The document provides information about the Advanced Content program at Cooper Middle School. It describes the advanced content classes for language arts, social studies, science, and math. The classes are for gifted and highly able students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in those subject areas. The classes use differentiated curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments to challenge students at higher levels. The document includes eligibility criteria and expected skills in each subject area.

1. COOPER MIDDLE
SCHOOL
Advanced Content

2. WHAT IS ADVANCED CONTENT?
Advanced Content Class -- Students are homogeneously
grouped on the basis of academic performance/achievement
in a specific academic content area. Classes include gifted and
highly-able students who have demonstrated exceptional ability
and motivation in a particular content area as determined by
local school criteria. Advanced content classes qualify as gifted
service only if (a) the maximum size specified for gifted classes
by the State Board Rule is observed; (b) the curriculum is
differentiated; and, (c) the teacher has the gifted in-field
endorsement.

3. DIFFERENTIATION EXPECTATIONS:
Content – Complex and challenging subject matter that:
Requires intellectual struggle
Utilizes primary documents
Integrates research skills and methods
Incorporates relevant, real-life learning
Integrates interdisciplinary connections

4. DIFFERENTIATION EXPECTATIONS:
Process – Instructional strategies are designed to:
Emphasize higher-order thinking, problem-solving, and
communication skills
Foster self-initiated and self-directed learning
Promote creative application of ideas
Model and encourage academic discussion

5. DIFFERENTIATION EXPECTATIONS:
Environment – Altering the physical setting and work conditions to:
 Change the actual place where students work
 Alter the level of expectations
 Allow flexible time and/or
 Provide opportunities for independent study and in-depth research
 Provide opportunities for mentorship

6. DIFFERENTIATION
DIFFERENTIATION EXPECTATIONS:
EXPECTATIONS:
Product - Gifted student products should demonstrate a
developmentally appropriate capacity for:
Self-directed learning
Meaningful collaboration
Effective problem solving of challenging and complex issues
Effective communication
Social and emotional understanding of self relative to
community, culture, and physical environment

7. DIFFERENTIATION
DIFFERENTIATION EXPECTATIONS:
EXPECTATIONS:
Assessment – Gifted learners need various methods and
opportunities to document mastery of curriculum such as:
 Pre/post tests
 Self assessment through rubrics
 Creation of goal-based checklists
 Conferencing, commentary and qualitative feedback

8. Language Arts Social Studies Science Math
5th grade ITBS Math
6th Grade AC Math, Total
ITBS LA ITBS SS ITBS Sci AND
> 90th %ile > 90th %ile > 90th %ile 5th grade CRCT Math
Math 6/7 Class
Total
within 1 SEM
ITBS Math Completion of Math 6/7
> 80th %ile 7th Grade AC Math, AND
6th grade CRCT Math
ITBS Reading ITBS Reading
Math 7/8 Class Total within 1 SEM
> 80th %ile > 80th %ile ITBS Reading
> 80th %ile AND
85% cumulative math
test average in Math 6/7
Year End Scholastic
Year End Scholastic Year End Scholastic
Reading Inventory 8th Grade AC Math, Completion of Math 7/8
Reading Inventory Score Reading Inventory Score
Score AND
6th 1051 6th 1051 CCGPS Algebra 7th grade CRCT Math
6th 1051
7th 1101 7th 1101 And CCGPS Algebra/ Total within 1 SEM
7th 1101
8th 1151 8th 1151 Geometry
8th 1151 AND
CRCT LA CRCT SS CRCT Sci 85% cumulative math
> 830 > 830 > 830 test average in Math 7/8
5th grade Writing Test
Score of Exceeds

9. ADVANCED CONTENT
SOCIAL STUDIES

10. COMMON CORE GEORGIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
FOR SS
CCGPS promotes reading and writing in the subject area in order to prepare students
for a life in college and career.
• As a reader, students need to be able to analyze, evaluate, and differentiate primary
and secondary sources. This requires acquisition and use of the norms and
conventions of the discipline, such as the kinds of evidence used in history; an
understanding of domain-specific words and phrases; an attention to precise details;
evaluate intricate arguments, synthesize complex information, and follow detailed
descriptions of events and concepts.
• Writing is a key means for students to assert and defend claims, to demonstrate what
they know about a subject, and to convey what they have
experienced, imagined, thought, and felt. Student have to become adept at gathering
information, evaluating sources, and citing material accurately, while reporting
findings from their research and analysis of sources in a clear and cogent manner.
Students must take task, purpose, and audience into careful consideration, choosing
words, information, structures, and formats deliberately.
• To meet these goals, students will devote significant time and effort to reading
multiple source documents as well as writing and producing numerous pieces over
short and long time frames throughout the year.

11. In sixth grade, students begin the study of major world regions. The four
strands of geography, history, civics, and economics are integrated, with
history as the central strand. The history strand focuses on historical
developments essential to understanding a specific region in the modern
world. The geography strand relates the importance of geography to
each regional development. The civics strand examines political
structures in each region. The economics strand continues to build basic
economic concepts and introduces students to the economic
development of each region.

12. ADVANCED CONTENT
SOCIAL STUDIES
What should I expect from ACSS:
• Students are thinking and doing
• Self Directed learning
• Learn to work in groups
• Expected to do more than the average class, go deeper into
material;
• Product expectations above and beyond those of
• Expect to use technology
• Assessments based on CRCT type format as well as
Document based questioning

13. ADVANCED CONTENT
LANGUAGE ARTS

14. ADVANCED CONTENT
LANGUAGE-ARTS
The objective of the Language-Arts program is to
empower students to become excellent
readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and interpreters
of communication.

15. COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Integration of themes and big questions in units of study, that pull in all other
content areas
Global knowledge
CORE: Reading, Writing,
Speaking/Listening ,and Language
Reading: A progressive development of reading comprehension. Cite the textual
evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text. Students will be able to interpret, evaluate, and make
connections…. to various types of folklore.

16. COMMON CORE
GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE AND
APPLICATION
Writing:
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
• Demonstrate understanding of the writing process and write a
compare/contrast essay
• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases; gather Vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression

17. COMMON CORE
GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE AND
APPLICATION
Language:
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
Speaking/Listening:
• Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher
led)with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.

18. GRADING CATEGORIES
• Readings and questioning, note-taking
• Discussions, Responses, textual analysis
• Outlines, Drafts, Drafts with revisions
• Journals and Publish writings
• Writing & Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary
Exercises
• Formal Assessments

19. SUPPLIES
• Binder (1-2 inches), pocket-dividers, loose-leaf
paper, loose-leaf paper reinforcements
• Blue or black ink pens, Colored inks pens, Highlighters
• Composition book 3 pocket portfolios
• Post-it notes (2x2),
• Clean flash drive 4GB
• Novel for independent reading
• Hand sanitizer and tissues

20. AGENDA
• EQ: Immigration: (theme)What is the American
Dream?(writing)
• Warm-up: Skills Practice Chapter 2 (nouns)
• EQ: How do I determine the author’s tone, style and mood ?
• Critical Analysis: Read, Mark, and Analyze p. 69 “The All-
American Slurp”( Pair – Read- Share )discussion
collaboration and reading)
• HW: Unit 8 Vocabulary (language) “Choosing the Right Word”
• Reflections due tomorrow

21. ADVANCED CONTENT
MATH

22. Content standards for Grade 6 are arranged within the following
domains and clusters:
Ratios and Proportional Relationships
• Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.
The Number System
• Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to divide
fractions by fractions.
• Compute fluently with multi‐digit numbers and find common factors and multiples.
• Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational
numbers.
Expressions and Equations
• Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions.
• Reason about and solve one‐variable equations and inequalities.
• Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent
variables.
Geometry
• Solve real‐world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume.
Statistics and Probability
• Develop understanding of statistical variability.
• Summarize and describe distributions.

25. GIFTED & HIGHLY-ABLE STUDENTS
IN MATH
• Exhibit ingenuity
• Intellectual curiosity
• Creative talent
• Ability to assimilate and generalize
• High level of mathematical achievement
Posamentier, A.; Smith, B. & Stepelman, J.
“Teaching Secondary Mathematics
Techniques and Enrichment Units”.
Pearson, New York, 2010.

26. ACCELERATION
moving along at a faster pace.

27. EXPANSION
form of enrichment that allows
students to delve more deeply into
topics

28. DIGRESSION
consider another topic that is related
to and generally an outgrowth of the
first topic

29. CCGPS MATH
6-7
5th grade ITBS
Math Total >
97%
AND
5th grade CRCT
Math Total >
870

30. ADVANCED CONTENT
SCIENCE

31. ADVANCED CONTENT
SCIENCE
What should I expect from AC Science:
• Investigating the world around them
• Provided Investigative Questions to Solve for Each Unit
• Collaborating in Groups to Find Answers
• Data Collection & Research Based
• Unit Projects to Demonstrate
Understanding of Topic
• Variety of Delivery Methods including
Technology
• Students will Collect Evidence of their Learning

32. ADVANCED CONTENT
SCIENCE
TOPICS INCLUDE:
• ROCKS & MINERALS
• PLATE TECTONICS
• EARTHQUAKES & VOLCANOES
• WATER CYCLE & THE
HYDROSPHERE
• ATMOSPHERE & WEATHER
• OCEAN ENVIRONMENT
• PLANETS & ORBITAL OBJECTS
• PHASES OF THE MOON &
ECLIPSES

33. ADVANCED CONTENT
SCIENCE
To provide a hands on collaborative learning
environment that fosters research & problem
solving skills that will assist your students to
become more successful adults in high
school and beyond.