The practice of differentiating instruction across the curriculum and in all grade levels is endorsed in Chesapeake Public Schools. Instruction must,in fact, be differentiated in order to afford identified academically gifted students access to challenging and engaging curricula. Based on best practices for the gifted, a conceptually driven model is used to increase transferable and essential understandings. Specialized curriculum for identified gifted students has been prepared to promote higher-level thinking, interdisciplinary connections, and real world applications via differentiated strategies. Students will be encouraged to utilize both convergent and divergent thinking while involved in a cohesive and collaborative work culture of active learning.