Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

Today We’ll Analyze Video Games Systems!

Ian — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:56:14 +0000

Here’s a screenshot from Consollection (via BoingBoing), a beautifully photographed collection of over one hundred video game console systems:

I can’t wait to bring this into my class! Think about the critical thinking skills we can practice with it:

Comparing and contrasting all sorts of traits
Determining cause and effect
Analyzing trends
Finding the origin of changes
Determining parallels amongst systems
Categorizing and re-categorizing based on new criteria
Analyzing influences
With a little more research, students could analyze how the hardware of systems affected their successes

I love to use resources like this to motivate and engage students when introducing a thinking skill. Any other ideas on how you’d use a gallery of one hundred video game consoles in your gifted classroom?

Today We’ll Analyze Video Games Systems! is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

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Reflecting With Depth and Complexity

Ian — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:16:01 +0000

Do you ask your students to look back at their work and reflect on their progress? If so, are you integrating the tools of depth and complexity into these reflections?

Ask students to examine the change over time in their scores.
Tell students to look for patterns in the type of questions missed.
Encourage them to notice if the simply misunderstood a rule.
Perhaps students need to notice a recent trend in their work.

Language Arts Example

Here’s a language arts reflection I use in my classroom that incorporates the thinking tools.
ELA Reflection with Depth and Complexity

Reflecting With Depth and Complexity is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

No Street Names In Japan

Ian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:26:38 +0000

Do your gifted learners use the complexity tool of “multiple perspectives” to analyze stories, problems, and historical events? Here’s a TED Talk (via Free Technology for Teachers) about real life multiple perspectives that will make your students (and you!) reconsider basic assumptions:

When I show my students a video like this, I ask them to delve deeper using their thinking tools. Here’s the typical procedure:

First, we spend a day discussing the video itself
Students create a combination of depth and complexity tools that matches their interpretation of the video:
- Multiple perspectives cause ethical problems.
- Language can be a paradox.
Students then spend time generating examples from other disciplines that match their deep and complex statement.
We then have a day of presentations.

Have any other uses for a video like this? Let me know in the comments!

No Street Names In Japan is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

A Deep, Complex Extension Menu For Character Analysis

Ian — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:46:33 +0000

When planning differentiated lessons, I often get too clever for my own good and cook up a new character analysis activity every week. This results in extra work for me and unnecessary confusion for my students.

As a result, I’ve put this extension menu together. This way, students have a variety of familiar choices to use when analyzing a character. Here’s a sample that includes elements of depth and complexity, content imperatives, and technology.

Using a graphic organizer, show how a character’s actions, thoughts, and speech converge to show a character trait.	Build a playlist of three songs showing a character’s growth during a story. Explain how these songs show the character’s change over time.	Design the character’s room. Each item you place in the room should reveal something about the character. Consider their change over time. Design this room on paper, create a diorama, or build the room in Google Sketchup.
Use images from Flickr.com to create a montage that demonstrates a main trait of your character.	Scholar’s Choice: Design a product (get teacher approval first!)	Create a Twitter feed from your character that shows her/her inner thoughts throughout the story. Be sure to limit each tweet to 140 characters!
Analyze how a character has a convergence of traits from two other characters in the theme.	Develop a diary or blog for your character. Each entry should clearly show the character’s change over time.	Write a Shakespearean Sonnet from your character’s point of view (iambic pentameter optional ).

A Deep, Complex Extension Menu For Character Analysis is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

Oz, Paragraphy, and Writing Strategies

Ian — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:58:55 +0000

As the midyear language arts test looms, I begin to sweat the dreaded “writing strategies” section. My students must correctly order sentences within paragraphs. Although my students are generally good writers and can construct paragraphs, testing this skill with multiple choice answers causes much confusion.

Project Gutenberg

This year, I’m using my own creation Paragraphy to practice inferring the correct order of sentences in a paragraph. Since I love exposing my students to classic stories, I’ve decided to mine the incredible Project Gutenberg.

For those who aren’t familiar, Project Gutenberg is a database of writing that is in the public domain in the United States (sorry international readers – please share in the comments if you have a similar resource!). You can freely download these books as HTML or a plain text document. The Top 100 includes classics such as:

Sherlock Holmes
Alice In Wonderland
Pride and Prejudice
Dracula
Frankenstein

I picked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to grab some paragraphs from. Why choose a book below my students’ reading level? It makes practicing this particular skill easier plus it is a classic book AND movie that few of my students have experienced. This opens up some great possibilities later if I find the class getting intrigued with the sample paragraphs (a few of my students even connected Wicked with our earlier story-remix project).

Paragraphy At Work

A simple (and legal!) copy from Project Gutenberg gave me the first paragraph from the story:

Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar–except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.

I pasted this paragraph into Paragraphy and it generated the following random list of sentences:

There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds.

It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.

Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner.

There was no garret at all, and no cellar–except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path.

Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles.

Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife.

Consider Your Goal

Using The Differentiator, I created the following objective: Students will determine the rules of ‘paragraph order clues’ using The Wizard of Oz to create a chart in groups of four.Rather than simply asking my students to put the paragraph in the correct order, I’m asking them to “determine rules.” This raises students’ thinking and also connects with their natural understanding of abstract ideas. Best of all, by choosing these classic passages, my students get to dabble with interesting vocabulary and experience outstanding figurative language. Some of my students will even grow intrigued enough to find the book (and its multitude of sequels) in the school library.

I love lessons like this because I feel like I’m killing whole nests of birds with a single stone. I am doing my job as a gifted teacher when my students practice a necessary skill but also chatter on their way to lunch about the ethical issues of the word “munchkin.”

Oz, Paragraphy, and Writing Strategies is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

Announcing: Paragraphy

Quote: Problems of Youth

Ian — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:06:41 +0000

Here’s an interesting quote to use with some of your older gifted students:

“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.”

After a discussion about whether or not this quote is true, reveal that it was written over 3000 years ago by the Greek poet Hesiod.

What To Do With It?

Ask your students to interact with this quote using the tools of depth and complexity:

Consider the pattern of generations judging other generations.
Analyze what about humanity has changed over time and what has stayed the same.
Look for counter examples: people from older generations who approve of younger generations.
Think about the ethics of different generations: what is better about an older generation, what is better about a younger generation?

Can you apply this quote to your universal theme?

Conflict exists between generations.
There is power in age.
Generational conflict is a cycle.

A quote like this is a great way to start your day. Groups could create presentations one morning and then present the next day. Perhaps tie it in with an inter-generalization research project?

Any other ideas on how to incorporate a thought-provoking quote into a meaningful assigment for gifted learners?

Quote: Problems of Youth is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

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Byrdseed Is 0.5!

Ian — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:50:19 +0000

Byrdseed has now been chugging along for six months. It has gone far beyond its original intent – a way to organize some thoughts during.

Here are some milestones you’ve helped contribute to:

You are one of the 30,000 visitors who have stopped by at least once.
If you’ve subscribed, you are among the 320 (and growing!) who have volunteered to keep up with Byrdseed.
You represent one of the 129 countries who have sent visitors to Byrdseed.
You put The Differentiator on Delicious‘ most popular bookmarks back in August.
You made Extend A Menu’s launch a success.
You’ve taught me via your comments, emails, and tweets.

Thank you for the support! Can’t wait to see where we are in another six months

Byrdseed Is 0.5! is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

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Beyond The Book Report

Ian — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:00:44 +0000

The following is a guest post written by Erika Saunders. Visit her blog or follow her on Twitter @rozelialives. Interested in writing a guest post? Send me an email at ian@byrdseed.com! I’d love to set something up!

—

I have never been a fan of the “Book Report”, the traditional listing of characters, settings, and plots. Surely there’s a better way to have students relate to the books they read.

So, when the powers-that-be requested that our students write book reports, I just had to jump in – or rather, I was volunteered. In any event, there I was convinced that therewas something better, another way that would be interesting to 6^ththrough 8^th graders. And so I began to list all the things I could do after reading a book.

Then, something wonderful happened. I began having all kinds of neat, interesting ideas. The more I thought about it, the more ideas came. And not just ideas butways to approach the ideas: monthly themes and kids’ choice.You could even have students develop their own ideas.

So, here is the list I created as my mind delved deeper and deeper – some I’ve gotten from some really creative teachers – thanks Ian! – others I’ve done with my students.I consider it a work-in-progress and look forward to continually adding to it.

The beauty is that there really are no limits. We just have to allow ourselves to think “outside of the book report”.

Make a CD/Soundtrack for the movie with an explanation for each song choice
Create a 30-second movie commercial/trailer podcast
Make a PowerPoint presentation
- Why this should be a movie
- Summary
- TV series idea
- Abridged version of the book
Design a room that a character would have
Make a new book cover with a “write-up” and short pitch on why this should be the new cover
Turn the book into a short play
Create a fan blog
Design a Movie Poster
Write a letter to the head of a production company convincing them to make a movie
Write a letter to the “Fan Club” of the book
Create an “Interview with the Author”
Be a Talk Show Host interviewing the author
Rewrite the story using a new setting
Tell the story through a different character
- Dress up like the character and retell the story
- Write a summary from that character’s point-of-view
Be a Costume Designer for the movie version
Be the Set Designer for the movie version
Create a Graphic Novel version of the book
Create your own summary of what you think the sequel should be
Create a rap/song summary
Create the TV Show theme song
Illustrate the book
Make a documentary
Be a newscaster reporting the story
Make an audition video fora part in the movie
Record a voice-over
Describe the conflict/problem as a sport’s play
Create a Jeopardy game based on the book
Cast the movie/TV show
Link a real social/societal problem that relates to the story
Create a theme list and include books that fit into the theme
Create a photo album based on the book
Create a magazine based on the book
Write an advice column for the characters
Be the author’s editor– change one part to make the book better
Re-write it as a children’s book

Erika Saunders is a Special Education and Mentally Gifted Teacher for grades 6^th through 8^thgrade at an inner-city school in Philadelphia. For more of her quirky views on life, visit her blog: http://theytoldme2write.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Twitter: @rozelialives.

Beyond The Book Report is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

Do I Have To Work In A Group?

Ian — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:08:09 +0000

I was recently asked a question that reminded me of the unique social and emotional needs of my gifted students. During a group work time, a girl approached and quietly asked:

Do I have to work in a group?

Of course, I thought I was doing my students a favor by giving them time to work together on an assignment. Interaction, collaboration, a break from listening and a chance to discuss – all positives for students, right? Yet, here was a student who preferred to work alone.

She wasn’t anti-social. She wasn’t unpopular. She wasn’t lonely.

She just wanted to work by herself this time.

Letting Go Of Assumptions

I realized that group size was another way I could differentiate for my gifted students’ diverse needs. I now make sure I include times throughout the day where students can choose to work alone or in pairs or in trios.

As I learned to differentiate in a new way, it certainly made me consider what other options would improve my students’ learning enviornment. Because that’s really what this young person was asking me to do.

I’ve realized:

Some students (especially among the gifted) are introverted and simply need time to work alone.
Not everyone thinks creating a multimedia computer project is enjoyable.
Given a wide range of options, some students will pick the five paragraph essay!

Now certainly, there are many times during the day when students have to take the one choice I give them. But I’m certainly glad that student was brave enough to ask me if she could work alone. It reminded me to truly think from the point of view of my students.

And that has made me a better teacher.

Do I Have To Work In A Group? is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons

Announcing: The Student Grouper

Ian — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:30:48 +0000

After students complete a district test, many teachers receive access to data-rich spreadsheets detailing student performance across standards. The problem is, it takes a bit of work to group students based on these standards. Since in a former life I was a computer programmer, I created a utility to automatically group students from these spreadsheets: The Student Grouper.

For this to work:

You should have a .xls Excel Spreadsheet (not the newer .xslx version)
Student names should be down the first column
Standards should be across the top row

I’ve included the ability to ignore certain row and column names (for example, “averages” and “totals”) as well as set your own threshold (below 75%, below 60%, etc).

Finally, here’s a video showing it in action:

Announcing: The Student Grouper is a post from: Byrdseed Gifted Lessons