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!