Multiple Perspectives

***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 invokes the concept that different points of view alter the way ideas and objects are perceived and valued. This may often involve an ‘expert’ point of view, and is dependent on time and place. 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 involve:

  • Comparing/contrasting different characters/entities from the text/topic or from different texts/topics, and their points of view
  • What you would do differently if you were in the story, reasoning from a character’s point of view
  • Outside information that could have helped in the situation - and how entities in the story would have used the information
  • Putting students into the author’s shoes and having them reflect on purpose and/or how they would have done things differently
  • How the topic would look from the perspective of a professional from disciplines such as: math, engineering, zoology, history, art, etc.
  • Personification - what does solving a radical equation for x look like from the perspective of the variable?
  • How do different people or characters in this story feel about the event or situation?
  • How does ________ feel about ________?

Social Studies

  1. What do your family members understand about this concept? Illustrate a comic about you and a family member discussing these concepts.
  2. Put yourself in the shoes of a teacher from the 22nd century. How will you teach this concept to your class? Sketch the scene and include a specific example.
  3. What could the president learn from this lesson? How will this knowledge affect the the most current political struggle in Washington?
  4. You are a troop on the ground during _____________(battle, war, or struggle). Who are you following? What are your feelings towards your leader(s)? What are your priorities? Is this _____________(battle, war, or struggle) worth it to you? Why or why not? Sum all of this up in a letter to your loved ones.
  5. If you were a ____________(political figure) alive during this social movement, what would you do? How would your office at the time be restrictive as you tried to help the situation?

English

  1. Swap the main character from ______________(title #1), by _____________(author #1) with the main character from _____________(title #2), by ______________(author #2). How would this character change affect the plot of _____________(title #1)?
  2. What do your family members understand about this genre? Illustrate a comic about you and a family member working through a difficult concept from class.
  3. Put yourself in the shoes of a teacher from the 22nd century. How will you teach this concept to your class? Sketch the scene and include a specific example.
  4. Think of a current social issue from the perspective of ______________(influential author from a genre we are currently studying). Make a poster or short rhetorical work from their perspective that would represent their stance while also projecting their unique style.
  5. Take at least 5 characters from the text and match them to different teachers at the school or students in your class who most resemble them. Provide at least 3 traits shared by your two matches for each set to support your claims (be as nice and as funny as possible).

Math

  1. What do your family members understand about this concept in math? Illustrate a comic about you and a family member working through a difficult problem from class.
  2. Do you have a better procedure or explanation for how to solve problems like this one? Present or video yourself solving a practice problem in your own special way. Include a ‘notes’ .pdf with your presentation that lists the problem and your specific steps. Share the .pdf so other students can follow along.
  3. What is the most common rule that is broken when solving problems like this? Survey your class and come up with a solution for preventing this misconception or mistake.
  4. The TEKS just changed, and now they’re teaching this concept in Elementary! How would your favorite elementary teacher explain this concept to her class? Write a lesson plan for her.
  5. How would the most intelligent character from your favorite book approach this problem? Write a short script where he/she struggles to overcome this fresh challenge. Feel free to call for help from other characters.
  6. Put yourself in the shoes of a teacher from the 22nd century. How will you teach this concept to your class? Sketch the scene and include a specific example.

Science

  1. How does Pluto feel about not being counted as a planet anymore? What would Eris say to console him? Create a dialogue.
  2. Could Sodium and Oxygen ever date? Why or why not?
  3. What would _____________(historical scientist #1) say about the gains that ____________(scientist #2) made in the field? What would they find surprising?
  4. What do your family members understand about this concept? Illustrate a comic about you and a family member discussing these concepts.
  5. Put yourself in the shoes of a teacher from the 22nd century. How will you teach this concept to your class? Sketch the scene and include a specific example.
  6. How could you explain this concept to an ancient ancestor from 2000BCE who accidentally stumbled through a time-travel wormhole. So you don’t scare them, you have to be able to scaffold your explanation in a way that doesn’t make you look like a wizard (assume you speak the same language).