Curriculum Models for Gifted Education

South Asian History

Example

• Students examine why there is a need to study this history. Students learn about different areas of study. Examples might include Indus Valley, Mauryan Empire, Mughal Empire, Colonial India, Indian Independence, Partition, etc.
• Students learn vocabulary of the discipline such as primary source, secondary source, archaeology, BCE, CE, imperialism, etc.
• Students learn the process of historical research
• Students examine general trends within the topic. For example: What are some challenges South Asia is facing in the modern era and how do these issues connect with earlier history?

South Asian History

Examples

• Little is known about the Indus Valley Civilization because their writing system has not been decoded.
• Students analyze ways to learn about the society based on what is available.
• Students explain how lack of writing complicates studying this civilization compared to others such as Egypt where we do have writing.

South Asian History

Examples

• Students could research Mahatma Gandhi's life.
• Each student or student group might be asked to create a skit to portray an important moment in Gandhi's life.

• Students could research the history and construction of the Taj Mahal.
• Students could recreate the Taj Mahal using Legos, Minecraft, or a variety of household materials.

South Asian History

Example

• Engage: Students examine primary source photos from era of British imperial rule in India.
• Objectives: Learn the motives for British rule in India.
• Relate: What were motives for British rule in America?
• Present: Brief overview from teacher. Students research and learn about imperialism in India using a variety or sources.
• Assess: Students explain/present findings on motives.
• Feedback: Teacher gives students feedback.
• Follow up/extension: What other countries were under British rule during the same time period? Why?
• Connect: What impact did imperialism have on the environment? Examine literature and art from the period. Examine cultural diffusion including sports, food, and music that resulted from imperialism.
• Apply: Student creates a product based on a specific area of interest

South Asian History

Example

• A teacher with a background in film and the arts may wish to show parts of the 1982 film Gandhi and engage in a Socratic Seminar or deep discussion of the film's portrayal of Gandhi and the independence movement in India.

• A teacher with a background in literature may have students read a novel such as Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar and research the historical setting and background for the novel. Students can examine how their lives differ from the main charcter's.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beneath-My-Mothers-Feet/Amjed-Qamar/9781442414518

South Asian History

• A student may wish to create and perform a bhangra song explaining some aspect of South Asian history they have explored.

• A student may wish to examine the roots of the India-Pakistan conflict and brainstorm potential solutions.

• A student may wish to form a club dedicated to exploring and sharing information about South Asian history and culture with other students.

Example

Core Curriculum

The Core curriculum is the foundation or base for all of the other parallels in the the curriculum model.

It includes fundamental concepts and information in the baseline curriculum for a given subject.

If a student were studying the major religions practiced in South Asia, the core curriculum would focus on learning the basic facts and foundational information about Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism.

Curriculum of Connections

Students are encouraged to make connections between disciplines.

Connections may be across subjects, time periods, and/or cultures.

• A student might look at how the practice of Hinduism or Buddhism has changed over time.
• A student might explore how Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam are practiced by South Asian populations in countries such as South Africa, Indonesia, and Canada.
• A student might look at relationships and connections between South Asian religions and other religions.

Curriculum of Practice

Lessons are designed to create real-world, authentic experiences for students.

Students may engage in role-playing, simulation activities, and/or practicing a discipline.

• A student might create an explainer guidebook or video for a person visiting a Hindu temple for the first time.
• A student could research yoga or meditation practices and try practicing them.
• A student may engage in a role-playing or simulation activity in which they must mediate conflicts and misunderstandings between South Asian religious groups, based on real situations throughout history.

Curriculum of Identity

Students are encouraged to engage in self-reflection and make a personal connection to their learning.

Students may examine multiple perspectives or viewpoints.

Students might compare their own experience with that of another from another culture, time period, gender, age, race, or religion.

A student may wish to compare his or her own experience with or within a particular religion to the experience of someone who practices a different religion.

A student might complete an oral history project in which different generations discuss religions and religious diversity in South Asia.

Concepts, Issues, and Themes

The big ideas and knowledge gained through inquiry based research.

A student using the ICM model for English Language Arts might focus on the concept of change.

In my 5th grade ELA course, students examined change in the novel The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta as part of the William & Mary ICM curriculum.

http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/writer/books/the-serpents-secret/

Advanced Content

The ICM model encourages teachers to pre-assess students for prior knowledge and move on to more advanced skills and content. The baseline curriculum is compacted to increase pacing and to allow students to explore more complex content and materials.

• In my 5th grade Serpent's Secret unit, students learned the monomyth or hero's journey cycle of change, which is an above-grade level concept included in the curriculum.
• They mastered the concept quickly and applied prior knowledge to demonstrate mastery by mapping out previous books and/or movies which followed the formula. (Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Finding Nemo)
• Students read some of the Bengali folktales which inspired the novel and applied them to the hero's journey change cycle.

Process-Product

Students engage in real-world applications and/or problem solving.

• Students mapped out the monomyth/hero's journey cycle for the main character, Kiranmala, upon completion of the novel.
• Students compared the journey of Kiranmala to that of the hero they chose to outline in an earlier exercise. (How does Kiranmala's journey connect to Harry Potter's?) They shared ideas, collaborated, and discussed this in small group literature circles.
• Students used persuasive writing techniques previously learned and included in the William & Mary ICM to convince Netflix or Disney+ that they should make a movie or series out of The Serpent's Secret.
• Finally, students wrote their own original stories using the hero's journey as the blueprint.