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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.

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!
What could we do with this Wax Museum event?

What could we do with this Wax Museum event?

How one might revamp a "Wax Museum" project into something that focuses more on thinking than product.

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.
Group Investigation: Lessons Built on Curiosity

Group Investigation: Lessons Built on Curiosity

John Dewey's Group Investigation is a favorite model of instruction of mine. It's simply built on curiosity!
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!?
Introducing Universal Themes and Generalizations

Introducing Universal Themes and Generalizations

Generalizations, big ideas, abstractions, universal themes... they are designed to help our gifted students learn. However, what I didn't realize was that they would help me teach!
How long should we wait after asking a question?

How long should we wait after asking a question?

I might ask the best questions in the world, but if I don't give students even three seconds to think, those questions aren't doing their job. Here's what we know about Wait Time.
Ask Sequences, Never One-Off Questions

Ask Sequences, Never One-Off Questions

Beware one-off questions. Any question that we prepare should have a natural follow-up question. And those follow-ups should push students up Bloom’s Taxonomy.
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