ABSTRACT
Curriculum development requires professional decision-making guided by a philosophical rationale and a procedural framework to assure that the intended goals for gifted students have been realized. The Grid is a model that helps the curriculum developer determine what elements constitute a differentiated curriculum and how such a curriculum can be constructed. Referencing the characteristics of gifted students is contextual. Time, environment, and societal values continually cause the seminal characteristics of giftedness to be redefined. While curiosity is a salient characteristic of giftedness, it manifests itself directly in students who are economically, linguistically, environmentally, and culturally diverse. The use of a grid becomes the procedural framework to define and subsequently develop differentiated learning experiences.
