STRATEGIES FOR RIGEROUS ADVANCED AND GIFTED CLASSES  Learn how to amp up the rigor and provide high impact instruction to these specific student populations. Begin and understand how these classes differ from your basic students. You will begin to see what the teacher must ensure to provide a challenging and engaging curriculum for these types of students. 

How do we differentiate for our advanced and/or gifted classes? PACE DELIVERY PRODUCT DEPTH BREADTH

Change the Pace Many advanced or gifted students will either already know the concepts to be taught, or will learn them very quickly. If a student can show mastery of the topic of instruction, their time is better spent extending their knowledge through an enrichment or extension activity.

Change the Pace Pre-testing Curriculum Compacting Tiered Activities Most Difficult First Alternate Assignments Project Based Learning Learning Contracts Independent Study Learning Centers Anchor Activities Discovery Learning Mini-lesson

Change the Delivery Gifted and advanced students need instruction in skills they have not yet mastered, but whole class modeling and repetition of concepts may be frustrating. Students may need to participate in the first lesson on a new topic, and then work independently to complete the task. They may not need lessons that review the same topic, but could be ready to move forward and need instruction on the next step. Gifted and advanced students may also work on the same skills using higher-level texts or books with more abstract concepts.

Change the Delivery Mini-Lessons Different Resources Independent Novel Studies Curriculum Compacting Independent Study Learning Menus Technology Open Ended Questions Learning Contracts Teacher Conferences Flexible Grouping Response Notebooks Project Based Learning Discussion Groups

Change the Product By changing the product, gifted and advanced students are allowed an opportunity to apply their knowledge of content to their other talents and abilities. An alternative product may also allow students to apply their knowledge by delving deeper into the standards. Many gifted and advanced students are interested in technology or the arts. Allow students to use these interests to create their final product. Remember that you don’t need to know how to use a piece of software or technology - the student does!

Change the Product Choice Boards Websites Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Wikis RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) Game Show Menu Student Choice Option Learning Menu Debate Websites Wikis Podcasts Movie Making Game creation Technology Living Museums

Add Depth Gifted and advanced students often quickly master the facts of a new concept. They should be encouraged to delve more deeply into concepts that are covered in our standards. These students need to focus on the problems and issues rather than the basic facts and information. Allow the student to choose one specific area of the topic of study that interests them and encourage them to become an “expert” on that topic.

Add Depth Tiered Activities Open-Ended Activities Higher Level Questions Bloom’s Taxonomy Curriculum Ladders Text Based Discussions Students as Experts Totally Ten Menu Increase the Complexity Decrease the Structure Socratic Seminars Debate

Add Breadth Gifted and advanced students often are able to make connections between ideas, subject areas, and concepts. Encourage students to see the “big picture” by connecting what they are studying to other curricular areas, the world, and/or current events, and examining how one influences the other. Use choice and flexibility to allow students to find an interest that they are passionate about and connect that passion to the broader topic.

Add Breadth Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Interdisciplinary Units Orbital Studies Totally Ten Menu Your Own Idea Option Choice Boards RAFT Assignments Interest Centers Case Studies Role Play/Simulations