In some classrooms, gifted students are not exposed to the large and complex body of information and knowledge available today; instead, they are limited to what is deemed appropriate for the majority of their classmates. As a result, capable bright students may not develop the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information to reach reasonable, well supported conclusions. "Understanding by Design" (UbD) offers teachers an instructional planning process that allows critical thinking to easily be integrated into curricula. Through UbD's backward design process, instruction becomes focused on internalizing the big ideas of a discipline rather than just learning a litany of facts and information. Teachers deepen understanding by involving youngsters in an active process of discovery and inquiry. Learning is transferred to different contexts (i.e., applying a math formulation in different real life situations).