Depth and Complexity Icons

Power of Icons Provide structure and support for taking a deeper and more complex look at any topic Quick Easy Application to any Material For Visual learners--A picture is worth a thousand words Provide scaffolding to do higher level thinking for second language students and students with learning disabilities Develop “Habits of Mind” that become ingrained Advanced learners are asked to reach into the upper ranges of their ZPD Increase student enthusiasm and motivation

Concrete Entry Points Brainstorm Common Everyday Icons Use the Detail Icon as way for students to talk about themselves (Seen and Unseen Details) Read a story like the Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss to introduce several icons Use Multiple Perspectives for conflict resolution Use the Rules icon for class rules on first day Use the Big Idea for writing a paragraph

Dive Into Depth and Complexity An essential part of differentiating the curriculum through depth and complexity is using the icons, and ensuring that students are familiar with them.

Post a set of the icons clearly in your room This prompts integration into discussions, and shows students you value the icons as intellectual tools.

Use the Icons Within Your Lessons “Look for (appropriate icon) in our lesson today on (content area).” Use the Big Idea to summarize or end lessons. Label your daily agenda and lesson plans with the icons. Have students label all work with the appropriate icons. Label all classroom work and charts with the icons.

Frame Stories or Concepts With the Icons Frame the Teacher: Introduce four icons by making a frame around the topic of the teacher-you! Frame Yourself: Each student completes a similar frame Frame stories or concepts with the icons

But remember, we are not teaching the icons, we are teaching concepts to new levels of depth and complexity using pictures to stand for the thinking strategies.

Depth Refers to approaching or studying something from the concrete to the abstract, from the known to the unknown. Requires students to examine topics by determining the facts, concepts, generalization, principles and theories related to them.

Depth Necessitates uncovering more details and new knowledge related to a topic of study. Encourages students to adopt perspectives and to see patterns in connections.

Depth has the following major dimensions: Language of the Disciplines: Specialized vocabulary, names of skills or tasks, tools used Details: Attributes, parts, factors, variables Patterns: Repetition, predictability Trends: Influence, forces, direction Rules: Structure, order, hierarchy, explanation Ethics: Points of View, Different Opinions, judging Big Idea: Generalization, principle, theory Unanswered Questions: Discrepancies, missing parts, unclear ideas, incomplete ideas

Complexity Includes making relationships, connecting other concepts, and layering. Why/how approach that connects and bridges to other disciplines to enhance the meaning of a unit of study.

Complexity encourages students to Relate concepts and ideas at a more sophisticated level See associations among diverse subjects, topics or levels Find multiple solutions from multiple points of view

Complexity has three major dimensions: Relationships Over Time: Between the past, present and future, and within a time period Relationships From Different Points of View: Multiple Perspectives, opposing viewpoints, differing roles and knowledge Interdisciplinary Relationships: With, between and across the disciplines

Keys to Activate Deeper Learning Use verbs associated with the nouns (icons) of Depth and Complexity Language of the Discipline: categorize, identify Details: describe, differentiate Patterns: summarize, make analogies Trends: prioritize, predict Rules: judge credibility, hypothesize Ethics: judge with criteria, determine bias Big Idea: prove with evidence, identify main idea Unanswered Questions: note ambiguity, distinguish fact from fiction Each level of questions uses verbs to describe the objectives desired.

Keys to Activate Complex Learning Different Points of View: argue, determine bias, classify Relationships Over Time: relate, sequence, order Relationships Across Discipline: compare and contrast, show relationship

There will be times when… Dear Students, There will be times when… We all do the same thing. Some do different things. We all work together. You work alone. You choose for yourself. I choose for you.

Classroom examples using depth and complexity