“The sky is the limit.” The 2022-2023 Gifted and Talented Showcase theme emanated through the various projects created by the 110 Gifted and Talented (GT) students. Brownwood ISD GT students in first through sixth grades have spent the school year learning, researching, and creating various projects related to their grade-level prompt. “The GT Showcase is an opportunity for the community to see what students are learning and ask questions which is a goal of the Gifted and Talented State Plan,” said Angela Fabbiani, BISD’s GT teacher. “We use the Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP), as a starting place for the projects. The students and I add our own creative twists to the projects. These projects address many skills such as inquiry, research, writing, planning, communication, civics, working collaboratively, design thinking, defining problems, and suggesting solutions. A polished project is the goal, but ‘process over product’ is so important.”

First-grade students created projects based on the theme of ‘Animal Nation.’ Students researched information on an animal of their choice and created a replica of the animal, a digital slideshow, and informational books.

Second grade explored the theme, ‘Superhero for Plants.’ “This project connected many areas that began with following the guide from a book called ‘Superhero Instruction Manual’ which explained how to become a superhero,” Fabbiani said. “Students wrote about healthy and unhealthy plants, drafted a job description for their superhero, created a digital comic book, and worked together to imagine and design a plant package. They even made their own superhero out of boxes, paint, paper, and fabric. Every part of this project was created at school by students.” The supplies for the second-grade project and the third-grade project were funded by a grant from Brownwood’s Education Foundation.

Students in third grade created a ‘Utopian Destination.’ They designed an ideal world based on what they felt was best in society, encouraged by Fabbiani to include real-world necessities like water and food sources. Each student designed a two-dimensional map of their utopia, as well as a three-dimensional model showcasing unique elements of the world.

Fourth grade’s ‘Innovative Celebration’ brought in unique concepts. “Students individually brainstorm everyday problems and select one,” Fabbiani said. “The goal is to modify an existing product to make it better — think ‘Shark Tank.’ There were so many great ideas this year, like the ‘Disc-o-Fan’ because as the innovative fourth grader said, ‘Who doesn’t want to stay cool when they are dancing?’ We also saw cleaning tools for buckets, improved pencil pouches, Drone Dash (a new way to deliver food), grocery cart covers, and color-changing bandages, just to name a few.”

The theme of ‘Energy/Conservation Exploration’ was explored by the fifth-graders. Students investigated current problems in the town, state, country, or planet. After researching questions and discovering answers, they provide a solution and create a physical project board showcasing how to implement the solution.

Sixth-grade students focused on ‘Conflict and Mediation.’ “Sixth-grade students worked in groups to write a proposal for addressing disruptive behaviors at school,” Fabbiani said. “It took a while for them to figure out how to organize the research, but these students blew me away with their storyboards. Working with others is not always easy and is often a challenge for students. The research and solutions that they presented, however, were very impressive.”

Students and their families attended the showcase on Monday and Tuesday, April 24 and 25, visiting with the community regarding their projects, answering questions, and exploring the various projects presented. “I always look forward to this event,” Fabbiani said. “Students are excited to share their projects, and families from all four neighborhood schools in Brownwood ISD merge to celebrate their learning.” 

Several photos of the projects can be viewed online at: https://www.brownwoodisd.org/2023GT

[Story by Sara Musgrove]