Only through a thoughtful implementation of a

                   standards-based curriculum adapted and modified

                   for gifted learners will teachers of the gifted be able

                   to defend their practice.

                                                                                                Joyce Van Tassel-Baska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            SECTION I

                                   INTRODUCTION



 
 


  Students who are gifted are provided services in specialized programs to enhance, expand and diversify their learning experiences not only in core curriculum, but also in the eight strands of giftedness as outlined in this document. To meet the unique needs of gifted students, differentiation of content standards and learning experiences is necessary.

The foundation of a gifted student’s program is based on the results of an initial assessment that leads to the development of an Individualized Educational Program (IEP). In developing the IEP, the instructional team must consider the strengths and needs of the student. The teacher plans appropriate activities with the student thereby providing an effective program to meet his/her potential.

Too often, it is assumed that gifted students have all of the learning skills needed to acquire the content standards and the gifted strands. It is imperative that teachers of the gifted do a standards-based assessment to determine students’ performance. This information will enable the teacher of the gifted to meet the individual needs of the students.

By reviewing the curriculum guide carefully, a program for the gifted learner can be developed. The total program involves looking at all of the curriculum standards, the gifted strands, generalizations and objectives. Materials, available through the district gifted resource teachers, provide ongoing support to meaningful learning opportunities for students. It is the combination of appropriate content, effective strategies, carefully selected activities and ideas that, in the final analysis, determine the success of the gifted program.

Ongoing evaluation of student progress toward IEP goals which address both content standards and gifted strands must be included in the teacher’s planning. Some ways to do this include:

  • Student portfolios
  • Interviews with students
  • Teacher and peer evaluation of products
  • Curriculum-based assessment


 
 


 GIFTED STUDENTS MAY HAVE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS

 

WHICH ARE DOCUMENTED BY

 

I. SENSITIVITY & PERCEPTIVENESS Student is concerned with right and wrong. (He/she) is empathetic, and concerned with social issues.

Counselor reports, teacher/parent rating scales. student self-concept scales, student journals.

II. LEADERSHIP

Student is assertive, likes to organize and bring structure to people and situations. (He/she) is dependable, influential, persuasive, and a risk taker.

Sociograms, peer ratings, Renzulli Student Leadership Scale, teacher and student observations, anecdotal records.

III. ADVANCED CONCEPTUALIZATION

Student has high cognitive and problem solving abilities including convergent and divergent thinking skills.

Tests of critical thinking, discussions and written communications, analysis of rubrics.

 

IV. CREATIVITY

Student has a keen sense of humor, is inventive, and a risk taker. He/she is one who uses originality, divergent thinking

Tests of creativity, teacher and student observation, peer ratings, Renzulli Rating Scale, student journals.

V. WIDE RANGE OF INTERESTS

The student is curious and has a storehouse of information in varied areas.

Teacher anecdotes and ratings, interest surveys, case study information, written products, recommendations, references from community members.

VI. COMMUNICATIONS

The student uses a richness of expression which includes and non-verbal areas. He/she needs the opportunity to communicate ideas.

Pupil products, teacher rating scales, diagnostic testing, evaluation of elaboration and fluency in verbal discussion analytical skills, anecdotal records, learning skills checklist

VII. INDEPENDENCE The student has strong self-management skills, is goal oriented and requires minimal teacher direction..

Teacher ratings, observation self-report instruments, learning style inventories

VIII. ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE

Student has quick mastery and recall of information and needs little teacher explanation of routine tasks.

Criterion referenced tests, mentor report learning skills checklist

 


 

.

PREMISE

 

STRAND

The gifted student needs to develop a good understanding of his/her exceptionality ( i.e. strengths, weaknesses, and style of learning.)

Self Understanding: Self-acceptance preferred learning, behavioral and management styles. Sense of personal responsibility.

The gifted student needs to develop the skill to facilitate and participate in human interaction in diverse situations.

Interpersonal Skills (i.e. Group Dynamics)  leadership, conflict resolution(i.e. negotiation, compromise), cooperation and teamwork presentation of self.

The gifted student needs to develop and use critical thinking.

Thinking Skills

¨     Critical Thinking

¨     Decision Making

¨     Problem Solving

¨     Logic

The gifted student needs to develop his/her creative abilities as a necessary part of his/her human growth.

Creativity

¨     Problem Solving

¨     Creative Thinking

¨     Abstract Expressiveness

The gifted student needs an expanded awareness alternatives in order to develop areas of new or continued interests.

Interest Development

¨     Wide range of interest

¨     Career Exploration

¨     Arts Experience

¨     Community/Global Awareness

The gifted student needs the stimulation resulting from the opportunity to evaluate, reinforce, and extend learning, thinking, and verbal communication skills and interaction with intellectual peers.

Communication

¨     Listening skills

¨     Oral and written skills

¨     Non-verbal communication skills

¨     Discussion Skills

 

The gifted student needs the opportunity to pursue a self-selected topic and/or area of career interest in an in-depth manner.

Skills of the Independent Learner

¨     Independent study skills

¨     Evaluation skills

¨     Accessing community

¨     Mentorship/Internship

 

The gifted student needs to make progress in learning commensurate with his/her ability in a variety of subject areas.

Achievement

Accessing appropriate alternative educational opportunities

 

Teachers of the gifted need to consider the following when designing specific student content learning opportunities.
 

Principles

Best Teaching Practices

CONTENT
  • Present content that is related to broad-based issues, themes or problems.
  • Integrate multiple disciplines into the area of study.
  • Present comprehensive related and mutually reinforcing experiences within an area of study.
  • Allow for in-depth learning of a self-selected topic within the area of study.
  • Develop independent or self-directed study skills.

PROCESS
  • Develop productive, complex, abstract, and/or higher level thinking skills.
  • Focus on open-ended tasks.
  • Develop research skills and methods.
  • Integrate basic skills and higher level thinking skills into the curriculum.
  • Encourage the development of products that challenge existing ideas and produce "new" ideas.

PRODUCT
  • Encourage the development of products that use new techniques, materials and forms.
  • Encourage the development of self-understanding; i.e. recognizing and using one’s abilities, becoming self-directed, appreciating likenesses and differences between oneself and others.
  • Evaluate student outcomes by using appropriate and specific criteria through self-appraisal, criterion referenced and/or standardized instruments.


 

Developed by the Curriculum Councl (James J. Gallagher, Sandra N. Kaplan, A. Harry Passow, Joseph S. Renzulli, Irvin S. Sato, Doroth Sisk, and Janice Wickless)

 

CURRICULUM PLANNING FOR THE GIFTED AND TALENTED

COMPARISON OF FACTORS CONSIDERED IN INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING


 
 
 

Meaningful Learning for the Gifted

Less Meaningful Learning for the Gifted
  • Increased use and ready access to library, community, resource people and other school staff as resources for students.
  • Information presented in text and classroom as main or sole sources.
  • Lesson plans structured so that goals and activities for achieving the goals are decided upon by both the students and teacher.
  • Highly structured lesson plans. Goals are identified by teacher and achieved through teacher-prescribed activities.
  • Lessons structured in order to allow time for thinking (response time of students), debate, discussion, tangential material, interdisciplinary connections, independent study and freedom in selecting and pursuit of problems.
  • Lessons carefully planned with emphasis on teacher as central figure and manager of information. The class is run as a "tight ship" with little deviation from the routine.
  • Major emphasis on quality of original thinking, ideas, giving methods and students’ practice, in selecting best options for presenting same effectively.
  • Major emphasis on students desired responses with predictable products rather than on concepts and ideas of merit.
  • Majority of teachers’ questions require analysis, synthesis and evaluation, thus, generalizations based on sound criteria. Majority of questions needed to be open-ended but should still utilize important subject matter.
  • Majority of teachers’ questions stress recall and comprehension skills; closed-type with emphasis on specific facts and rote memory.
  • Course requirements integrated with students’ personal interests and abilities. Students play increasingly larger roles in determining objectives, subject matter, and planning of course study/themes.
  • Course requirements rigidly fulfilled without student input or with little attention being paid to the interests of students.
  • Prescribed content identified occupying 50-80% of class time. Emphasis is on availability of advanced content and opportunity for in-depth exploration of areas of interest.
  • Prescribed content filling 90-100% of class time and students’ time. Content is based on specific facts with little opportunity for in-depth exploration or going beyond the grade level material.


 
 
 The chart below provides examples that teachers can use to design specific student content learning opportunities that address the principles of content, process and product.
 

CONTENT

PROCESS

PRODUCT

Issues:

  • Urban vs. Suburban and Rural Life Styles
  • Cultural Monism vs. Cultural Pluralism
  • Balancing Individual Freedom and Group Responsibility
  • Good vs. Evil
  • Helpful and Harmful Effects of Technology

Problems:

  • Life in the Future
  • Conservation
  • Human Relations
  • National Security
  • Decay of the Big Cities
  • Inevitability of War
  • Effect of Current Events on Public Morals

Themes:

  • Courage
  • Communication
  • People’s Need to Explore Magic
  • Patterns of Change

The processes listed below are a sampling of methods that can be used.

  • Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives
  • Guilford’s Structure of the Intellect
  • Inquiry Training
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Synectics
  • Taba Teaching Strategies
  • Williams’s Cube
  • Critical Thinking

The list below is a sampling of types of products students can produce.

  • Various Research Designs.
  • Experimental
  • Correlational
  • Historical
  • Descriptive
  • Case Study
  • Skills:
  • Observation
  • Reporting
  • Note-Taking
  • Interviewing
  • Questionnaire
  • Construction, tabulation and analyses of data
  • Use of data retrieval systems
  • Oral presentation
  • Video or computer presentation

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SECTION II.

GIFTED CURRICULAR STRANDS WITH RELEVANT GENERALIZATIONS, OBJECTIVES AND STANDARDS
 
 

                                                            BEST PRACTICES

                        IMPLEMENTING THE STANDARDS AT A GIFTED LEVEL

o        When developing curriculum address standards from various disciplines.

o        Be familiar with standards and benchmarks several years above the grade level of your students. Develop tasks that meet the advanced needs of gifted students.

o        When gifted students exceed standards and benchmarks at given stages of development, accelerate them to the next level within or across subjects.

o        Use performance-based and ongoing assessments as instructional tools to gauge student mastery levels.

o        Select materials that address the intent of the standards, not just the content.

o        Insure mastery of previously introduced content by continually spiraling through complex activities that reinforce the standards.

o        Recognize that many of the APS and NM standards and benchmarks focus on higher level thought; correlate these with the APS Gifted Strands.

o        Use the essence of the standards as a rubric for assessing learning.

o        Organize standards and benchmarks according to higher order skills and teach these across subject areas.


  
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE GIFTED CURRICULUM


 
 

The curriculum outlined in this section of the guide is organized under the eight, research based strands identified as necessary for effective gifted education.

  • Column 1: Generalizations are identified for each sub area under the identified strand. These are basic truths that we want students to understand through research, interviews, and other experiences.
  • Column 2: Student objectives are identified that will lead the students to understanding the generalizations.
  • Column 3: A sampling of content standards is listed under each sub area of the eight strands. To further design specific learning and experiences, teachers of the gifted should look at the benchmarks under the content standard. Selecting the appropriate benchmarks for a given group of students is an important part of the total instructional program.
  • Column 4: A blank column is provided for you to add other content standards as appropriate and to document methods and materials that you use to support students’ acquisition of the skills and knowledge required to master the content standards at his/her ability level (not just grade level).

A separate section has been provided that gives you both a format to design your own learning experiences for your students and also some completed instructional plans that you can implement now. These are based on the strands, generalizations, student objectives and content standards.

 

STRAND 1: SELF-UNDERSTANDING

AREA: Preferred Learning, Behavioral and Management Styles
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher determined standards/

methods/materials

Individuals have varying learning styles.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

An individual’s organizational skills effect productivity in all aspects of life.
 
 
 

  1. The student will analyze his/her own learning style.
  2. The student will analyze the learning styles of others.
  3. The student will be introduced to a variety of methods to organize time, materials and self.
  4. The student will learn to set, evaluate, and redirect his/her own personal and academic goals. 

The student responds to, examines, and critiques historically or culturally significant issues and events portrayed I literature that both illustrate and affect people, society and individuals. (Language Arts II)

 

STRAND I:  SELF UNDERSTANDING

AREA: Personal Responsibility
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher 

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Individuals can make a difference that impact society.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1.  The student will accept responsibility for his/her own actions or ideas.
  2. The student will attempt tasks that have uncertain outcomes.
  3. The student will be aware of various social issues and ways in which he/she can impact change.

Students understand how physical, natural, and cultural processes influence where people live, the ways in which people live, and how societies interact with one another and their environments. (Social Studies/Geography II)

Students will develop and demonstrate responsible and ethical workplace behaviors. (Career Readiness, 4)

 

STRAND II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

GOAL: THE GIFTED STUDENT WILL USE APPROPRIATE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS TO ORGANIZE AND/OR WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH A GROUP.

AREA: Leadership

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Change grows out of consensus and is inspired by leadership.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will identify leadership styles through the study of past and present pacesetters.
  2. The student will assume a leadership role in various situations.
  3. The student will identify and evaluate his/her personal leadership style and modify as needed.

 

Students are able to identify important people and events in order to analyze significant patterns, relationships, themes, ideas, beliefs, and turning points in New Mexico, United States and world history in order to understand the complexity of human experience. (Social Studies/History I)

Students will develop effective leadership, interpersonal, and team skills. (Career Readiness, 5)

 

STRAND II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

AREA: Management
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Conflict is a constant; the response to conflict has varied consequences.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will identify the cause-effect relationship in various conflict situations.
  2. The student will understand the complexities of conflict and the shared responsibility for its management.
  3. The student will understand the difference between, and the consequences of, positive and negative approaches to conflict management.

Students will develop and demonstrate responsible and ethical workplace behaviors.

(Career Readiness, 4)

Students will develop effective leadership, interpersonal, and team skills. (Career Readiness, 5)

 

STRAND II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

AREA: Cooperation and Teamwork
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

Determined

standards/

methods/materials

Cooperative group effort yields optimal results.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will understand how personal values affect the process that leads to team decision making.
  2. The student will learn how to give and accept constructive criticism.
  3. The student will learn and apply group process skills in order to assist a group in reaching consensus.

Students will develop effective leadership, interpersonal and team skills. (Career Readiness, 5)

Students understand the ideals, rights and responsibilities of citizenship and understand the content and history of the founding documents of the US with particular emphasis on the US and NM constitutions and how governments function at local, state, tribal and national levels. (Social Studies, Content Standard III)

 

 

 

STRAND II: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

AREA: Presentation of Self
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

The manner in which an individual presents himself/herself creates an impression that shapes the judgement of others.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will assess standards of social behavior including identifying appropriate dress and behavior for a given situation.
  2. The student will demonstrate how verbal and non-verbal techniques influence thinking.
  3. The student will identify the audience and prepare an appropriate presentation emphasizing personal strengths and talents.

The student writes effectively for different audiences and purposes using appropriate writing strategies and conventions. (Language Arts, III)

Students will develop effective leadership, interpersonal and team skills. (Career Readiness, 5)

 

STRAND III. THINKING SKILLS

GOAL: THE GIFTED STUDENT WILL USE VARIOUS THINKING PROCESSES TO GENERATE IDEAS AND TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

AREA: Critical Thinking

Generalization

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Society is influenced by thinkers who systematically act upon data rather than being constrained by it
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will identify parts of an idea and recognize the relationship and organization of those parts.


(Analysis)

  1. The student will arrange and combine elements in order to form a whole not previously evident


(Synthesis)

  1. The student will assess the value of an idea or concept as related to its stated purpose.

(Evaluation)

 

The student employees appropriate reading strategies to read and interpret increasingly complex texts for a variety of purposes. (Language Arts, I)

The student speaks effectively for different audiences and purposes using appropriate speaking strategies and conventions. (Language Arts, IV)

The student demonstrates, analyzes, evaluates and reflects upon the skills and processes used to communicate by listening to and viewing a variety of auditory and visual works. (Language Arts, V)

The student conducts and compiles research data, synthesizes findings, and develops an original conclusion to increase personal and community depth of knowledge. (Language Arts, VI)

 

 

STRAND III. THINKING SKILLS

AREA: Decision Making


 

Generalization

Student Objectives

Standard

teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Society is influenced by thinkers who systematically act upon data rather than being constrained by it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will understand and apply critical thinking skills to the decision making process.
  2. The student will evaluate a decision and its alternatives on the basis of its appropriateness, effectiveness, consequences, and impact on others.
  3. The student will implement decisions effectively.
  4. The student will evaluate the effects of postponing or avoiding decision making.

The student conducts and compiles research data, synthesizes findings and develops an original conclusion to increase personal and community depth of knowledge. (Language Arts, Content Standard VI)

Students understand basic economic principles and use economic reasoning skills to analyze the impact of economic systems (including market economy) on individuals, families, businesses, communities and governments. (Social Studies, Content Standard IV)

Observe, discuss, analyze and make critical judgments about artistic works. (Art, Content Standard V)

 

STRAND III. THINKING SKILLS

AREA: Problem Solving


 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

determined

standards/

methods/materials

Society is influenced by thinkers who systematically act upon data rather than being constrained by it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  1. The student will identify and analyze a problem.
  2. The student will learn and apply various problem solving techniques.
  3. The student will implement solutions, evaluate their effectiveness, and modify them as needed.

Students will acquire the abilities to do scientific inquiry. (Science, Content Standard V)

Students will understand and use mathematics in problem solving. (Math, Content Standard 1)

Students will understand and use mathematical connections. (Math, Content Standard 4)

 

STRAND III. THINKING SKILLS

AREA: Logic
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standards

Teacher

determined 

standards/

methods/materials

Society is influenced by thinkers who systematically act upon data rather than being constrained by it
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will arrive at a conclusion based on reasoning from the specific to the general. (Inductive)
  2. The student will arrive at a conclusion based on reasoning from the general to the specific. (Deductive)
  3. The student will support his/her conclusions based on available information.

Students will understand and use numbers and number relationships. (Math, Content Standard 5)

 

STRAND IV. CREATIVITY

GOAL: THE GIFTED STUDENT WILL APPLY FLUENCY, FLEXIBILITY, AND RISK TAKING WHEN GENERATING NEW IDEA AND PRODUCTS.

AREA: Problem Solving
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

Determined

Standards/

Methods/materials

Creative contributions result from a variety of personal, social, and economic needs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will learn and apply creative techniques to problem solving.
  2. The student will evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used and solutions reached.
  3. The student will evaluate how creative techniques have led to new inventions and innovations.

Students will know and understand the differences between the interactions of science and technology. (Science, Content Standard 14)

Students will know and understand the impact between science and technology in society. (Science, Content Standard 15)

 

STRAND IV. CREATIVITY

AREA: Creative Thinking
 

Generalizations

Student Objectives

Standard

Teacher

Determined Standards/

Methods/Materials

People use acquired and/ or innate skills to express creativity.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. The student will recognize the benefits and consequences of curiosity, risk taking, and non-conformity.
  2. The student will generate a wide variety of ideas. (Fluency)
  3. The student will move easily from one thought to another giving consideration to information from different perspectives. (Flexibility)
  4. The student will produce new and/or unique ideas. (Originality)
  5. The student will add detail to ideas or products. (Elaboration)
  6. The student will use a variety of creative processes. 

Use dance, music, theatre/drama, and visual arts to express ideas. (Art, Content Standard 2)

Integrate understanding of visual and performing arts by seeking connections and parallels among arts disciplines as well as all other content areas. (Art, Content Standard 3)

Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of the creative process. (Art, Content Standard 4)

 

STRAND IV. CREATIVITY

AREA: Art Experience
 

General