This session is part of the ESC Region 11 GT Summit, a one-day event designed to offer educators a personalized GT Update tailored to their specific needs through engaging and targeted learning experiences. This session counts as 1.5 hours of GT Update credit with a focus on differentiated curriculum and the nature and needs gifted learners. Gifted students thrive when they are challenged, but without the right balance, they can quickly become disengaged or overwhelmed. In this session, we’ll explore how to design ELA tasks that push GT learners to think critically without leading to frustration or busy work. Through hands-on activities and discussion, participants will experience different levels of challenge and consider the needs of the GT student when designing assignments that keep students in the “just-right” zone—engaged, motivated, and climbing toward deeper learning.