Chapter 16
Understanding Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Chapter Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
• Identify and define the characteristics of students identified as gifted and talented.
Chapter Overview/Presentation Outline
I: Introduction
Slide 2: Chapter 16 Objectives
-Present slide 2 and review the chapter objectives
II. Identifying Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Slide 3: Defining Giftedness
-Present slide 3 and discuss the definition of giftedness
III. Evaluating Students Who Are Gifted and Talented
Slide 6: Evaluating Students
-Present slide 6 and discuss the challenges of evaluating students with gifts and talents
IV. Designing an Appropriate IEP
Slide 7: Partnering for Special Education and Related Services
-Present slide 7 and discuss differentiated instruction and partnerships
V. Using Effective Instructional Strategies
Slide 10: Early Childhood Students
-Present slide 10 and discuss multiple intelligences
-Present slide 12 and discuss promoting creativity and critical-thinking skills
Slide 13: Service Options
-Present slide 13 and discus cluster grouping, all-school enrichment programs, accelerative
methods, and types of schools
VI. Assessing Students’ Progress
Slide 14: Measuring Students’ Progress
-Present slide 14 and discuss progress in the general curriculum, product evaluation, process
evaluation, and progress in addressing other educational needs
Class Activities
1. At the beginning of class, have students read the case study at the beginning of the chapter.
2. Have students create a brochure about the disability addressed in the chapter. The brochure
can be trifold and include: a definition of the disability, causes of the disability, characteristics of
3. Assign each student or pair of students a disability. Have the students prepare a class
presentation of the disability to include definition of the disability, causes and prevalence,
4. Acceleration v. Enrichment. The textbook discusses different strategies to teach students who
are gifted or talented. Have your students compare and contrast acceleration and enrichment.
How are they similar? How are they different? What are the pros and cons of these two major
approaches? Handout provided.
5. Finding Forrester © 2000, 136 minutes—Show a portion or all of Finding Forrester and
allow students to discuss the film.
6. At the end of class, have students revisit the case study at the beginning of the chapter. Use the
questions at the end of the chapter, “What do you think?” to facilitate discussion.
Acceleration v. Enrichment (Activity 16.4)
The textbook discusses different strategies to teach students who are gifted or talented. Compare
and contrast acceleration and enrichment. How are they similar? How are they different? What
are the pros and cons of these two major approaches?