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Independent Project 
Course Number: MSM.Indsty

Overview
In this course, students will participate in a year-long mentorship that includes the completion of an independent project. The project development is facilitated by the Gifted and Talented teacher. Requirements include connection with a community mentor, developing a timeline and learning plan, and evaluation of process and product using original assessments. The independent project is designed to enhance and expand the meta-cognitive process of research, development and presentation as part of the life-long learning process.
Prerequisite: attendance at Pipes summer training, recommendation by one or more teacher/s; e.g., gifted resource teacher
Target audience:  gifted resource teachers, science teachers, industrial technology teachers, mathematics teachers
Course Length: 2   Period Length: 1   Grade Level:  9-12    Credit per Semester: 1
Additional Credit Information: Credits per Semester: 1.0 (Elective)

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

• Thinking like a scientist is a highly relevant skill that can be applied throughout one's lifetime.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• What does a quality hypothesis include?

• What is involved in designing and implementing a high quality scientific investigation?

Science Standards
Standard 1: Students apply the process of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations.
Standard 1 Benchmarks:      Grades 9-12
1. ask questions and state hypotheses using prior scientific knowledge to help design and guide development and implementation of a scientific investigation
2. select and use appropriate technologies to gather, process, and analyze data and to report information related to an investigation
3. identify major sources of error or uncertainty within an investigation (for example: particular measuring devices and experimental procedures)
4. recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models
5. construct and revise scientific explanations and models, using evidence, logic, and experiments that include identifying and controlling variables
6. communicate and evaluate scientific thinking that leads to particular conclusions

Math Standards
Standard 3: (Probability and Statistics) Students use data collection and analysis, statistics, and probability in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning and processes used in solving these problems.
Organize and construct a line graph, bar graph, and frequency table from a set of data
Interpret and draw conclusions from a variety of visual data forms