Intro to Depth & ComplexityAn Introduction to the

Depth & Complexity Prompts & Their Icons

Emily Biggers

August 4, 2016

Agenda:

ü ScavengerHuntü Ready…Set…Go…Whoa…ü ABitofBackgroundü Elements&Iconsü MiniLessonsü RevisitScavengerHuntü Depth&Complexity– inthe“realworld”

Scavenger Hunt

• Grab your Scavenger Hunt paper and a pen or pencil!

• Move about the room and find someone to sign each square!

• First one to have every square signed wins a prize!

• Share out.

• We will revisit this later in the session.

Ready… Set… Go… Whoa!

• This is a variation of a K-W-L chart.

• Record what you already know about Depth & Complexity and what new information you think you will gather on the topic today in the READY and SET areas.

• Table Talk: Share something you already know OR something you think you may learn today.

Depth: Language of the Discipline, Details, Patterns, Rules, Trends, Unanswered Questions, Ethics, & Big Idea

Complexity: Change Over Time, Multiple Perspectives, & Across the Disciplines

These are considered the 11 essential elements needed in order to master a subject & understand concepts in a deeper, more complex way.

Examples: Great Depression, the water cycle

specializedlanguagerelatedtoadisciplineortopic

Thinklike…abiologist,anarchaeologist,amathematician

Whatwordswouldstudentsneedtoknowtomaster/discuss:addition...Multiplication…theGreatDepression

• Disciplines/fields• Schoolsubjects• Timeperiods• Multiplemeaningwords• Science,SS,Mathjournals• Previewtexttopredictwordmeanings

Language of the Discipline Mini-Lesson

Geneticist (Genetics)GenesChromosomesHeredityEnvironmentNature vs. NurtureCloningDominantLaboratory

Football Coach (Football)TouchdownField GoalPigskin Hail MaryYardsSeasonPlays

partsthatmakeupthewhole,theinformationthatenhances

understanding• parts• factors• Variables• traits/attributes

NaturalconnectiontoBIGIDEAWhatdetailssupport:

• youranswer?• themainideaofthestory?

ObservationsCompare/Contrast

WhyistheflowertheiconthatrepresentsDETAILS?

Details Mini-Lesson

6th Grader

Whiz Quiz

Oldest in school

Graduation

PreAP

Emily Biggers

teacher

aunt freelancewriter

daughtersister

love the beach Lockers

Safety Patrol

recurringelementsorfactors

Foundin:• ideas• objects• stories• Events• BehaviorIdentifypatternsButalso…Whydothepatternsoccur?DidthepatternchangeOVERTIME?Cause&EffectRelationshipsamongPatterns

ReadThreeLittlePigs,discusspatterns,havestudentsfind2otherbooksfromtheclassroomlibrarythathavepatterns.

Rulescreate/providestructure. Theyrepresentorganization&hierarchy.

RulesofBehaviorRulesinAcademics

• Scientificclassifications• Structureofatextoressay• Mathematicalformulas• Grammar

Statedvs.UnstatedRules

Rules Mini-LessonUNSTATED RULES

1.

2.

3.

4.

STATED RULES

1.

2.

3.

4.

representthegeneraldirectionofchange

explainedbyexternalfactors/influencesthatcontributetochange(social,political,geographic,economic,etc.).

Cause&effect….Spikes

Foratrendtooccur,onethinghastoreplace,orcompetewith,another.

ItisacombinationofPATTERNS&CHANGEOVERTIME.

Example:HardbackbookstoE-booksinschools…Whatiscausing thisTREND?

Questionsaboutanythingthatis:• Unsolved• Unclear• Unproven

Ideasthatare:• yettobeexplored• unresolved• incomplete• notansweredquickly• maynotbeanswerable(yet)

Thesegeneratethinking&discussion.

Unansweredquestionsaregood!Pursueanswers.

Principles,rightvs.wrong/goodvs.bad,

grayarea

conflictingpointsofviewonevents,ideasorissues

involvesbias,values,orjudgments

• Literature,Science,History,Economics• “TakeaStand”game– (afternoonsession)

NaturalConnection:ETHICSwithMULTIPLEPERSPECTIVES

ageneralization,principle,ortheoryaboutthecurriculumbeing

studied(thefocus)

• Purposeforlearning• Theme• Whatisthe“bigidea”oftoday’slesson?• mainideaofastoryorparagraph(inthe

roof)-- supportedwithevidence/details(pillars).

Usewithuniversalthemesandgeneralizationsorevenlessonobjectivefortheday.

What’s the BIG IDEA?

• Ringmaster

• Acrobats

• Lions

• Trapeze

• Tightrope

• Clowns

• Acts

• Elephants

• Costumes

• Concessions

• Show

• Traveling

“Under the Big Top” – BIG IDEA

• THEME

• MAIN IDEA

• LESSON OBJECTIVE

(Change)OverTimePast,Present,Future

Howsomethingchangedorstayedthesameoveraperiodoftime

• Natural• Man-made• Pastinfluencingpresentorfuture• Characters,settings• Rateorspeedofchange• Consequencesofchange

Examiningthe“why”iscritical.

Over Time Mini-Lesson

What is something you enjoyed doing as a young child?•As a teenager?•In college (or young adulthood)?•Currently?

What has stayed the same? What has changed over time?

(With students – as a baby, kindergarten, now in fourth grade… Depends on their exact age.)

differentpointsofviewonideas,events,people,andissues

• mayrepresentan"expert"viewpoint• someoneelse’s“glasses”or“lenses”

• Characters• FamousInventors,Leaders,

Explorers• Empathy/conflictresolution• Conflictsinnovels/history• Cultural/Global

Combineswellwiththeothericons.Did___’sperspectiveCHANGEOVERTIME?PerspectivesregardingETHICALISSUES

Usetohelpmakedecisions.

Howanareaofstudyisrelatedtoothersubjectsordisciplines

• Howdoes(content)relatetomath,science,• history?• Integratedstudies• TexttoSelf,Text,WorldConnections

Whenstudyinganartist:• wherehe/shelived(geography)• style(art)• influences(history)

Across Disciplines Mini-Lesson

mathscience

reading

Mini Lessons

Acollectionofmini-lessonswillbepostedontheconferencewebsite.

Theymaybeusedtointroducethe11elementsofdepth&complexity(aswellastheicons).Howdoyoupresentthem?

• Rapidfirelessonsinacoupleofdays

• Overthecourseofseveralweeks

• Uptoyou!

Revisit the Scavenger Hunt

• Individually or with a partner, determine which element of Depth & Complexity each square on the Scavenger Hunt represents.

• Sketch the icon for each element on top of the appropriate square. • Table Talk: If you finish early, here are some discussion choices –

•Discuss ways you could use a Scavenger Hunt similar to this one in your class. •Discuss how you have presented the elements of D&C in the

past and if you plan to use any of these mini-lessons. Ways to modify them?

Go & Whoa

• Revisit your Ready… Set… Go… Whoa chart.

• Complete the Go and Whoa sections.

• Try to list at least 3 things you learned or gained from today’s session that you will take back with you to your classroom.

• In the Whoa section, list any questions you still have about Depth & Complexity.

• Share out.

Use Depth & Complexity in Daily Life? How about in the house buying process I am in right now?

• Are there any specialized terms I need to know when house hunting? Does real estate have its own “language?” • What are the important details?• Are there patterns or trends that are important to examine?• What are the rules?• Do ethical issues ever arise? What should I look out for in this regard?• How does buying or selling a house change over time? • What perspectives should I consider?• What disciplines overlap with real estate? • What’s the big idea? • And… do I have any unanswered questions? If so, what resources might help me find answers?

In conclusion…

• I hope you have a great school year!• Thank you for being here and for all you do for

students every day!