CHOICE AND CHALLENGE: ENGAGING GIFTED STUDENTS

THROUGH EFFECTIVE INDEPENDENT PROJECTS AND

ANCHOR ACTIVITIES

North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented

41st Annual Conference Winston-Salem, NC

March 5-6, 2015

Presented by Pieces of Learning, Inc.

www.piecesoflearning.com

Bob Iseminger

biseminger@rocketmail.com

Anchor Activities Anchor activities are on-going, relevant tasks in which students automatically participate during the course of a regular school day. The instructor should begin by teaching the whole class to work independently and quietly on these regular tasks (examples are listed below). The teacher can then move toward having half of the class work on the anchor activity, while the other half engages in different content-based activities designed specifically for their needs. This may help the instructor feel less fragmented in the beginning because a sizable portion of the class will be engaged in work that is largely self-directed, freeing the teacher to guide students in the newer and more demanding tasks. Later on, the instructor can flip-flop the class, having the group that first worked with the anchor activity switch to appropriate content-based activities and vice versa. When the teacher feels ready, he/she can have a third of the class work with an anchor activity and two-thirds work with two differentiated content-based tasks. Many types of combinations are possible. Each teacher should do whatever seems best to phase participants into an environment where multiple avenues to learning are the norm.1

POSSIBLE  ANCHOR  ACTIVITIES  • silent reading • journal writing • managing their portfolio • spelling/grammar practice exercises • answering basal text questions • math computation practice exercises • using math manipulatives • starting homework assignments • quiet art activity related to content • editing/proofreading their own or other students’ writing  

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

Directions for Using the “This Makes Me Think Of” Graphic Organizer This is a word association activity that reinforces vocabulary and emphasizes critical thinking skills. From the top of the map down to the fourth line, students utilize analysis as they break down a word into related vocabulary. From the fourth line of the map to the bottom, synthesis is utilized when two words are recombined into another related one. The activity can be completed individually or in peer partner teams. It works well when partners complete the activity together, as they can piggyback on ideas. The teacher should model the strategy by completing an entire key word map as a whole group activity with the class. The teacher provides the word that begins the map. This word should be one related to current unit of study. For example, in science class the given word might be “atmosphere”. All students place this word in the top section of the key word map. The teacher then asks, “What is the first word that comes into your mind when you hear the word “atmosphere”? Two responses might be “air” and “clouds”. These words are placed in the sections on the second line of the map. The next question becomes, “What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word “air”? The responses might be “balloon” and “lungs”. These words are placed in the two sections on the third line of the map under “air”. The same format is used for the word “clouds”. There will now be four words in place on the third map line. Use the same questioning technique on these four words to complete the fourth line of the map. Under the word “balloon”, students might respond with “party” and “floating” on the fourth line. It is not necessary that every word used in the map be related to science, but the teacher has the option of making this a restriction. Starting with the fifth line, students are recombining two words into a related word. For “party” and “floating”, the response might be “swimming pool”. The activity continues in this manner until the two words on the sixth line are associated with a final word to complete the map. Students are then given the task of establishing a relationship between the beginning and ending word of the map. Remarkably, some kind of association can usually be made between the two words. Once the activity is modeled, partners can then complete the map on their own when given a new word to begin the map. It is very interesting to compare the ending words generated by the different groups, knowing that each began with the same word. Hints for usage: • A word can only be used once in the map. • Two-word compound words are acceptable. It is suggested that you disallow proper nouns. • Auditory-sequential and visual-spatial processors approach this activity differently. The first group wants all relationships to be ordered and structured around the beginning word. The second group thinks outside the box and produces responses that move in many directions. • Student responses reflect their past experiences as well as the sophistication of their vocabulary. This activity can be differentiated for high ability learners by giving students both the beginning and ending words of the Key Word Map and they have to work from both ends to produce relationships that are related on the middle fourth line.

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

Forced  Relationships  (Formerly  known  as  Synectics)  

 Developed  by  William  Gordon,  the  strategy  known  as  synectics  or  forced  relationships  attempts  to  produce  creative  solutions  of  problems  through  the  use  of  metaphorical  modes  of  thinking.  The  basic  idea  behind  this  technique  is  to  make  the  familiar  strange.  Successfully  applying  this  strategy  requires  the  individual  to  look  at  familiar  objects/ideas/scenarios  from  a  new  perspective.  Unique  comparisons  are  made  based  on  three  particular  techniques:    

• Direct  analogy  –  This  is  a  comparison  of  two  apparently  dissimilar  situations  or  objects  with  an  eye  for  explaining  what  they  might,  upon  second  thought,  ultimately  have  in  common.  For  example:  How  is  a  sandwich  like  a  crowd?  We  do  not  typically  think  about  a  crowd  and  sandwich  in  the  same  moments  but  we  could.  A  sandwich  is  made  up  of  different  types  of  ingredients,  just  like  a  crowd  might  have  different  groups  of  people.  A  sandwich  made  with  bad  ingredients,  or  poorly  chosen  ones,  would  not  be  pallatable.  Neither  would  a  crowd  with  the  “wrong  elements”  in  it  be  particularly  inviting.  A  certain  kind  of  sandwich  might  be  made  for  a  particular  reason  (Think  of  those  little  wedding  day,  crustless  cucumber  sanwiches!).  Similarly,  crowds  usually  appear  or  gather  for  a  particular  reason  (Black  Friday  sales!).    

 Forced  Relationships:  Sample  (Generic)Questions  

 1.    Which  has  more  bounce:  a  book  or  a  tennis  ball?    Why?  2.    Which  is  louder:  a  sunrise  or  a  sunset?    Why?  3.    Which  is  more  fragile:  a  democracy  or  a  monarchy.  Why?  4.    Which  is  more  lasting:  lost  or  found?    Why?  5.    Which  is  more  restful:  a  circle  or  a  line  segment?    Why?  6.    Which  is  quieter:  failure  or  embarrassment?    Why?  7.    Which  is  stronger:  a  doctor  or  the  President?    Why?  8.  Which  has  more  stretch:  forgetfulness  or  helplessness?    Why?  Adapted  from  Lessons  from  the  Hearthstone  Traveler,  by  Bob  Stanish  

 Forced  Relationships:  Intermediate  Math  

 1.    Which  set  of  numbers  is  most  like  your  family?  Why?  2.    Which  is  more  circular:  happiness  or  sadness?  Why?  3.    Which  has  more  stretch:  decimals  or  common  fractions?  Why?  4.    Is  a  proportion  more  like  a  cell  phone  or  an  Ipod?  Why?  5.    Is  the  set  of  negative  integers  more  like  Target  or  WalMart?  Why?  6.    Which  mathematical  operation  (addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,  or  division)  is                most  like  a  cavity?    A  wisdom  tooth?    Why?  7.    Is  a  variable  more  like  ice  cream  or  cake?    Why?  8.    Which  mathematical  operation  are  you  most  like:  addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,                        or  division?    Why?  

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

Vocabulary  Salad  Topic:    Weather  Directions:    Put  the  following  word  pieces  together  to  form  25  vocabulary  words  from  our  

weather  unit.    a   ont  a   or  ail   or  at   orm  ba   phere  bliz   por  cane   pre  cip   pres  cir   ri  cle   ro  con   rus  cu   sa  cy   soon  den   st  der   st  do   str  driz   sun  e   sure  fr   ta  gist   te  h   ter  ha   ter  hu   ter  hur   ther  i   thun  i   tion  lus   tion  me   tion  me   tor  me   tus  mid   ty  mo   va  mon   vap  mos   wa  mu   zard  na   zle  ny   zy  o    ol    one    Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

FIND  THE  FIB    This  activity  makes  for  a  great  anchor  activity  because  it  combines  a  student-­‐centered  activity  with  a  task  that  is  both  relevant  and  ongoing  while  you  are  occupied  with  other  students  in  the  room.    In  this  activity,  students  create  three  statements  about  the  lesson,  unit,  or  other  relevant  part  of  the  curriculum.  Two  of  the  statements  must  be  true,  or  factual,  in  regards  to  the  material  you  have  presented.  The  other  statement  is  the  fib.  Students  should  be  coached  on  how  to  write  a  "plausible"  but  inaccurate  statement.  Thus,  for  example,  the  statement  "Reptiles  are  cold-­‐blooded,  have  leathery  skin,  and  produce  milk  for  their  young"  is  a  more  reasonable  example  of  a  plausible  fib  than  “Reptiles  are  cold-­‐blooded,  have  leathery  skin,  and  enjoy  eating  rainbows."      To  further  the  effectiveness  of  this  simple  activity  in  your  classroom,  here  are  some  additional  ideas  you  might  consider:    

• Allow  students  to  use  their  class  notes  and  textbook  as  they  create  their  statements.  

• Have  students  create  multiple  sets  of  fact/fib  statements.  • As  a  class  review,  have  students  share  their  fact/fib  statements.  Have  every  student  in  the  room  create  three  index  cards  labeled  1,  2,  and  3.  (Or  make  copies  of  the  ones  included  in  this  book.)As  a  student  concludes  sharing  his  three  statements,  other  students  in  the  room  hold  up  the  card  that  signifies  the  statement  they  believe  to  be  false.  This  provides  you  with  a  great  opportunity  to  see,  at  a  glance,  who  was  on  target  and  who  is  confused.  This  also  makes  a  great  summary  activity  at  the  close  of  a  lesson  or  a  superb  focus  activity  at  the  start  of  class  the  next  day.  

• Consider  using  some  of  the  statements  generated  by  the  students  as  potential  true/false  test  items.  

• This  activity  could  be  further  extended  to  distinguish  between  fact  and  opinion,  wherein  two  of  the  statements  are  facts  and  one  is  an  opinion.  

 The  only  materials  you  need  to  prepare  in  order  to  make  this  activity  a  reality  is,  perhaps,  a  sample  set  of  fact/fib  statements  and  some  numbered  index  cards.    Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

 

Alphabet  Math    Creating  mathematical  codes  using  the  alphabet  is  a  challenging  and  creative  way  to  entice  students  to  practice  basic  math  skills.    Starting  with  A  =  1,  students  are  asked  to  write  down  the  alphabet  and  assign  a  numerical  value  to  each  letter  in  sequential  order.  Each  student  should  complete  this  task  with  Z  =  26.      After  they  have  listed  a  one-­‐to-­‐one  correspondence  with  letters  and  numbers,  students  select  ten  of  their  classmates  and  add  the  value  of  their  first  and  last  names  using  pencil  and  paper.  For  example,  if  a  student  were  named  Ann  Smith,  the  numerical  value  of  her  name  would  be:    A      N      N            S      M      I      T      H    1  +  14  +14  +  19  +  13  +  9  +  20  +  8  =  98          Students  would  be  expected  to  line  up  these  values  vertically  before  adding.              Once  students  have  calculated  the  numerical  value  of  ten  names,  they  are  given  a  pre-­‐determined  numerical  goal  such  as  175.  (You  the  teacher  may  set  this  goal  at  any  value.)  Students,  through  trial  and  error  methods,  must  determine  which  two  of  the  ten  student  name  values  can  be  added  or  subtracted  to  come  closest  to  the  given  numerical  goal.  The  winning  student  is  the  one  who  chooses  addition  or  subtraction  wisely  to  come  closest  to  the  pre-­‐determined  value  set  by  the  teacher.  The  student  calculations  can  be  used  for  assessment.    The  values  assigned  to  the  letters  can  be  as  complex  as  you  desire.  For  example,  each  letter  of  the  alphabet  might  stand  for  a  multiple  of  three.      A        B        C          D            E          F          G          H          I          J              …..  3          6          9        12      15    18      21    24      27    30        …..    The  possibilities  are  endless  as  are  the  different  codes  that  can  be  created,  the  different  words  whose  values  can  be  found,  and  the  different  numerical  goals  that  can  be  set.  

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

Independent Studies It’s difficult to imagine a well-managed and student-centered classroom that doesn’t make use of independent studies. These assignments allow students to pursue investigations of topics of interest that may or may not be directly related to the curriculum. And, because they’re based on students’ interests, they can be particularly engaging (thus, ensuring that students will remain on task when working on them). Independent studies can be very focused and structured or can they can be left more open-ended in nature, depending on the needs of the students engaging in them and on the nature of the subjects or topics they address. For example, in a social studies class in which students are studying the U.S. Civil War, it’s possible to design a very structured independent study that highlights specific requirements students must meet as they research, say, the music of the time period or the role of Native Americans in the war. As part of their work, students might be asked to work with given resources, complete specific graphic organizers, respond to given writing prompts, and produce a creative product to show what they’ve learned. On the other hand, a more open-ended independent study might allow students to fashion their own researchable questions about the U.S. Civil War, evaluate those questions based on the students’ interests as well as on the available resources, and then come up with their own products to show what they’ve learned. Depending on the level of structure that a teacher wants to incorporate, some independent studies can take a while to create while others can be relatively easy and quick to design. In general, some structure is required in order for students to work successfully on their own. For example, one of the first tasks we ask students to complete as they embark on an independent study is to create a checklist of the steps they’ll need to complete along the way. We’ve found that it helps to tell the students that every third or fourth step must be “See the teacher.” Adding this step throughout the checklist ensures that you’ll be in touch with the students about their projects while making that communication the students’ responsibility. In an undifferentiated classroom, it is most often the highest-ability learners who have more time and opportunity than their classmates to pursue the further study of topics that interest them. However, in a well-differentiated classroom where all students are challenged at their readiness levels, everyone should have time to engage in interest-based studies. Teachers who implement independent studies effectively take time to get to know their students’ interests and collaborate with their students to design engaging ways in which to explore these interests further. Two examples of independent studies are provided. Many published curriculum materials, such as textbooks, now highlight opportunities for independent studies that relate to specific units of study.

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

Mathematical Measurement Independent Assignment

NOTE TO TEACHER: In the book Counting on Frank, by Rod Clement, the narrator likes to collect facts with the help of his dog, Frank. Each two-page spread of this book includes a different fact involving such mathematical topics as counting, size comparison, and ratio along with delightful illustrations. Read the book aloud to the class. After its completion, brainstorm measurement problems containing elements in the school environment. For example, how many laptops/MacBooks, etc., would it take to fill the filing cabinet in the corner of our room? The goal is to produce an original book entitled Counting on (insert the name of your school). Guidelines for this math independent project follow. The website http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/147 provides other ideas for utilizing this book in the math classroom.

To be copied and distributed to students Using the book Counting on Frank, by Rod Clement, as a model, design your own math story book in this same format. Our class book will be entitled Counting on (insert the name of your school).

REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT • You may work on this book alone or with one other partner. • Your book should contain at least 5 different pages of math “feats” or facts, if you work alone. • Your book should contain at least 10 different pages of math “feats” or facts if you work with a

partner. • Conclude each page with a humorous statement, as the model does. • Each math feat should be illustrated, either on the same page as the fact or on a facing page.

Illustrations may be drawn, sketched, or created with a computer drawing or graphics program. • The pages of your book may be hand lettered or generated on a word processor. • Your book must have a cover page that catches the reader’s attention. • The back of the book must contain a page(s) which describe to the reader what mathematics

problems were solved to generate the feats in the book. Describe in a paragraph how the problem was solved and include the math sentences that were used to solve it.

• Your finished book should be bound in any manner of your choice.

Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning

European Biography Independent Study

Task: Through a variety of readings, explore the life of a famous European to determine his/her impact on society and the influences that precipitated his/her rise to greatness. Create products to share your learning with others. Guiding Questions: § In what ways do people influence the lives of others in both positive and negative ways? § What types of influences are most lasting and powerful? § How do we measure the value of one’s influence? Requirements: 1) Select a famous European who had or has had a major impact on society and/or culture. You will likely need to conduct some preliminary research to determine a person who interests you most and about whom you can find adequate and substantial resources. Please seek to study someone about whom you know very little, but do make a selection based on your interests. Your selection MUST be approved by your teacher(s). 2) You must find and explore a minimum of 3 resources (articles, books, websites, streaming video, etc., but one MUST be a full biography) about your selected European. Your goal is to discover as much as you can about this person’s life, from childhood to death, how he/she grew interested in and developed his/her expertise, influences (both good and bad) along the way, and the ultimate impact that he/she has had on society. You should keep detailed notes during this process. 3) For Social Studies: § Create a detailed timeline of your European’s life that includes both text and visuals. Your

timeline MUST include at least 15-20 critical events in your person’s life. You may use an online timeline maker.

§ Create a lesson to teach to your peers during class that informs them about your European and

his/her development and impact. Your lesson should be packed with interesting information, high level, and engaging. What kinds of facts will pique your classmates’ interests? What type of activity fits this person’s life and accomplishments? You may use technology available in your classroom.

4) For English: § Create your person’s Facebook page, including friends, likes, status updates, etc. Imagine that

Facebook existed during his/her lifetime. What would he/she have included on it? Please attend to details such as dates, names, and places!

§ Identify the theme song for your person’s life. If his/her life could be encapsulated in one song,

what would that song be? Identify the song by title and artist, and write a statement that explains very clearly the connection between the song and the person. The connection must be clear,

sensible, and defensible, and you must cite lyrics in the song and events in the person’s life. (Hint: This theme song could be part of your lesson that you design.)

§ Write an essay in which you address the big idea of INFLUENCE. What role did influence play

in this person’s life? Be sure to address who, what, when, why, and how questions in your essay. Ultimately, you must identify the biggest influence on your person’s life as well as his/her biggest influence on society. We’ll discuss specific requirements for this essay in English class.

The Process: All of the products required in this project are due no later than . You will work closely with your teacher(s) to identify due dates for your readings and products that ensure your success by setting a doable yet efficient pace. While you will be given some class time to work on this project, you should also plan to work on it during your study times and at home. 4Do not wait to select and read your chosen texts. Doing so will leave you with little time to focus on your products. Choice and Challenge © Pieces of Learning