Discuss the role of “Intellectualism” in teaching of science.

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Teaching Intellectualism: The “development of intelligence” is often deemed to be the essential goal related to the identification and services provided to gifted students. The value of intellectualism often is perceived to be an outcome of the development and practice of one’s intellect. Of importance is the question: Does being intelligent mean that one automatically also is an intellectual? Of importance is the relationship between the concepts of intelligence and intellectualism and the means by which intellectualism is nurtured in conjunction with intelligence.

The concept of intellectualism is the ability to recognize and utilize one’s intelligence; it is the ability to practice and appreciate one’s intellect (abilities, intelligence). The concern confronting educators is the need to facilitate the gifted students’ interest in, satisfaction for, and seeking of opportunities to use intelligence with the understanding of its ramifications leading to “becoming an intellectual.” Intellectualism can be manifested in many and varied ways: intellectual curiosity, intellectual leadership, intellectual energy, etc. A major effort underscoring the development of students’ intelligence is to simultaneously develop their perspectives on the purpose of appreciating and becoming an intellectual. To this end, the following lesson is attached so that educators can initiate the lesson: Intellectualism. Note that the lesson and the materials used to present the lesson follow. The lesson has been taught to students, third to eighth grade.

Please teach the lesson to your students. Take pictures of any charts created. Please feel free to email us your thoughts, reflections, and work samples. We are interested to see all of the many ways that you are developing intellectual thinkers in your classroom.

Lesson Title: Intellectualism 
Objective: Students will be able to define and apply the concept of an “intellectual” to fiction and non-fiction excerpts of biographies and autobiographies. They will share their findings in a debate.

Syntax: Present the Puzzlement

Activity:
Present the four different scenarios to the students. 
Scenario #1: The student was perplexed over the problem. She decided to research the problem to develop a solution to the problem.
Scenario #2: The student was thinking about the problem and said that he would spend time thinking about the solution even though he wanted to practice chess.
Scenario #3: The student examined the problem and thought about how to prove with evidence his ideas about solving the problem.
Scenario #4: The student wanted to solve the problem with the information she learned about her favorite topic of study – insects.

Teacher Notes – The puzzlement can be presented in one of three ways:
(a) present students with all four scenarios,
(b) present students with a few of the scenarios, or
(c) combine the scenarios into one large student description.

A combined scenario — “A student really wanted to learn about her favorite topic of study — the environment and the issue of trash in the ocean. The student examined the problem and thought about how to best learn about her topic. The student decided to research the problem to develop a solution. The student spent lots of time thinking and researching the problem even though all of her friends were outside playing soccer.”

Ask the students in the class what questions they have about thinking and learning from the four scenarios that relate to the concept of being a student.
Write the questions on a chart.

Solicit Questions:  Our Questions

Syntax:
Activity:
Teacher Notes – Create a chart or a place to document students’ questions about thinking and learning based on the scenario. Chart all questions as the students ask them. It is essential that the questions are compiled and saved, as they will be used throughout the lesson as students work to answer them.

Research:
Instruct students to work in groups to respond to the total set or individual questions within the set.
Provide excerpts from biographies and/or autobiographies as research materials to answer the questions the students generated about thinking and learning from the scenarios presented to them.

Teacher Notes – Introduce students to the characteristics of an Intellectual An intellectual is a person who thinks in a logical way. An intellectual is involved in serious study and thought. An intellectual enjoys thinking about problems and their solutions. An intellectual reflects on their learning.