The Garden City Public School District

is committed to meeting the special and individual needs

of all its students through offering an

enriched special education program.

The QUEST program is designed to challenge the abilities of the

academically talented student through

flexible and creative learning experiences that tap higher level

thinking skills.

Goals of the Quest Program

• To develop each student’s ability to recognize, integrate and utilize her/his

potential in order to become a self-actualizing individual.

• To develop higher level thinking skills.•To promote skills in critical thinking and

problem solving.• To develop and apply the processes of

creative thinking.

Goals of the Quest Program (con’t.)

• To develop the research and organizational abilities necessary for

students to become independent learners.

• To identify and nurture special talents and abilities.

• To develop leadership ability and interpersonal skills.

Did you know that there are different levels of thinking? The Quest program is designed to have the students tap into the higher levels of thinking through their activities and assignments.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY OF THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN

• KNOWLEDGE• COMPREHENSION• APPLICATION• ANALYSIS• SYNTHESIS• EVALUATION

MEETING TIME

The fourth and fifth grade Quest students meet for one period every day.Fifth Grade – 12:15 – 12:55Fourth Grade – 1:10 – 1:50

This semester the Quest students will be challenged by the theme – INVENTING THE FUTURE

Just imagine how all the inventors of the past have touched the future.

Why invent?When a student is asked to invent something, she/he is not only developing skills in critical thinking and problem solving but also developing

and applying the processes of creative thinking – Two of the most important goals of the

Quest program!

HOW TO INVENT?When a student is

asked to invent something, she/he

must first find a problem that needs to be solved. This is the hardest part

of inventing.

For inspiration throughout the semester, the

students will research famous and (not so famous) inventors.

Marion DonovanDisposable diapers

Wright BrothersAirplane

Dr. Martin CooperPortable cell

phone

In order to find a problem to solve, the students will conduct

“Invention Idea Surveys.” The youngsters will ask:

• What does not work as well as you would like it to?

• What problems would you like to see solved?

• What is the most annoying problem:

At home? At school? At work? At the airport? On the road? At the

bank?At the mall?

The students will also work on

Accept the Challenges to get the creative juices

flowing. Accept the Challenges are a series of scenarios that call

for creative solutions!

Another activity to tap into individual creativity will be

creating Rube Goldbergs. Rube Goldberg was an award winning cartoonist who drew machines and contraptions of marvelous complexity and ingenuity. He made simple things complex!

Once the youngsters are in the inventive mode,

they will begin the process of creating their own

inventions.

The student will draw upon their new found creativity, previous

knowledge, skills and experience.

The student will recognize areas where new learning must

be acquired in order to understand and address the

problem.

This information must then be applied, analyzed, synthesized and

evaluated.

Each student will begin the invention process by

journaling in an “inventor’s log.”

The inventor’s log is a diary and a record of the inventive

thinking. It is a place to record all thoughts, reflections,

realizations, observations about inventions.

Intend to InventThe next step in the process will be to complete the “Intend to

Invent” sheet which asks exactly what the youngster will invent, how the invention would

work and what supplies they need to create their invention.

The BreadboardInventors call their first

rough constructions Breadboards.

So, the next step in the process of invention will be

to create a Breadboard, which is the working proof

that you have taken an idea and translated it into a

physical device.

Model Planning SheetOnce the Breadboard is made, they will be ready for the next

step – the model. While planning the model, the

students needed to answer questions about the features

and consumers of their creations.

The PrototypeThe Prototype is a handmade

sample that looks and performs exactly like the finished product

will. Of course in the case of our young inventors, an

explanation of how it would work if it could will be

acceptable!

What’s in a Name? Now, it will be time to choose a

name for the invention. Students will think about

advertisements and commercials they have seen.

They will be challenged to come up with a name that is catchy, easy-to-remember, funny, unusual or clever.

The PatentA patent is a kind of trade

agreement between the United States Government and the

inventor. With this agreement, the inventor must agree to make public all the details and technology of the

invention. In return, the government grants the inventor exclusive rights to make and sell the invention for a period of time.

Types of PatentsThere are 3 types of patents:1.Utility patents - cover all mechanical

and electrical devices. (Most patents fall under this category.)

2.Design patents – cover a new, original, unique styling of a product

3.Plant patents – covers any new variety of plant life.

The TrademarkThe students will then create

trademarks for their inventions. A trademark can be a symbol, a

name, a word or group of words, a picture, a design, or

even a sound.

AdvertisementThe last step in the invention

project is to create an advertising campaign to sell the new invention. Students will study various advertising

techniques and employ them in a PowerPoint presentation or movie using Microsoft Movie

Maker

Through critical and creative thinking and problem solving, ideas will become reality as

children create inventive solutions, illustrate their ideas

and make models of their inventions.

As you can imagine, the youngsters will be very busy this semester as they are challenged

to “INVENT THE FUTURE!”

In addition to the thematic unit study, the Quest students will also engage in the following activities:•Junior Great Books Program of Interpretive Reading, Writing and Discussion

•Critical Thinking Activities (Mindbenders and Tanglers)•Fun Fridays

GUEST SPEAKERS

FIELD TRIPS

•Optional participation in The Institute for Creative Problem Solving (Students selected each year have gone on to be named Young Scholar of Math) •Fifth Grade participation in CONFERENCE FOR KIDS

THANK YOUFOR

COMING!LET’S HAVE A GREAT YEAR!