alternatives such as cluster interest groups and mentorships.

Toparticipate in the academically gifted program, students undergo an identificationprocess, based on test results and teacher recommendations. Such students manifest behaviorsin three general clusters of characteristics: above average intellectual ability, taskcommitment, and creativity.

In the School-wide Enrichment Program, we maintain a broadened concept of giftedness,and a focus on the development of potentials in groups not ordinarily included in specialprograms for the gifted and talented. Here the program teacher provides in-class skill andprocess-training support as well as enrichment opportunities for the general schoolpopulation.Offerings provide differentiated instruction and enriching opportunities for all.

GoalThis curriculum for grades 3-8 has been developed to identify gifted and talented

students and provide them with appropriate instructional adaptations and services (N.J.A.C.6:A: 8-3.1 (a)5) as adopted on April 5, 2000 by the State Board of Education. The Cedar GroveSchool District is committed to the belief that education is a means by which each individualhas the opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential. By providing a learning environmentflexible enough to allow a diversity of options, as well as a differentiated curriculum, our goal,which is to meet the unique academic, social and emotional needs of the gifted learner, isactualized.

High school students who consistently demonstrate intellectual or creative ability and arehighly motivated to achieve will be eligible to enroll in honors and advanced placementcoursework.

Components of the ProgramSchool-wide Enrichment Opportunities (Type I): enriching activities open to the whole

school population. These are general exploratory activities aimed at allowing students toinvestigate new, interesting, and exciting topics.

Group Training Activities (Type II): decision-making, research and investigative skilldevelopment designed to introduce students to more advanced kinds of learning. Differentiatedservices are based on students' individual abilities, interests and learning styles and areintegrated with general enrichment and the regular curriculum.

Independent and Small Group Investigations (Type III): an opportunity for studentsto go beyond the academic curriculum in school to synthesize information in order to become anexpert in the area they wish to explore. These investigations are only for students who haveshown an unusually high level of interest and commitment to a particular study.

Appropriate Identification PracticesThe best identification practices rely on multiple criteria to look for students with gifts and

talents. Multiple criteria involve:• multiple types of information (e.g., indicators of student's cognitive abilities, academic

achievement, performance in a variety of settings, interests, creativity, motivation, andlearning characteristics/behaviors);

• multiple sources of information (e.g., test scores, school grades, and comments byclassroom teachers, specialty area teachers, counselors, parents, peers, and the studentsthemselves);

• multiple time periods to ensure that students are not missed by "one shot" identificationprocedures that often take place at the end of second grade.

The identification process is a first but critical step in the process of ensuring that studentswho need gifted education are recognized and matched with appropriate services so that theycan thrive in school. The use of multiple criteria does not mean the creation of multiple hurdlesto jump in order to be identified as gifted. We look for students with outstanding potential in avariety of ways and at a variety of time periods to ensure that no child who needs servicesprovided through gifted education is missed. Data collected through the use of multiple criteriagive us indicators of a student's need for services. These indicators often vary and may differaccording to specific domains being measured. For example, a student may be gifted in mathbut not gifted in reading and because of this, it is inappropriate to sum or combine theinformation. When used appropriately, no single criterion should prevent a student'sidentification as gifted; however, any single criterion, if strong enough, can indicate a need forservices.

The Association for the Gifted (TAG) refers to the identification process as searching for"hints and clues" of giftedness in all of our students (Council of Exceptional Children, 2001).This means that we must learn to recognize the indicators of potential that our students showus and that we must nurture this potential when we see it. To find students who have

historically been overlooked and underserved by gifted education, we must be proactive insearching for abilities that can be masked or hidden (National Research Council, 2002.) Theidentification process must be dynamic with both formal identification checkpoints and ongoingopportunities for students to be identified as their needs are recognized.

Appropriateness of ServicesThe Cedar Grove school district first surveys the possibilities it can offer students, both in

regular classrooms and special classrooms, so that it can set the stage for planning optimalmatches of students and options. Included for consideration, for example, are differentiatedexperiences in the regular classroom, various methods of acceleration, cluster grouping, pull-outspecial classes, and independent study. Based on a comprehensive review of the student'sstrengths, interests, and needs, the best match for services can then be made. This process isstraightforward when the needs of the student and the options for meeting these needs areclear-cut. It can, however, require more thought and planning for those gifted students whoseneeds are either different and/or are more complex. Highly gifted students will need differentoptions than mildly or moderately gifted students. In all cases, the appropriateness of theservice match should be monitored and reviewed periodically to make sure it is still a good fitfor the student.

Curriculum ObjectivesThe gifted and talented curriculum has been designed to meet the following objectives:• To encourage creative thinking, flexibility, and originality of thought.• To develop higher levels of analytical, critical, and productive thinking based on problem

solving, divergent thinking, and critical analysis.• To approach ideas and problems from a number of innovative and creative perspectives.• To emphasize the process of learning.• To employ teaching strategies leading to self-direction, open-endedness, shared inquiry,

creativity, social awareness, self-fulfillment, and responsibility.• To stimulate intellectual curiosity and a spirit of inventiveness as a means of reaching

new solutions to problems.

Core Curriculum ObjectivesTo develop skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. (Language Arts: 3.1, 3.2,3.3, 3.4)

To identify and solve problems through critical and rational thinking and then apply thatinformation to practical situations. (Mathematics: 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5)To express individuality through independent projects, stories, debates and art forms.(Visual and Performing Arts: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4)To develop team cooperation through group enrichment projects. (Communication: 7.1)To clarify the students' thoughts and communicate their ideas in a positive way.(Language Arts: 3.1, 3.3)

To increase consciousness of global affairs and their potential involvement in an ever-shrinking global society. (Social Studies: 6.3, 6.4, 6.5)To become proficient in the use of various types of reference materials and methods ofresearch. (Viewing and Media Literacy: 3.5).To access and assess information on specific topics using both technological and printresources available in libraries, media centers, and classrooms. (Viewing and MediaLiteracy: 3.5, Language Arts Literacy: 3.1, 3.2; Science: 5.4; Social Studies: 6.1;Workplace Readiness: 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.4, 3.5)To share students' knowledge and/or skills with the general student population.(Speaking: 3.3)To develop an awareness of our multicultural world. (Social Studies: 6.5)To develop self-direction in assuming responsibilities, planning time wisely, open-endedness, abstract-thinking, making decisions and making positive contributions tosociety. (Workplace Readiness: 3.10, 4.9)To increase their ability to stay at a task, extend concentration and become morecommitted to the learning process. (Workplace Readiness: 4.1, 4.11)

Our ResourcesThe enrichment needs of gifted and talented pupils can be met through a wide variety of

activities and teaching strategies. The program seeks to involve each pupil in a variety ofsubject areas that can provide growth and stimulation in higher cognitive processes such asinterpretation, translation, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The differentiationwithin the program allows for flexibility at each grade level. Grade level lessons or units mayfluctuate yearly according to student interests and abilities.

Cedar Grove is an active member of the Essex County Steering Committee for GiftedEducation. The purpose of this committee is to plan and facilitate county-wide activities for thegifted and talented child at grade levels 3 through 8. All districts actively involved on thecommittee are invited to participate in any, or all, of the following activities:

Poetry Alive (Grade 3)Tech Day (Grade 4)Totally Global (Grade 4)Forensics (Interpretive Reading) (Grades 5-8)Academically Speaking (Grade 5-8)Debate (Grades 5-8)Problem Solving (Cognetics) (Grade 6)

Lessons and Activities for Gifted and Talented StudentsA wide variety of units and lessons comprise the gifted and talented program. Grade level

activities vary yearly based upon student capabilities and interests. There is no formal text forthis course of study. Most activities are outgrowths of teacher-created units and/or lessonsdrawn upon from a variety of sources. According to the New Jersey Gifted and Talented

Curriculum Framework, instructional adaptations for exceptionally able students may include,but are not limited to the following:

Interdisciplinary and problem-based assignmentsAdvanced, accelerated, or compacted contentAbstract and advanced higher-level thinkingAllowance for individual interests

Assignments geared to development in areas of affect, creativity, cognition, and researchskills

Complex, in-depth assignmentsDiverse enrichment that broadens learningVariety in types of resourcesCommunity involvementCultural diversity.

Sample UnitsSymposium for the Arts:

Students in grades 6-8 who are nominated by their teachers are invited to participate in a 2-daysymposium where students have the opportunity to write, produce, direct, and act out anoriginal play based upon problem solving techniques. Creative writing, music, visual arts,drama, and dance are included in the scenario.

Law Adventure:

Eighth graders prepare for trial as they create and write original mock trial cases as part of theLaw Adventure competition. Law Adventure is sponsored by the New Jersey State BarFoundation and is designed to promote students' understanding of the law and the Americanjustice system.

Continental Math League:

The Continental Math League is a nationwide mathematics problem-solving competition. Thepurpose of the league is to supplement a school's math program and challenge students in anational competition. Students compete with others at their grade level or above in their ownschool. Schools are also competing against other schools across the nation. The top six scoresfrom each meet are sent in to the Math League headquarters from each of the five quizzesgiven.

Aquarium Project:

Third grade G & T students in the district make decisions, solve problems and create their ownvirtual aquariums as they engage in the Aquarium Project. The unit is a project-based learningexperience wherein each student is given $25.00 and asked to fill a 30- gallon aquarium. Theprocess involves critical thinking and problem solving as students must determine how manyfish they can buy, which fish have special needs, and how many inches they are using per fishbecause they cannot use more than 30 inches in a 30-gallon tank. After students create theiraquariums, they write about their choices, and create a chart of the choices they made.

Mythology:

In this unit, fourth graders compare different cultures and their belief systems thereby gainingan appreciation of why we still study mythology today. Fifth graders bring a myth from oneculture to another and problem-solve as a group to bring this scenario to life. This entails thereading of many myths from numerous cultures from which students compare and contrast.

Novel Study:

A variety of novels are explored in a number of grade levels. For example, in fourth grade,students read Chasing Vermeer and then engage in an investigative activity entitled "Who Stolethe Chocolate?"

Cognetics:

Cognetics is a sport of the mind designed to develop student higher level thinking skillsespecially creativity. Besides the unit offered during the year, sixth grade G & T studentsparticipate in a convocation at Montclair State University, demonstrating their solutions to aproblem with very specific criteria including how the team works together to develop thesolution to the problem. Students provide a seven-minute presentation, from which theguidelines of the challenge are validated by a team of judges. During the presentation,students must prove they have accomplished this task.

Origami:

In the unit on origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, students learn basic foldsuseful for teaching geometric concepts, including reflections, rotations, and geometric solids.The goal of this art is to create a representation of an object using geometric folds and creasepatterns, preferably without gluing or cutting, and using only one piece of paper. This geometryunit explores two- and three-dimensional shapes. The study focuses on proportional reasoningand similarity, as well as problem solving. The end product is a sonobe cube -a hexahedronwhich is one of the platonic solids.

Great Books:

In the Great Books program, teachers create exciting and challenging learning environmentsthat empower students to take ownership of their learning. Through shared inquirydiscussions, the Great Books program helps students become independent readers and thinkers.Shared inquiry teaches students a variety of skills. They use pre-reading strategies, generatequestions about the story, make generalizations and draw conclusions. Students also employinterpretation and analysis in answering questions about the stories' meanings and citepassages to support questions and ideas.

The Marvelous Marble Machine:

In this activity, students serve as engineers who are given a specific job to do in a collaborativegroup. They must design a system that will move objects from place to place by creating amarble machine that turns 180 degrees and only uses three pieces of 9 by 12 paper, threerubber bandsand three paper clips. What keeps the marble moving and without coming out ofthe machine for five seconds is the challenge these young engineers must address.

Unraveling the Moli Stone:

Fourth grade G & T students are the mathematicians on a team of archeologists who have justfound a stone with some strange symbols. As they unravel this Moli Stone and interpretdifferent number systems, they are exploring what the symbols mean. What do all numerationsystems have in common? What are their differences? Through physical models, charts andpatterns, students work to develop a deeper understanding of place value including groupingsand symbols. The culmination of this unit will be the creation of their own number system andown moli stone for others to interpret.

Topology:

In this unit sixth graders explore one of the newest branches of mathematics, rubber sheetgeometry. What is the topology of networks and how does a topologist study the properties ofshapes? How does one use his/her spatial awareness to understand topological equivalences?In this interesting and fun course of study students explore ideas at the base of topology thatare applicable to all sorts of situations.

The Mysteries of Ancient Civilizations:Sixth graders engage in this investigative unit on the mysteries of ancient civilizations:Stonehenge; Atlantis; Pompeii; the pyramids; sphinx, etc. Students make individualpresentations and representations for the class to understand the learning that took place.

Exploring Shakespeare:Seventh grade students explore Shakespearean plays, and investigate the history and role inliterature of Elizabethan theatre and the Renaissance. To gain an understanding of thethemes, language, and characters of the plays, students act out various scenes.

Dream Flag Project:

Inspired by the dream poetry of Langston Hughes and the tradition of Nepalese Buddhistprayer flags, the Dream Flag Project is an annual poetry/art/community-connection project forstudents in Kindergarten to twelfth grade. Since its inception in the spring of 2003, the projecthas spread to schools from Portland to Palm Beach. To date, more than 40,000 Dream Flagshave been created by students in 34 states of the U.S. and by students in Canada, Australia,Honduras, China, Japan, Costa Rica, Nepal, Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa. The projectbegins with students reading the dream poems of Langston Hughes. Then they create their owndream poems and transfer them onto a decorated cloth, and finally attach the Dream Flags to aline. The result is a visual line of color and hope that gets displayed in the school or in otherpublic places. At a culminating regional poetry festival, held in Philadelphia's Kimmel Centerfor the Performing Arts, students and schools share their poems and connect thousands ofDream Flags. Area schools send representative poets, and all schools are invited to send poemsto be read and flags to be displayed.

AssessmentEach pupil identified as gifted and talented will be assessed annually for the continuing

appropriateness of his/her eligibility in the program. Assessment will include:• Review of the pupil's file, including relevant test results• Review of the pupil's work in the preceding school year• Review of teacher recommendation and comments• Review of results of Scale of Performance for G & T nominees.

Awritten evaluationofprogressofeach child's achievements in the Gifted &talented programis sent to parents twice a year.

Continuation in the Gifted and Talented ProgramThere is a responsibility and commitment that coincides with belonging to a G & T

program. All student participants are expected to be conscientious, active members of the class.Attendance is mandatory. The pupil may be withdrawn from the gifted and talented programwhen his/her academic record indicates a decline in performance. A decision to withdraw apupil from the gifted and talented program will be made by the pupil's classroom teacher, thegifted and talented teacher, the principal, the pupil's parent(s) or legal guardian(s). If a studentwishes to withdraw from the program, and /or the pupil's parent or legal guardian requestswithdrawal, the request must be made in writing with appropriate adult signatures included.

When a student has been identified as gifted or talented, the Gifted and Talented teacherwill:

• Inform the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) on the goals of the pupil's programand secure their cooperation and permission for their child's participation in theprogram.

• Interview each selected student for additional information about him/her and for

guidance in establishing an enriched educational program for him/her.• Confer with the student's teacher about a proposed educational program and seek

additional information about performance and learning behaviors.