1. Examining Similarities and Differences
Design Question 3 – Element 18:
When the content is informational, how do teachers help students deepen their knowledge by examining their own reasoning or the logic of the information as presented to them?

2. Before we begin…
Before we begin talking about element 18, let’s be sure that there is an understanding about how the elements in Design Question 3 are related. This is important as you plan your lessons. Directions: watch the video on the next slide. Please identify the difference between the purpose of Design Question 2 and Design Question 3.

3. Video – How does Design Question 3 differ with Design Question 2?
Click on the link to view a video from Pasco County Schools that introduces Design Question 3.

4. How does Design Question 3 differ with Design Question 2?
You should have noticed that:
The purpose of Design Question 2 is to introduce new material to students while
The purpose of Design Question 3 is to give the students an opportunity to practice using material that was previously taught so that they deepen their understanding; therefore,
Teachers have to perform Design Question 2 before Design Question 3.
Now let’s talk about element 18, specifically.

5. Review Teacher and Student Evidence NOTE: This list of evidence is not all inclusive but is instead a list of possible examples.

6. Review Scale for Element 18

7. Desired Effect in the Students
The desired effect is, “Students can identify and articulate errors in logic or reasoning, or the structure of an argument, and explain new insights resulting from this analysis.” To receive an Innovating rating, the teacher must monitor and make accommodations so that every student in their classroom achieves this desired effect.

8. Task
While watching the below video, answer these three questions. 1. What are four reasons why this is an important element in the classroom? 2. According to the kindergarten teacher, do teachers accidentally perform this element or purposefully perform this element? 3. What is an example of how the teacher uses this in teaching subtraction? Click here for the YouTube video: “Element 18_Examing Errors in Reasoning”.

9. Video Questions and Answers
Q1: What are four reasons why this is an important element in the classroom? A1: students 1. read for a purpose, 2. back up their conclusions, 3. understand concepts, and 4. analyze their mistakes (or others) Q2: According to the kindergarten teacher, do teachers accidentally perform this element or purposefully perform this element? A2: both! Q3: What is an example of how the teacher uses this in teaching subtraction? A3: When students scream out the wrong answer, she has them analyze the answer so they determine that it is wrong and why it is wrong; she doesn’t simply tell them their answer is wrong and explain why but instead makes the students do the work.

10. Video
Log in to Then search “Protocol Video: Examining Errors in Reasoning (Fifth Grade)” in the Resource Library.
After watching the video you will be asked to identify the teacher and student evidence and to rate the teacher on this element.

11. Task
On the next slide is the teacher and student evidence. What evidence did you see and were able to document? Use this to rate the teacher as you walk through the next few slides.

12. Review Teacher and Student Evidence What did you see?

13. Review Teacher and Student Evidence What did we see?

14. How to Rate Teacher Evidence
You can only give credit for what you see.
Teacher Evidence
Teacher asks students to examine the strength of support presented for a claim such as statement of a clear claim.
The teacher had the students document how they knew the car moved faster and further (by adding washers).

15. How to Rate Student Evidence
You can only give credit for what you see.
Student Evidence
When asked, students can explain the overall structure of an argument to support the structure of a claim.
The students helped their teacher explain their claim through evidence (adding the washers made the cars go faster and further).

16. Review Scale for Element 18 to Rate the Teacher

17. How we Rated the Teacher
We rated the teacher as DEVELOPING. The teacher clearly engaged his students in an activity that required them to write a claim with evidence; however, we never saw him walk around the room to ensure that students were writing down the correct and accurate information. Therefore, he wasn’t monitoring his students for success on this element so we can only give him credit for Developing. We would be able to give him an Applying rating if we saw him moving from student to student, looking at their papers to see that they were correctly writing down their claims with evidence.

18. Videos
Here are two more videos in the Marzano resource library that give examples of teachers helping students examine errors. Log into and click on the Resource Library tab.
Search “Protocol Video: Examining Errors in Reasoning”.
Search “Classroom Scenario: Analysis”.

19. Other Marzano Resources
There are additional resources for you to use. First, sign into Then click on the link to the Resource Library. Use the search engine in the Resource Library to find the articles by the titles listed below.
How To: Use Analyzing Errors Strategies DQ3 E18
Strategies for DQ3 E18
Examining Similarities and Differences and Identifying Errors in Thinking

20. Other Resources Not Found in iObservation
Click here for Ben Curran’s blog. He’s a math teacher and uses his own errors to get the kids to examine his reasoning and their own.
Click here for lessons created by language arts teachers.
Click here for an article about how to engage students in examining errors in all types of classrooms, including PE.
Click here for a lesson plan that has students reason through fallacies of advertising.
Click here for a great resource about all elements in Design Question 3.

21. What is next?
Identify a lesson you have coming up in the next week that you can have students examine their errors or someone else’s errors (or make a claim with evidence).
If you want an Applying rating, determine how you will monitor the majority of the students to make sure they are able to examine errors in reasoning and/or make claims with evidence.
If you want an Innovating rating, determine how you will adapt and monitor to make sure that EVERY student is benefiting from examining errors in reasoning (and or making claims).

22. Is this element in your PGP? Then you need to…
Sign into Click on the Growth tab and then click on the Plans option. Open your current plan and fill out a new Reflection Log, answering the appropriate questions.
Decide how you will change your teaching as a result of viewing this module.
Execute your change, reflect on its impact, and fill out another Reflection Log in iObservation.

23. Further questions?
Here are resources in case you have further questions:
Your evaluator
Another evaluator on your campus
Your school’s Classroom Practice Mentors (CPM)