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ERIC Number: EJ860949
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1076-2175
EISSN: N/A
Ecological Stewardship and Gifted Children
McHardy, Roberta J.; Blanchard, Pamela B.; de Wet, Catharina F.
Gifted Child Today, v32 n4 p16-23 Fall 2009
In even the earliest studies of giftedness in young children (Burks, Jensen, & Terman, 1930; Hollingworth, 1926), researchers noted distinct character traits among gifted students, which included global awareness, sensitivity to complex issues, and a tendency to worry about injustice and dangers that often are beyond a child's control. Dabrowski and Piechowski (1977) described what they called emotional overexcitabilities that can be observed among gifted students as great depth and intensity of emotional life expressed through a wide range of "feeling, attachments, compassion, heightened sense of responsibility, and scrupulous self-examination" (p. 287). This sensitivity of students is one of the positive gifts they bring to a classroom and the world. Yet, characteristics of sensitivity in gifted children can sometimes frustrate or annoy classmates and, unfortunately, some teachers who do not have the same sense of global awareness and responsibility. It can be difficult to reassure young gifted students that solutions will be found to complex problems without patronizing them or minimizing their concerns. This article describes ways in which gifted students explored issues of ecological concern through a description of student projects that addressed coastal erosion and habitat reduction in meaningful ways. Trough projects such as these, children who were impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita became empowered to help restore their environment. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)
Prufrock Press Inc. P.O. Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813. Tel: 800-998-2208; Tel: 254-756-3337; e-mail: info@prufrock.com; Web site: http://www.prufrock.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A