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Byrdseed.TV Example Lessons Depth & Complexity

Cross Curricular

Lunar Survival Skills

Lunar Survival Skills

We're supposed to rank fifteen items according to usefulness if we were stranded on the light-side of the moon. The items range from pistols to powdered milk. Some seem useful, but are actually worthless while others seem unnecessary on earth, but are actually vital when stuck on the moon. However, the structure of the activity as a website is not optimal. Let's improve this and make it an awesome problem–solving exercise for our class.
Creating Seemingly Unrelated Analogies

Creating Seemingly Unrelated Analogies

Want to encourage students to find unexpected connections across content? Here's a quick framework based on the most important terms from both bits of content.
Help my students remember these confusing terms!

Help my students remember these confusing terms!

If you want students to memorize, you can't aim for memorize. You have to aim higher – and then memorization comes along for free.
Four Types of Questions You Can Ask

Four Types of Questions You Can Ask

Asking questions is such a basic tool of teaching, yet how many of us have ever been taught to ask good questions? In this opening to a series about questioning, we'll explore how to get students asking each other questions.
Paradox: Ship of Theseus

Paradox: Ship of Theseus

Here's a fun thought experiment your students are sure to get a kick out of: when something is slowly replaced over time, is it still the same thing in the end?

Combining Depth and Complexity Prompts into a Generalization

Let's start with a puzzlement, ask kids to generate an abstract statement, and then find evidence that their statement works across several different areas.
Make A *Better* Calendar!

Make A *Better* Calendar!

The calendar is a source of fantastic factoring problems with many social studies add-ons. Why 12 months? Why 30 (or 31 or 28) days? Why are weeks 7 days long? Why don't they fit into the months (or the year!)? Why did we do this to ourselves!?
Sharpening Questions

Sharpening Questions

With some small changes, we can turn fluffy opinion questions into thought-provoking evaluation questions.
“Engagement” isn’t BAD, but…

“Engagement” isn’t BAD, but…

"Engagement" is a nice by-product of a well-designed lesson, but it sure isn't our actual goal as educators.

Going Beyond “Define These Terms In Your Own Words”

"Define these terms in your own words" may contain depth and complexity… but it's neither deep nor complex!
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