Deep Not Wide!

reneepeoples.org- For Teachers- Depth of Knowledge

The focus is on the complexity of intended outcome, not difficulty.

Applying a rule is still applying a rule (DOK 1) if it is harder!

Instruction and assessments used in class need to be at appropriate DOK level of the outcome or objective.

Instead of focusing on the verb, look at what is AFTER the verb.

•Level 1: Recall and Reproduction- fact, definition, term or simple procedure/algorithm or rules. Examples: list of water cycle, recall details from text, area of rectangle, rules of activity

•Level 2: Skills & Concepts- Engagement of mental process with a need to make decisions/plan of how to answer/solve. Usually more than one step. Examples: compare liquid to gas, summarize conflict, cause/effect, predict what will happen next, organize shapes with common characteristics (angles, types of lines)

•Level 3: Strategic Thinking- Complex demands that use deeper understanding and require planning with cognitive reasoning, more abstract, less one answer type of task. Examples: compare behavior of water when heated to water when cooled, analyze effectiveness of the setting in this story, math with multiple steps and explanations, create shapes with same areas but smaller perimeter than given

•Level 4: Extended Thinking is complex with the highest cognitive demand, connections and relationships of ideas that cover multiple content areas or approaches or strategies, more of a task/project than a "solve" Examples: analyze the point of view and determine how a different point of view would change the story, develop a rule concerning the relationship of changes in area or perimeter, putting together elements to form a whole and then making judgements.

Your turn!