Depth and ComplexityDepth and Complexity

An RUSD Best Practices An RUSD Best Practices

GATE Tune-UpGATE Tune-Up

DepthDepth

Refers to approaching or studying Refers to approaching or studying something from the concrete to the something from the concrete to the abstract, from the known to the abstract, from the known to the unknown.unknown.

Requires students to examine topics Requires students to examine topics by determining the facts, concepts, by determining the facts, concepts, generalization, principles and generalization, principles and theories related to them.theories related to them.

DepthDepth

Necessitates uncovering more details Necessitates uncovering more details and new knowledge related to a topic and new knowledge related to a topic of study.of study.

Encourages students to adopt Encourages students to adopt perspectives and to see patterns in perspectives and to see patterns in connections.connections.

Depth has the following Depth has the following major dimensions:major dimensions:

Language of the Language of the Disciplines:Disciplines: Specialized vocabulary, Specialized vocabulary, names of skills or tasks, names of skills or tasks, tools usedtools used

Details:Details: Attributes, Attributes, parts, factors, variablesparts, factors, variables

Patterns:Patterns: Repetition, Repetition, predictabilitypredictability

Trends:Trends: Influence, Influence, forces, directionforces, direction

Rules:Rules: Structure, order, Structure, order, hierarchy, explanationhierarchy, explanation

Ethics: Ethics: Points of View, Points of View, Different Opinions, judgingDifferent Opinions, judging

Big Idea: Big Idea: Generalization, principle, Generalization, principle, theorytheory

Unanswered Unanswered Questions:Questions:

Discrepancies, missing Discrepancies, missing parts, unclear ideas, parts, unclear ideas, incomplete ideasincomplete ideas

ComplexityComplexity

Includes making relationships, Includes making relationships, connecting other concepts, and connecting other concepts, and layering.layering.

Why/how approach that connects Why/how approach that connects and bridges to other disciplines to and bridges to other disciplines to enhance the meaning of a unit of enhance the meaning of a unit of study.study.

Complexity encourages students toComplexity encourages students to

Relate concepts and ideas at a more Relate concepts and ideas at a more sophisticated levelsophisticated level

See associations among diverse See associations among diverse subjects, topics or levelssubjects, topics or levels

Find multiple solutions from multiple Find multiple solutions from multiple points of viewpoints of view

Complexity has three Complexity has three major dimensions:major dimensions:

Relationships Over Time: Relationships Over Time: Between Between the past, present and future, and within a the past, present and future, and within a time periodtime period

Relationships From Different Relationships From Different Points of View: Points of View: Multiple Perspectives, Multiple Perspectives, opposing viewpoints, differing roles and opposing viewpoints, differing roles and knowledgeknowledge

Interdisciplinary Relationships: Interdisciplinary Relationships: With, between and across the disciplinesWith, between and across the disciplines

Dive Into Depth and ComplexityDive Into Depth and Complexity

An essential part of An essential part of differentiating the differentiating the curriculum through curriculum through depth and depth and complexity is using complexity is using the the iconsicons, and , and ensuring that ensuring that students are students are familiar with familiar with themthem..

Frame Stories or Concepts Frame Stories or Concepts With the IconsWith the Icons

Frame the TeacherFrame the Teacher: : Introduce four icons Introduce four icons by making a frame by making a frame around the topic of around the topic of the teacher-you!the teacher-you!

Frame Yourself:Frame Yourself: Each student Each student completes a similar completes a similar frameframe

Frame stories or Frame stories or conceptsconcepts with the with the iconsicons

Use the Icons Within Your LessonsUse the Icons Within Your Lessons

““Look for (Look for (appropriate iconappropriate icon) in our lesson ) in our lesson today on (today on (content areacontent area).”).”

Use the Big Idea to summarize or end Use the Big Idea to summarize or end lessons.lessons.

Label your daily agenda and lesson plans Label your daily agenda and lesson plans with the icons.with the icons.

Have students label all work with the Have students label all work with the appropriate icons.appropriate icons.

Label all classroom work and charts with Label all classroom work and charts with the icons.the icons.

Post a set of the icons Post a set of the icons clearly in your roomclearly in your room

This prompts integration into This prompts integration into discussions, and shows students discussions, and shows students you value the icons as intellectual you value the icons as intellectual tools.tools.

But remember, But remember,

we are not teaching the icons, we are we are not teaching the icons, we are teaching concepts to new levels of teaching concepts to new levels of

depth and complexity using pictures to depth and complexity using pictures to stand for the thinking strategies.stand for the thinking strategies.

Connecting Depth and Complexity Connecting Depth and Complexity to Higher Order Thinking Skillsto Higher Order Thinking Skills

Each level of Each level of questions uses verbs questions uses verbs to describe the to describe the objectives desired.objectives desired.

These These verbs, with verbs, with companion companion descriptors, serve descriptors, serve as thinkingas thinking keyskeys to to activate the type of activate the type of learning that will occur learning that will occur within the depth and within the depth and complexity.complexity.

Keys to Activate Deeper LearningKeys to Activate Deeper Learning

Language of the Discipline:Language of the Discipline: categorize, identifycategorize, identify

Details:Details: describe, differentiatedescribe, differentiate

Patterns:Patterns: summarize, makesummarize, make analogiesanalogies

Trends:Trends: prioritize, predictprioritize, predict

Rules:Rules: judge credibility,judge credibility, hypothesizehypothesize

Ethics:Ethics: judge with criteria, determine biasjudge with criteria, determine bias

Big Idea:Big Idea: prove with evidence, identify main ideaprove with evidence, identify main idea

Unanswered QuestionsUnanswered Questions: : note ambiguity, distinguish fact from note ambiguity, distinguish fact from fictionfiction

Keys to Activate Complex LearningKeys to Activate Complex Learning

Different Points of View:Different Points of View: argue, argue, determine bias, classifydetermine bias, classify

Relationships Over Time:Relationships Over Time: relate, relate, sequence, ordersequence, order

Relationships Across Discipline:Relationships Across Discipline: compare and contrast, show compare and contrast, show relationshiprelationship

Classroom examples using Classroom examples using depth and complexitydepth and complexity