LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Classroom » Reference

Learn more about gifted education

Looking for support
An elementary special education teacher talks about finding support in challenging situations.
By Kathleen Casson.
LEARN NC goals and guiding principles
This document describes LEARN NC’s guiding principles and lists our short-term goals for 2009-2010.
Format: article/help
Change in a democratic society (Lesson 1 of 3)
This lesson will demonstrate how art can imitate society. Students will learn about democracy in America through an examination of and a Paideia seminar on "The Sword of Damocles," an oil painting by British painter Richard Westall. This lesson should be used after a study of colonial times in America and through the American Revolution.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Sharyn West.
Changes in a democratic society (Lesson 2 of 3)
This lesson is the post seminar activity to the Changes in a Democratic Society, Lesson 1 of 3. Students will participate in tiered assignments reflecting on the Westall painting, "The Sword of Damocles," and the prior day's Paideia seminar on that painting.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Sharyn West.
Communities In Schools of Wake County: “Just passing isn’t good enough!”
The educators of Communities In Schools (CIS) of Wake County, after ascertaining that the average grade of their middle school students was low D to F, determined to change their program drastically. They researched programs across the country that demonstrated success with students with profiles similar to those of CIS students, hired an education consulting company to help them establish measurement matrices, and instituted a range of new policies and activities. As a result, CIS students’ grades improved to C in just six months.
Format: article
By Susan B. Hansell.

Find all 13 resources in our collection.

Educational programs designed to offer enriched opportunities for students identified as having the highest academic potential, including additional classes, programs, or services. Gifted students are considered to have the capacity to achieve beyond the norm based either on IQ scores, demonstrated ability in the classroom, or both.

See also gifted.

Additional information

Once limited to intellectual skills, the concept of giftedness is expanding to include children with a wide variety of creative talents (see multiple intelligences).

Examples and resources

Cathy Kroninger’s article "Gifted?" examines how a lack of understanding can be the biggest obstacle to teaching gifted learners.