Change Over Time

***The Elements of Depth & Complexity are, to put it simply, a framing tool for creating critical writing prompts. Each Element is paired with an Icon. Drawing and/or memorizing the Icon is secondary to the actual USE of the Element to create better questions. When students learn what each Element means, they can start creating prompts for themselves, saving the teacher a lot of time.

This Element is different from ‘Trends’ because it has students explore how our understanding surrounding a subject or topic has (or hasn’t) changed. Students describe the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of our progress (or lack of progress), and the effects of our understanding on society, philosophy, science, etc. The last three Elements: Change Over Time, Across Disciplines, and Multiple Perspectives, are fantastic for use in conjunction with the other 8 Elements.

Prompts may include:

  • How would this topic or text be received during a different period of time?
  • Make a timeline surrounding the perception of the topic/technology around the ideas/how ideas have developed over time.
  • What discoveries around this topic were made over time?
  • What influential people/how did they shape the perception of this concept?
  • How have different disciplines contributed to this topic changing over time (math/science/etc. and discoveries)?
  • Predict how new discoveries might affect this topic.

Social Studies

  1. How has society changed in their treatment of ____________ (social group)? How have ___________ (social group) demanded that change over time?
  2. How did __________________’s (historical figure) stance on _____________ (social construct) change over their lifetime?
  3. How has society contained or prevented this idea from entering the mainstream over time? Describe at least three examples from different times/places (one of the times/places can include here/today).
  4. Imagine _____________ (historical figure) was alive today. What would he/she say about what’s happening now with ______________ (current event)?
  5. What does ________________ (historical figure) have in common with ________________ (contemporary figure). Would they be friends? Why or why not.
  6. What events surrounding this topic seem to be repeating themselves? How can we use the lessons from history to fix this situation?

English

  1. How has modern technology influenced the way we visualize this concept? How has modern technology influenced the way we are tested on our knowledge of this concept? Is this ethical?
  2. How did the invention of the printing press affect the common- person’s understanding of this topic?
  3. Imagine a time before the internet, textbooks, and even the printing press. Pretend you are a teacher in ancient times. Set the scene and write a short skit about how you would teach this concept to your pupil.
  4. If this story had been written 1,000 years in the past (pick a location), how would the setting, characters, jobs, society, freedoms, and interactions be different? Would the underlying theme of the story still show through? Why or why not?
  5. How did this author’s craft develop over time? Compare their first published work with their last.
  6. How has this genre developed over the last 100 years? Reference a classic and compare it to a contemporary piece.
  7. What would ____________ (historical author) have to say about the work of _______________ (contemporary author)? Would they be friends? Why or why not?

Math

  1. What did people in this discipline have to do to solve problems like this one before they had our technology? Research, describe, and use their methods and tools to solve a problem from class. No electronic devices allowed!
  2. How do current teaching strategies influence the teaching of this concept? Research a different way to show students this concept and try it out on your class with a presentation. Was it more effective? Why or why not?
  3. Who was the first mathematician to work with this concept? How has our understanding of this concept changed from his/her time to ours?
  4. How has modern technology influenced the way we visualize this concept? How has modern technology influenced the way we are tested on our knowledge of this concept? Is this ethical?
  5. When this concept was first discovered, how quickly did it become ‘common knowledge?’ If only a few people knew or were allowed to know, why do you think that was? Why has that changed?
  6. Imagine a time before the internet, textbooks, and even the printing press. Pretend you are a teacher in ancient times. Set the scene and write a short skit about how you would teach this concept to your pupil.

Science

  1. How did specialists in this field explore this concept before they had our technology? Research, describe, and create a model of some of the tools or methods they would have used.
  2. How do current teaching strategies influence the teaching of this concept? Research a different way to show students this concept and try it out on your class with a presentation. Was it more effective? Why or why not?
  3. Who was the first scientist to work with this concept? How has our understanding of this concept changed from his/her time to ours?
  4. How has modern technology influenced the way we visualize this concept? How has modern technology influenced the way we are tested on our knowledge of this concept? Is this ethical?
  5. When this concept was first discovered, how quickly did it become ‘common knowledge?’ If only a few people knew or were allowed to know, why do you think that was? Why has that changed?
  6. Imagine a time before the internet, textbooks, and even the printing press. Pretend you are a teacher in ancient times. Set the scene and write a short skit about how you would teach this concept to your pupil.