DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY

LANGUAGE OF THE DISCIPLINE

Refers to terminology, nomenclature, jargon of the topic.

What tools are used by the experts in the discipline?

What are the origins of new terms in this discipline?

DETAILS

What details define?

What details are more important than others and what is your experience of this?

What distinguishes this from other things?

What are its attributes?

What features characterize this?

Examples:  Features, Characteristics, Time, Atoms, Cells

ETHICS

Describe the ethical issues you find?

How did or does an ethical issue affect the information you are studying?

Why are their different ethical issues in different times and places?

What are some universal ethics and values?

Examples:

Experimental bias

Coincillence

Disagreements among experts

Good vs Bad Research

TRENDS

Describe the trends

Identify the causes and results of a trend

How do you evaluate a trends importance to what you are studying?

How are trends related to patterns?

Examples:

Research trends

Finanial support

Environmental Trends

Space Exploration

Health Trends

RULES

Describe the rules

Indentify the implicit and explicit rules

How do you evaluate rules efficiency and validity?

How are rules related to patterns and details?

Compare structural rules and procedural rules

Examples:

Scientific Method

Measurement

Data Collection

BIG IDEA

List the evidence needed to support a big idea

How do you evaluate a big ideas importance to what you are studying?

How does working with big ideas help you learn new knowledge?

Examples

Law, Theories, Principles

Engergy

Gravity

Waves

Light

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Describe the multiple perspectives on an issue or topic

Identify a different point of view and explain it

How does a point of view affect what we learn?

What perspectives do experts have?

When is you perspective different from others?  Why?

Examples

Perspectives of different experts

Points of view on problems and issues

Ethical issues

OVER TIME

Describe the past, present, and possible future related to this issue or topic

Identify a time this issue or topic was different

How does knowing things over time affect what we learn?

How is history being made every day?  How does this help us predict the future?

EXAMPLES

Time as related to scientific rules

Formulas

Scientific innovation

PATTERNS

Describe patterns you find

How do you evaluate a pattern’s importance to what you are studying?

How does one pattern compare to another?

Identify the primary patterns and the secondary patterns

How are patterns and details related?

EXAMPLES

DNA

Periodic table

Biological Solutions

Molecules

Crystals

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Describe the unknown details or stimuli for the event

Identify the origins of an unanswered question

How do you evaluate an unanswered question’s importance

How do you determine if, in fact, a question is unanswered?

Which areas of science or human behavior can you connect with unanswered questions?

EXAMPLES

Experimentation

Ethical Implications

The Future

Solution to current problems

Unintended consequences

ACROSS DISCIPLINES

Describe a topic’s place in more than one discipline or subject area

Sort information you are studying into several disciplines

How is “across disciplines” related to multiple perspectives?

What is concillience

EXAMPLES

Origins of laws, theories

Communicating research findings

Quantities, mearsuments and tools