I’m at the bottom of Bloom’s – despite using depth and complexity.Īnd, now that I’m aware of it, I see it everywhere. Even though I might be taking the content deeper, I’m still asking super low-level questions. What are the patterns in the solar system?ĭo you see it? ☝️ Every one of those questions requires merely a list as an answer.List the important details about George Washington.Identify the rules in this math problem.Look at these three tasks and think about what the level of thinking that each requires: Without a doubt, the biggest problem people make with Depth and Complexity is: pairing an icon with a low level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Want to get a series of emails explaining each Depth and Complexity prompt? Sign up for free here! The Biggest Problem with Depth and Complexity Plus, you’ll be surprised how quickly you start to pick them up. Yeah, there are a lot! But there’s no need to use them all at first. So that’s the eleven prompts of Depth and Complexity. How a topic is currently changing and what forces are causing those changes? Trends is the prompt I’d most like to get rid of. How does this topic represent an intersection of other fields? How do language arts and math appear within this topic? Or what can’t we know? Consider questions that are truly unanswered to humankind. It’s so much more than “What questions do you have?” Instead, push students towards what we don’t yet know about this topic. Perhaps the most under-used of the prompts. How has a topic changed over long periods of time? The problems, ambiguities, or dilemmas of a topic. These can break without necessarily creating a problem. Breaking a rule leads to a consequence.Įxpected repetition within a field. The vocabulary an expert would use to discuss their field. The most important specifics about a topic. Here are the eleven prompts of Depth and Complexity along with a teeny explanation and a link to full articles. They’re free and easily accessible anywhere. Sidenote: Read about why I use emoji for depth and complexity icons when using devices. The Depth and Complexity prompts are ultimately students’ tools, and students should feel empowered to use their tools whether they have access to specific clip art or not. Instead, draw the icons by hand as you teach. When I see a student draw an icon on their work, I know that they’re calling out a certain way of thinking.Ī final note about the graphical icons: beware relying on pretty clip art or professionally designed images. If I spot an interesting dilemma, I’ll sketch a little ethics icon to call it out. But their use should not be limited to just those students.Įven as a grownup, I use the icons when I take notes. They unlock access to higher levels of thinking than those students’ vocabulary would otherwise support. The tools’ icons especially benefit younger students or those learning English. About Those IconsĮach tool is represented by an icon that gives students a visual shortcut to expert thinking. Using a prompt of Depth and Complexity raises expectations. See how broad and vague that first question is? It invites surface-level thinking. “Compare the □ rules Lincoln and Washington created as presidents.”.“Contrast the ⚖️ ethical dilemmas Lincoln and Washington faced.”.“Compare and contrast Lincoln and Washington”.The prompts of Depth and Complexity will sharpen your questions – and your students’ answers. The idea is that students can move closer to an expert’s level of understanding by thinking through these same lenses. They identified eleven of these traits and assigned a name and a symbol to each. Through interviews, they saw that these experts knew things like repeating patterns, required rules, ethical dilemmas, changes over time, and essential vocabulary within their field. Bette Gould and Sandra Kaplan looked to understand how an expert understands their field differently from a layperson. The overarching goal of Depth and Complexity is to move students towards expert knowledge of content. You’ll get an email every week introducing a couple of the prompts. Hey, if this long article is way too long you can take it in more leisurely through the Depth and Complexity Mailer. Sound too good to be true? Read on! Get It All Via Email They will help you to take your students deeper into grade-level material rather than moving them onto a new topic. The Depth and Complexity icons are eleven tools that act as lenses, prompting students to look at a topic in a new way.
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