Faces on Mars Lesson: Incorporating Art, Thinking Skills, and Disability Differentiation Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Gifted Students

Authors

Marine Pepanyan, University of Northern IowaFollow
Mike Fisher, University of Northern IowaFollow
Audrey Wallican-Green, University of Northern IowaFollow

Abstract

This practical article provides an example art-integrated lesson designed to serve gifted students with the exceptionalities of deficits in executive functioning and in impulse control. The lesson used the mysterious science problem of possible life on Mars as evidenced by anomalous faces in NASA photographs as a stimulus for practice in processing information through three Edward de Bono CoRT Thinking Skills. This lesson demonstrated differentiating instruction for gifted students with disabilities that included hands-on and peer-involved exercises. Examples of student work showing comic book-like stories about the famous Face on Mars are included, along with student responses to the thinking skill activities.

Citation

Pepanyan, M., Fisher, M., & Wallican-Green, A. (2018). Faces on Mars Lesson: Incorporating art, thinking skills, and disability differentiation strategies for twice-exceptional gifted students. Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions, 3(1), 93-102.