The Center for Gifted Education Curriculum Materials
Designed for high-ability learners, their teachers, and parents

The Center for Gifted Education, under the direction of Joyce VanTassel-Baska, has been in operation in the School of Education at The College of William and Mary since 1987. From the time of the Center’s inception, one of its major emphases has been the development of exemplary curriculum frameworks and units of study for classroom use with high-ability learners. The Integrated Curriculum Model (VanTassel-Baska, 1986, 1995, 2002) is designed to respond to gifted learners’ characteristics of precocity, intensity, and complexity through its three dimensions of advanced content, higher level processes and product development, and interdisciplinary concepts, issues, and themes. Curriculum development in science, language arts, math and social studies has involved teams of content specialists and educators in writing and field-testing units, and many Center materials have been recognized for their quality by the United States Department of Education and the National Association for Gifted Children. Teachers and students in all 50 states and 19 international communities use Center materials.

Language Arts

Change Through Choices (Grades 10-12) $25.00
Choices and the consequences of choices have an important impact on life and the success of individuals. This unit focuses on catalytic choices that determine change in a variety of situations.

Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program 2nd edition (Levels I, II and III $20.00 each)
The Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program is a learning journey for students that begins with targeted readings from fables, myths, and nonfiction sources and moves through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of the texts read. There are three levels available that are targeted to students in 3rd grade (Level 1), 4th grade (Level II), and 5th grade (Level III), but they can be used at different grades depending on student ability. The units are designed to enhance reading comprehension. Tasks have been organized by skill ladders with questions and activities within each. Ladder rungs are organized to increase complexity in intellectual demand.

Libraries Link Learning: resource Manual for use with At-Risk Gifted Children (Grades K-2) $25.00
The purpose of the Libraries Link Learning project was to provide teachers and librarians with tools for identifying at-risk gifted learners and strategies for developing sound programs to serve them. This manual describes an eight session literature-based curriculum, for young at-risk gifted learners, that connects literature, writing and bookmaking.

Navigators $12.00 each
The Navigators are novel study guides developed as a resource for teachers and students. These guides encourage advanced readers to develop their skills through structured questions and activities that highlight themes and concepts, literary elements, and real world connections contained within the books. Students are also able to develop their own vocabulary and writing skills by exploring and emulating the language and style used by different authors. In each Navigator, several research activities are included. Please visit www.cfge.wm.edu to access Navigators that are available free of charge and view the most updated list of Navigators in addition to those listed on the order form.

Science

The Curriculum Assessment Guide to Science Materials $12.00
This document provides an evaluation system for science curriculum. By delineating a set of curriculum standards, schools are provided with a template for reviewing any new science materials that are teacher-made or commercially developed according to general curriculum design features, exemplary science features, and tailoring for high-ability learners.

A Guide to Key Science Concepts $19.00
In this document, the author discusses seven science concepts deemed to be the most critical for study by high-ability learners at K-8 levels. Individual papers delineate the significance of inquiry, the relationship of the concepts to other fields of study, and the application of the concepts to teaching and learning at K-8 levels.

K-3 Science Units $30.00 each
Eight Science units for primary grades have been designed to introduce young students to science concepts, science processes, and overarching concepts. A hands-on, constructivist approach allows children to build their knowledge base and skills as they explore science topics through active exploration and planned investigations. Students are engaged in creative and critical thinking, problem finding and solving, process skill development, and communication opportunities. Each unit is also designed to strengthen essential concepts including quantity, direction/position, or change. These units were developed through Project Clarion, a curriculum intervention focusing on students in Title 1 schools, funded by the Jacob K. Javits Program, U.S. Department of Education.

• Survive and Thrive: K-1st grade unit, engages students in a study of animals, their characteristics, and their natural environments. Students learn how to distinguish features and life needs of animals, and observe animals in their habitats via webcams.
• How the Sun Makes Our Day: K-1st grade unit, engages students in investigations and observations that support their learning about the Sun as a source of light and energy, the nature of shadows, and the need for humans to conserve natural resources. Students explore natural and man-made sources and develop a conservation plan for their home, school or community.
• Water Works: K-1st grade unit engages students in close observation and experimentation on water. The overarching concept of change is reinforced as students notice, react to, reflect on, and discover more about force and change. Students ask questions and design experiments to reinforce their learning. NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM PRUFROCK PRESS. The Center for Gifted Education will continue to process orders for this unit while supplies lasts.
• Budding Botanist at Work: 2nd grade life science unit that engages students in a scenario-based approach to investigating plant life. While assuming the role of botanists to understand the structure, nature, and life cycle of plants, the team members seek to answer questions such as “How can plants be used to fuel cars?”
• The Weather Reporter: 2nd grade Earth Science unit that provides students with opportunities to observe, measure, and analyze weather phenomena. It includes a scenario based approach to allow students to make decisions about observing, predicting, and forecasting the weather.
• What’s the Mater: 3rd grade unit that focuses on the properties of solids, liquids, and gases and the processes by which matter changes states. Students work on problem-solving scenarios where they use their new knowledge of matter, change in physical properties, and the measurement of matter to prepare a presentation to share new ideas and discoveries about matter for a “science conference”. NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM PRUFROCK PRESS. The Center for Gifted Education will continue to process orders for this unit while supplies lasts.
• Dig It!: 3rd grade Earth/Science unit to encourage students to investigate humanity’s effects on the environment, the importance of  natural resources, and sound conservation practices. Using a scenario-based approach, it builds upon prior knowledge by providing opportunities to relate local examples of environmental pollution and conservation with hands-on scientific experiments and demonstrations.
• Invitation to Invent: a 3rd grade unit that engages students in investigations and observations that support their learning about simple machines and their uses. Students explore force, motion, and friction as they learn about the six simple machines and how they are put together to form compound machines.

Notes from a Scientist: Resources and Activities for Gifted Children $12.00
This document contains recommended activities and key resources that are useful for parents of gifted elementary students. It provides ideas to stress in teaching children science at home or in other informal contexts.

Math

Beyond Base Ten (Grades 3-6) $23.00
This unit investigates the concept of place value and the representation of numbers by using place value and non-place value systems. Number bases other than Base Ten are featured. NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM PRUFROCK PRESS. Effective June 1, 2008, the Center for Gifted Education will no longer be processing orders for this unit.

Spatial Reasoning (Grades 2-4) $23.00
This unit develops spatial reasoning skills by asking students to examine various one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional components of objects and images using a hands-on approach. NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM PRUFROCK PRESS. Effective June 1, 2008, the Center for Gifted Education will no longer be processing orders for this unit.

Spatial Reasoning (Grades 6-8) $23.00
This unit approaches spatial reasoning through one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional tasks. It also asks students to explore the transition between dimensions and representations of three-dimensional objects in two-dimensions.

Miscellaneous

A Guide to Teaching Research Skills and Strategies for Grades K-12 $25.00
This guide supports the research strands in the William and Mary language arts, science, and social studies units and provides a way for students to learn information strategies while researching a significant issue.

Parent Handbook: A Guide to Your Gifted Child’s Emotional and Academic Success $26.00
This handbook provides information and insights to help parents of gifted children guide their child from elementary school to college and beyond. One portion of the book includes academic activities parents can do with their children to extend learning into the home and community. A resource list also includes books for gifted children, books about gifted children, and Internet sites for both parents and children.

The Practitioner’s Guide to Exemplary School Change $19.00
The findings of a research study on school change conducted in Virginia and at selected national sites provide the basis for this publication. This guide has been developed for practitioner use and provides a blueprint for implementing school and curriculum reform.

William and Mary Teaching Models Card $5.00
The laminated card provides teachers with the William and Mary teaching models graphics along with explanations, examples, and key questions for quick, easy access.

Additional language arts, science, and social studies materials created by The Center for Gifted Education are available from Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Please contact them directly for future details: Phone: 800-247-3458, ext. 1061 or 1078, Fax: 800-772-9165, www.kendallhunt.com
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 4045 Westmark Drive, P.O. Box 1840, Dubuqe, Iowa 52004-1840

To view the order form click here(pdf)