Starting off right - the "Big Picture"

     We know from research that gifted students often quickly grasp the overarching concepts within areas of study and see "the big picture." (Have you read the article our Head of School Sandi Wollum keeps talking about? It's a synthesis of research on best practices for teaching the gifted and talented: http://www.k12.wa.us/highlycapable/workgroup/pubdocs/educatinggiftedandtalented-rogers.pdf)

      So to start the year out right, we spent some time during the first few days of school talking about our overarching concept of "Quest;" what Quest means and what a quest might look like in our classroom. We also spent some time thinking about all the subjects we will be addressing in our curriculum rotation this year, and noting what we already know and would like to learn. The following pictures show a "poster walk" around our class, with some of the materials we will use for each of our Social Studies and Science topics set out to peruse and explore. The students looked over books and materials, thought about what they knew already, and talked a bit to friends about what they might like to learn about that particular subject before making notes on our poster of each subject area. Our overall QUEST this year? Knowledge! Specifically about the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Native Americans, U.S. Regions, Matter, Meteorology, Inventions and Environmentalism. 

      By the way, our first area of study is the Middle Ages. The students already knew that this was a hard time to live, a lot of people were killed or died, that there was slavery then, that there were not really dragons, and that a Knight's armor could weigh 160 pounds. (We're gong to verify that last one.) What do they want to know? 

• When did medieval villages come into being?
• Why were people beheaded?
• Knights are cool - but what did they really do all day?

I can't wait to see where this quest will lead!