This scope and sequence was written for R.J. Wisenbaker, a young man who will be in 10th grade in the fall of 1998. R.J. tested into the gifted program in elementary school and has been taking gifted classes since that time.
When I asked R.J. to describe himself, he quickly responded "smart, musically talented and coordinated". R.J. has a great interest in music; he takes piano and cello lessons, plays cello in the school orchestra, and sings in an after school chorus as well as the youth choir at his church. This academic year, he auditioned and was selected for both All-State Chorus and All-State Orchestra. He feels very confident of his musical abilities and is comfortable performing in front of an audience. This confidence does not carry over to other areas; he does not like to present reports in front of his peers and has no interest in acting. He loves to read and has an appreciation of art and architecture. At this time, he is interested in a career in music, but isn't totally committed to that path.
R.J. is outgoing and has a sunny disposition. He enjoys and gets along well with adults but is having some difficulties relating to his peers this year. He sometimes feels that his classmates are ignoring him and has been depressed due to a sense of abandonment and isolation. He has fairly good study habits but occasionally elects not to hand in assignments. He doesn't like the process of writing factual papers and tends to procrastinate when faced with such a task.
As an 8th grader, R.J. took Algebra I. He is currently taking Geometry and is averaging close to 90%. His math teacher has recommended that R.J. take Algebra II next year. He likes math, but it is not always his favorite subject. His favorite classes this year are Great Books, Physical Science, and Geometry. His least favorite subject is history.
In order to determine his areas of strength and weakness, RJ took a final exam in Algebra I (Elementary Algebra) in April. Based on his performance, a content standard on scientific notation was added and standard #20 from the QCC standards was omitted. Algebra II QCC content standards have either been included as overarching goals or differentiated to be more appropriate for a gifted student. To augment the QCC standards and to further tailor this course to R.J.'s interests, two additional foci were created: A Geometry/Measurement focus with an architectural slant and an independent study unit focusing on the relationship of mathematics and music.
Additional foci and content standards have been woven into the ISS to extend the concepts developed in the QCC and to add an historical as well as an affective dimension. Collaborative objectives are emphasized to help R.J. engage with his peers in a positive and productive way. Opportunities to write and present findings with the support of a group are provided to help him overcome his discomfort with those processes. Objectives dealing with characteristics of different mathematicians and the impact of mathematics on career choices will hopefully help R. J. feel more comfortable about himself and informed about his career options.