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I think the open ended project style is what seems to work best for most gts. A possibility would be the following: let's say that you're studying bugs and you have ladybugs in the area. Have the kids catch a bug each and make a little home for them in glass jars with a cover with holes and let the kids put what they feel it needs to survive in the jars. Then have them draw a picture of the bug, write questions they have about the bugs and write observations about where they found the bug and how they made it's house. Then give them the following options and have them complete at least 2: write a story with a lady bug as the main character, write a poem about the lady bug, write a song about lady bugs, make a model of the lady bug. Then as a class compile the questions everyone has and research the answers. Or ask for volunteers to do the research and report the info back to the class.
This gives you an idea of what level they students are thinking at, as well as allowing you the openness to assess their work on a sliding scale. Using a rubric with different levels of proficiency as a guide to assessing the work also shows the students what areas they need to improve in and what areas they have down pat.