Talented and Gifted (TAG) students from across Round Rock ISD highlighted their research projects during the District’s semi-annual TAG Independent Study Showcase.
The event, held Dec. 6, 2016 at Cedar Ridge High School, provided an opportunity for elementary school students to present and showcase their work to parents, teachers and community members. Projects from third, fourth and fifth grade students spread across tables in the Cedar Ridge cafeteria and included research on trips, robots and animals. A total of 207 students from 15 campuses participated.
“Independent study projects bring creativity and real world learning to our students,” said Michelle Swain, director of gifted and advanced academic services. “The culminating TAG Independent Study Project Showcase celebrates the process and our students’ skills in research, critical thinking and presentation, all of which are essential for success.”
Blackland Prairie Elementary School fourth-grade student Zakir Patwa presented a robot that climbed up steps. The project took weeks to complete through research and trial-and-error, Zakir said.
“I like putting pieces together to make the robot,” Zakir said. “We had a typo in our robot’s instructions so at first it didn’t work, but we kept going and it worked in the end.”
Each campus gave students a range of prompts and criteria to complete the project. Rhonda Rash, Caldwell Heights Elementary School TAG teacher, said her students weaved aspects of the campus’ International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme community services unit into the project.
“This showcase is just icing on the cake,” Rash said. “The independent study projects are a great avenue for our students to go deeper on something they’re interested in or learn about something new.”
