Convergent Thinking for Advanced Learners, Grades 3–5

Book excerpt: Convergent Thinking for Advanced Learners, Grades 3–5 will teach students how to approach problems with a critical and evidence-based mindset. Convergent thinking is a skill which helps students arrive at defensible solutions. Working through the lessons and handouts in this book, students will learn strategies and specific academic vocabulary in the sub-skills of observation, using evidence, considering perspectives, reflection, and deduction to find accurate solutions. This curriculum provides cohesive, scaffolded lessons to teach each targeted area of competency, followed by authentic application activities for students to then apply their newly developed skill set. This book can be used as a stand-alone gifted curriculum or as part of an integrated curriculum. Each lesson ties in both reading and metacognitive skills, making it easy for teachers to incorporate into a variety of contexts.