How does teaching High Ability Learners in school look like?

These two days, I had an inkling because my Head of Department asked me to attend an Excellence 2000 workshop. This was to facilitate me teaching high ability students Science. Specifically scientific concepts that were outside the syllabus.
It was unsettling at first, if I might be honest. As a teacher, I was used to knowing the answers and manoeuvring the pacing of the lesson. Being asked questions incessantly by the trainer and given the leeway to design the experimental protocol threw me off.
Thankfully, the activities were scaffolded and led me on an interesting journey. For instance, for the topic of light, we shone light on a glass of water to create a “rainbow” before verifying that tonic water contains quinine.

Ngl, seeing the bluish tint appear under UV light was quite exhilarating.
My colleague had a brainwave and took out various bills and shone the torchlight on them. Lo and behold! Markings appeared on the notes. They were legal tender.

We then cracked our brains to investigate whether iodine, garlic or ethanol was an effective antiseptic to be used for a fungal infection. Erm, this was the first time I witnessed yeast rise before me.

We also went about making a makeshift weighing scale comprised of marbles to weigh a “diamond” that should weigh 13.6grams. Our group attempt yielded us a diamond that weighed 12.5grams.

We lost the challenge but won in terms of broadening our knowledge.