DEPTH & COMPLEXITY6 HOUR UPDATE

Based on Patty Rendon’s Workshop on Depth & Complexity

Written by: Beth Adkins, Lisa Amaya, Terri Benavides, Denise Cirlos, Nancy Garza, & Elizabeth Mendez

STATE DEFINITION OF A GT STUDENT

29.121 Definition:In this subchapter, “gifted and talented students” means a child or youth who performs at or who shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who:

1. Exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative or artistic area

2. Possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or

3. Excels in a specific academic field

FACT OR FIB SHOWDOWN Take two post it note sheets and write down

Fact on one and Fib on the other.

FibFact

FACT OR FIB

Gifted students don’t need help because they’ll do fine on their own AND they always pass the state assessment.

FACT OR FIB

Gifted student don’t need help because they’ll do fine on their own AND they always pass the state assessment.Fib

FACT OR FIB

Gifted students benefit from being the second teacher in the classroom and tutoring others in greater need.

FACT OR FIB

Gifted students benefit from being the second teacher in the classroom and tutoring others in greater need.Fib

FACT OR FIB

Gifted education programs are as essential as special education programs.

FACT OR FIB

Gifted education programs are as essential as special education programs.Fact

FACT OR FIB

A student cannot be gifted if he’s receiving poor grades.

FACT OR FIB

A student cannot be gifted if he’s receiving poor grades. Fib

FACT OR FIB

Gifted students may not be gifted in all areas.

FACT OR FIB

Gifted students may not be gifted in all areas.

Fact

STATE GOAL FOR SERVICES FOR GT STUDENTS

Students who participate in services designed for gifted/talented students will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or environment. High school graduates who have participated in services for gifted/talented students will have produced products and performances of professional quality as part of their program services.

WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE?

Section 3 Curriculum and Instruction Districts meet the needs of gifted/talented

students by modifying the depth, complexity, and pacing of the curriculum and instruction ordinarily provided by the school.

3.1 C An array of appropriately challenging

learning experiences in each of the four foundation curricular areas is provided for gifted/talented students in grades K-12, and parents are informed of the opportunities.

(19 TAC 89.3)

WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE?

Section 3.2C A continuum of learning experiences is

provided that leads to the development of advanced level products and or performances such as those provided through the Texas Performance Standards Project. (TPSP) (19 TAC 89,3(4)

HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE?

Content

TEKS

Product

Visual, Oral,Written, or Kinesthetic

ProcessResearch, HOT ?’s, &Creative Problem Solving

ARTICLE/VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTiwv6I9vcU

DEPTH Is the exploration of content within a

discipline to include analyzing from the concrete to the abstract, familiar to the unfamiliar, known to the unknown;

Exploring the discipline by going beyond facts and concepts into generalizations, principles, theories, laws;

Investigating the layers of experience within a discipline through details, patterns, trends, unanswered questions, and or ethical considerations.

COMPLEXITY Extension of content in, between, and across

disciplines through the study of themes, problems, and issues;

Seeing relationships between and among ideas in/within the topic, discipline, and disciplines;

Examining relationships in, between, and across disciplines over time and from multiple points of view.

DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY POSTERS Gather 6 sheets of Tag Cut out the eight elements of Depth and the

three elements of Complexity Glue each element on the Tag Place the Posters in your classroom to use for

adding Depth and Complexity to your lessons.

DEPTH & COMPLEXITY

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

DEPTH Differentiation using Depth focuses on eight

elements: Language of Disciplines Details Patterns Trends Unanswered Questions Rules Ethics

LANGUAGE OF DISCIPLINES

Focuses on Specialized Vocabulary. Skills & Tools needed for the Discipline. Terms and or words that are “specific”

to the work. Tools the disciplinarian will need to

use.

LANGUAGE OF DISCIPLINES

DETAILS

What are the attributes?What features characterize this?What specific elements define

this?What distinguishes this from

other things?

DETAILS

PATTERNS

What are the reoccurring events?What elements, events, ideas, are

repeated over time?What was the order of events?

How can we predict what will come next?

PATTERNS

TRENDS

What ongoing factors have influenced this study?

What factors have contributed to this study?

TRENDS

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

What is still not understood about this area/topic/study/discipline?

What is yet unknown about this area/topic/study/discipline?

In what ways is the information incomplete or lacking in explanation?

Missing Parts or Unclear Ideas

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

RULES

How is this structured?What are the stated and unstated

causes related to the description or explanation of what we are studying.

Explanation of Hierarchy..the Order or Structure

RULES

ETHICS

What dilemmas or controversies are involved in this area/topic/study/discipline?

What elements can be identified that reflect bias, prejudice, and discrimination?

ETHICS

BIG IDEAS

What overarching statement best describes what is being studied?

What general statement includes what is being studied?

BIG IDEAS CAN BE:

Deductive: Analyze information from generalization to specific.

Inductive: Logical thinking from specifics to generalization.

BIG IDEA

BIG IDEA

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

BIG IDEAS

COMPLEXITY

Differentiation using Complexity has three elements of focus:OvertimeDifferent Perspectives Interdisciplinary Relationships

OVER TIME

How are the ideas related between the past, present and future?

How are these ideas related within or during a particular time period?

How has time affected the information? How and why do things change or remain the

same?

THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

What are the opposing viewpoints?

How do different people and characters see this event or situation?

Multi-perspective way to look at the area of study.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS

What are common elements among topics from the different disciplines?

How does this idea/topic/concept relate to other disciplines?

How do topics/ideas from across the disciplines contribute meaning to this idea?

THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY DICE GAME

MARFA LIGHTS

Read the Following article on the Marfa Lights.

Look at the card you received and find the evidence of the element within the story.

We will regroup and share our findings in 15 min.

MARFA LIGHTS VIDEO

MARFA LIGHTS VIDEOEXAMPLES OF POINT OF VIEW FROM THE VIDEO:

Mando Vasquez• Life-Long Resident• Has never seen the lights

Lee Bennett• Mother• Son works at McDonald

Observatory• Son has plotted the lights• Has not found lights

during the day

Felisha Martinez• Teacher• Believes the lights seen

come from the Natural World

• Believes the lights are NOT man-made

Deborah Byrd• Astronomer• Believes that 99% of the

time people are seeing the planet Venus

POINT OF VIEW ROLE PLAY

Look at the Card you received. Decide as a group how the Marfa

Lights would affect your Character/Job in daily life.

Create a NON-LINGUISTIC representation on the poster. Illustrate how it is affecting your position in the community.

Gallery Walk to guess each Character/Job depicted based on illustrations.

THE QUESTION GAME Each participant will receive three index cards. Take the three cards and a pen or pencil and

stand next to a card on the floor. When the music starts, start meandering your

way through the different question cards. When the music stops. Write down the question

and number that you stopped at. This will continue until all three cards are filled. Then we will return to our groups and complete

the question stems based on information from “Marfa Lights.”

THE STATE GOAL:

Keep in Mind: The State of Texas’ Goal for Gifted &

Talented Students is for them to be:Self directedThinkResearchCommunicateCreate Innovative ProductsPerformance Projects to be of Professional

Quality

SUMMARIZE THE LEARNING…

Depth and Complexity Match Up Game:Remove the cards from the bagsLine up the IconsMatch up the Name of each Depth or

Complexity Element to the corresponding Icon

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Marfa Lights” Video: www.youtube.com Images: www.google.com Classroom Images: www.pinterest.com