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IB Approaches to Learning (ATL) TOOLKIT 

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Daniel Pink's Article

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Daniel Pink believes we need to rethink the way we educate

Not everything I do is creative, says Daniel Pink. He's illustrating the point that even a supposedly inventive profession such as writing involves some unglamorous toil now and then. But he is also, perhaps, being a little disingenuous. The journalist and author's creative interpretations of global trends have illuminated previously oblique topics, while his visceral online TEDTalks have become an internet hit.

Washington-based Pink, previously chief speechwriter for US Vice President Al Gore, is the author of four best-selling books which look at the effects of psychology on our changing societies. They include Drive, which tackles motivation and explains how businesses could better empower and reward their employees, and A Whole New Mind, where Pink makes the case for right-brain creative abilities and their growing importance in a globalized world.

His themes particularly the way emotional intelligence and softer skills have been marginalized by society echo the work of educational thinkers such as Professor Howard Gardner. They have also been highly influential for teachers in IB World Schools, as two educators from Canada explain on page 12. And with three children studying IB programmes, Pink understands the impact of its programmes. Who better, then, to explain why creativity is suddenly so high on the educational agenda a question IB World put to him.

IB World Is it possible to define creativity and if so, how?

Daniel Pink I'm not sure it is. Creativity is vast and multi-dimensional. A student can be creative in an art class which would be a typical interpretation of creativity but they could also be creative in physics, or on the basketball court, by throwing a pass nobody thought was possible. It's less important to define creativity than to ask: How do we create contexts that allow creativity to flourish?

Why should we care about how creative people are?

It matters on many levels. On a mundane level, succeeding at work today means using skills and abilities that aren't routine or algorithmic, but are heuristic and difficult to outsource or automate. Creativity is also what we need to solve the difficult problems of our time climate change, asymmetric warfare, terrorism and poverty. And creativity is also part of what it means to be human. It's a major misunderstanding to believe some individuals are somehow blessed with creativity and some aren't, as though creativity is something like height. That belief short-changes a lot of our kids.

How well do educational systems do at recognizing and nurturing creativity?

Some do a pretty good job, some are woefully poor. A lot of the time, policy-makers only pay lip service to creativity. In the US at the moment, we have a move towards routines, right answers and standardization which is inconsistent with fostering creativity and inconsistent with an economy that is moving towards novelty, nuance and customization. There are happy exceptions. There are plenty of classrooms where teachers fight the system they're working in and smuggle in ways to foster creativity. There are also certain approaches to education including Montessori, Reggio Emilia and the IB that do a good job.

Despite the general trends, aren't most people going to end up in jobs that aren't that creative?

I don't think so. It's interesting for any individual to meticulously chronicle what they do during a working day. Some of the abilities they use can be thought of as routine essentially following a recipe, script or algorithm. It could be adding up figures or processing papers. Some are non-routine. All jobs mix those abilities, but the balance has shifted towards non-routine and it's these functions that are the more creative ones. Take manufacturing. In the West, especially in the US, the number of manufacturing jobs has declined dramatically. But nobody ever tells you that the US still has the world's largest manufacturing economy. How did that happen? We got really good at it. We've increased output with fewer people doing more sophisticated things. When you go on to a factory floor in the US today, you won't find a burly 58-year-old man with grease on his trousers turning the same screw over and over. You'll find a 33-year-old woman with a two-year college degree programming robots, making judgements about processes and trying to understand what the customer wants. It's much more sophisticated and the same is happening with white-collar work.

Do traditionally creative subjects, such as the visual arts, end up marginalized in education?

When I was at school, they were like a side dish. They wouldn't hurt you, but if you were a serious student you didn't spend time on them. Back then, the arts were ornamental. Today, they're fundamental. It goes back to the nature of creativity, which in one sense is about giving people something they didn't know they were missing. That's the most important cognitive skill in business today, which is why millions of iPads have been sold. A year ago, all those people didn't know they were missing an iPad. That's what painters, sculptors and dancers do. They give the world something it didn't know it was missing. We've always needed that at a human level. But now we need it at an economic level, so it alarms me that the arts are always the first thing on the chopping block. I fear that, in many cases, policy-makers are looking backwards, preparing young people for the past rather than the future.

Could it be said that traditional curriculum structures and subjects work against creativity?

Perhaps. Think about the problems we give our kids in the classroom. They're often clearly defined, are in a single discipline, and have one right answer. When was the last time you had a problem like that in real life, as a worker, citizen or parent? Our challenges don't announce themselves as an English problem or a mathematics problem. They are just big problems often poorly defined, spanning disciplines, and with multiple answers, none of which are perfect. In some senses, the curriculum should be messier just like the real world.

How would you introduce more creativity in schools?

For starters, I'd like to see more autonomy for teachers. In parts of the world there's a move to make teaching routine, which is dangerous. When people think about the best teacher they had, they often remember someone who was a little subversive, who did things differently. Students also deserve autonomy. It's possible to pair rigour and accountability with a degree of autonomy, and the IB is a good example of that. You see it at work in the PYP Exhibition or the MYP Personal Project.

Does the way we test students hinder creativity?

I'm not against testing, but one of the reasons it has grown in prominence is because it's convenient for adults. Standardized testing is inexpensive and easy to scale. And it measures what we know how to measure. But when it becomes an end in itself, that is dangerous. If you want to find out whether students are creative, that requires far more complicated forms of measurement that aren't particularly convenient.

In A Whole New Mind, you talk about what we can learn from computer games. Yet, for many teachers, games are competing for students attention...

First, we need to separate the content of games from their grammar: some of the content is lowbrow and inane, and there are games I would never let my kids play.

But teachers need to understand why games are appealing in a way that some classroom experiences aren't. Game players are fairly autonomous if I want to play, I can do it at any time, not just 9 to 9.20am. In many games, challenges are matched to ability I begin at one level and, if I'm adept, I can move through the game quickly, without wasting my time. The challenge is often a little outside my capacity, which stretches me. And the feedback loop is extraordinarily rapid: you find out how you're doing almost instantly.

That combination of autonomy, challenges matched to abilities and rapid feedback is the reason games are so absorbing to kids. But it's the opposite of the traditional classroom experience, which is directed by a teacher, mass-produced and gives slow, limited feedback.

Are you optimistic that education will embrace creativity in the future?

Yes I am. It's an exciting time to be a teacher, if we can liberate them to do what they do best customizing learning, giving feedback and helping students understand context. But if we keep them trapped in a system that was built for the 1870s, we're going to have problems. When I was a kid, we used to think of teachers as the repository of all knowledge. But today, if my kids want to know the capital of Ecuador they don't need to ask a teacher. They can go on Google and find the answer in 12 seconds. What the teacher can do is help put that kind of knowledge into practice. Why does it matter what the capital of Ecuador is? What is Ecuador's role in the Western hemisphere? In that way, teachers become coaches, guides and mentors. That represents a great opportunity.

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Daniel Pink believes we need to rethink the way we educate Not everything I do is creative, says Daniel Pink. He's illustrating the point that even a supposedly inventive profession such as writing involves some unglamorous toil now and then. But he is also, perhaps, being a little disingenuous.

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According to Marcus Aurelius-
"Research is the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under your observation in life"
Research - The word itself signifies Re- Repeat Search - Your finding

Research skill is a skill of finding reliable information, organizing it and understanding its applicability in different situation. It involves intensive search of information from various sources and its interpretation (media literacy). This information is then evaluated by the researcher and presented in different forms depending on its use in different situation. (Considered as information literacy).

Media and information literacy as two different but closely associated aspects of research skill. A skill which is not only important for an IB student but for all individual as it revolves around collecting, interpreting and using information wisely for society. The rate at which technology is developing this skill needs to be taught at an early age of PYP and then groomed as the child moves to MYP and DP.

Development of research skill should start with better understanding of media literacy as child first comes across various information through media like you tube, TV, magazines. Viral videos and advertisement. As a facilitator of PYP we need to make child aware of these different media sources and help them interpret what they see and hear in a right direction. This will also make them inquirer and thinker and provide them opportunity for integrating knowledge in real life.

However media literacy is not a stand-alone skill it is accompanied with information literacy where the child should also be able to evaluate the quality, credibility and validity of websites and learn to give proper citation of information used (Academic honesty in terms of IB). These two terms have a common goal to accomplish, they cultivate literate who can make informed choices.

How Research skills develops the personality?

Research skills enables to learn the technique of evaluating an information by critical thinking. It trains the brain to interpret the information and the source rather than being controlled by the information. This skill makes open-minded and teaches to appreciate different perspective on the same scenario. It prepares an IB student to be an independent problem solver and lifelong learner.

Research skills motivates curiosity and develops the habit of questioning encouraging inquiry based learning. The researcher is then able to build connections in the curriculum, therefore teaching this skill automatically brings articulation of curriculum into existence.

Role of facilitator in developing Research skills-

Motivate students to locate, analyze and use information.

Ask questions, paraphrase and talk about the collected information to develop critical thinking.

Give opportunities to present information in different forms

Let students evaluate the information by encouraging group discussion.

Give students an opportunity to connect information with different situations.

Give time to reflect on their research.

Tips to develop research skills-

Let students conduct research on the same topic using different key words. This will help them understand the importance of key word in a search engine.

Encourage students to go beyond surface while researching. Many students only check top 2 or 3 sites, but they need to understand the ranking of websites is not based on content only. They may find some useful and relevant information on 2 and 3 page of search engine also.

Always make sure to check the currency (Is the information up to date?), security (Does the site ask for too much personal information or prompt virus warnings?), scope (Is the information in-depth?), and authority (Does the information come from a trusted expert?).

Encourage the use of variety of resources rather than just relying on websites, like books, journals, articles, magazines, database.

Each and every information should be cited.

Lastly but most important is the key for the development of Research skill is - PATIENCE

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According to Marcus Aurelius- "Research is the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under your observation in life" Research - The word itself signifies Re- Repeat Search - Your finding Research skill is a skill of finding reliable information, organizing it and understanding its applicability in different situation.

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Use online tools such as journals or blogs to manage self-assessment based on reflective activities. You might, for example, require students to publish regular reflections in response to question prompts. Both you and they can then assess their learning process.

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This diagram was inspired by the blog post, The agile learner in a VUCA world, written by @alohalavina. VUCA is an acronym used to describe volatility , uncertainty , complexity , and . Put simply, we live in a fast-changing world and in such unfamiliar environment, we face unpredictable changes, often are required to make decisions in complex systems, and to take uncertain actions that are outside of our expertise. We need to rethink education and build students' capacity for the VUCA world.

Developing becomes more important than ever through the schooling process. Learners must equipped with skills and strategies that allow them to be thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, inquirers, reflective, caring, open-minded, balanced, principled and knowledgable. If we can truly follow the framework of the IB curriculums and develop a continuum, I am hopeful that we can develop students who strive for understanding, nurture passion in self and others, as well as take actions ethically. ​

Having this big picture in mind, we help students to develop these skills and stretch their learnability. One way to do this is to align the objective (learning target), skill indicator, and strategy. Most importantly, we also need to take an evidence-based approach to monitor their progress and provide cognitive coaching conversation. The process of practicing and developing skills must be deliberate in order for students reach mastery. The use of the strategy must be practiced several times as repetition of learning is the key to mastery. We can relate this teaching approach to the concept of apprenticeship. When teaching approaches to learning skills, think about Mr. Miyagi in the the movie, Karate Kid!

Here are some strategies that can help to build the skills. The skill indicators are merely suggestions by the IB. These skills are not the definitive or exhaustive list of ATL skills. Schools are not required to cover them all. Instead, I think the important point is for schools to consider their own contexts, reflect on their school missions and develop own continuum of approaches to learning skills that can prepare students for the future.

Strategies must be used intentionally and practice deliberately. When choosing the strategy to explicitly teach specific skills, we need to consider our subject specific objectives, the complexity of of summative assessment, desired learning outcomes, and the age appropriateness. This document is named "ATL Smörgåsbord". Just like you are going to a buffet, there is a wide variety of food, and you will take only what you need.

ATL Toolkit by Excited Educator Lenny Dutton: Lenny has created many amazing resources to help teachers teach ATL skills. She inspired me to create the ATL Smörgåsbord and collect explicit teaching strategies. Check out her website for more ideas.

The Art of Learning by Lance King: Lance emphasized the importance of helping students develop approaches to learning skills way before the IB made it a required component. He has shared and collected many amazing resources to support teachers in explicitly teaching ATL skills.

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This diagram was inspired by the blog post, The agile learner in a VUCA world , written by @alohalavina. VUCA is an acronym used to describe volatility , uncertainty , complexity...

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Blog on Research skills

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How to Teach Online Research Skills to Students | 5 Steps for Teaching Students How to Search and Filter Information

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5 simple steps to teaching Google search tips and internet research skills for students. This updated 2020 post and free eBook shows how to research effectively online for kids in primary school, middle school and high school. These tips are summarized in a free online research skills poster for you…

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Exploring a range of Thinking Pathways allows teachers and students to move beyond surface learning that focuses on the memorisation of knowledge and facts, to more deep and reflective learning that is focused on developing understanding through more

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Marcus Guido

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In theory, Norman Above all, it demands creativity and calculated preparation to Based on The first Depth of Knowledge level is defined as Rooted in simple exercises and procedures, students must remember facts, terms and formulas. There is little to no need forThe second Depth of Knowledge level is defined as Students must choose the appropriate route to correctly solve a question, making decisions and completing distinct steps along the way. For example, as opposed to reciting a math fact, they may have to solve a The third Depth of Knowledge level is defined as The fourth Depth of Knowledge level is defined as These challenges -- such asHow would you use these questions in, for example, How about Returning to the example of In To encourage continuous strategic thinking, questions must be open-ended. This requires students to independently research and -- in the spirit of While focusing on the first Depth of Knowledge level, you canRequiring These may all seem like solo assignments, but some -- such as preparing debate points -- can involveKeep these strategies in mind as you strive to establish an environment rich with Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DoK) makes sense. But, many teachers feel they're missing a puzzle piece. That's because there are hurdles to consistently applying each of the four DoK levels in your classroom, from recall and reproduction to extended critical thinking. deliver engaging tasks that range in complexity - all while providing scaffolding. This resource will help. All about applying Webb's Depth of Knowledge in your classroom at different DoK levels, it offers definitions, questions, examples, activities and strategies you can use. Jump straight to a section 👇 Depth of Knowledge definition Depth of Knowledge wheel DoK levels explained

What is Webb's Depth of Knowledge definition?
Webb's Depth of Knowledge questions Depth of Knowledge activities A first-level challenge may only require reciting a math fact. A final-level scenario may involve solving a real-world issue using content from different subjects. Keep in mind:

In action, these context levels look different between subjects and age groups

A student doesn't have to "master" learning and thinking at one level to progress to the next

As a teacher, you can deliver different levels to your students through diverse activities, assessments and assignments

his 1997 study, Webb's Depth of Knowledge is a framework that categorizes contexts -- prompts, scenarios and challenges -- into four levels of rigor. As students progress through the DoK levels, they will face contexts in assessments that demand learning and thinking at deeper cognitive stages.
Depth of Knowledge wheel
[caption id="attachment_8477" align="alignnone" width="709"]
More of a visual learner? Check out this depth of knowledge wheel.
[/caption] As you'll soon see below in depth, there are four DoK levels:

1. Recall

2. Knowledge application

3. Strategic thinking

4. Extended thinking

Referencing DoK levels should help you create an engaging classroom environment, filled with distinct thinking and learning experiences.
Understanding DoK levels 1 to 4

Recall: DoK level 1

Application: DoK level 2
recollection and reproduction.
Strategic thinking: DoK level 3
extended processing, as there aren't opportunities to "solve" anything. A student will or will not know the answer. knowledge application. Students must face problems and scenarios that are more abstract than those in the previous level. Often, there may be different correct steps and answers. For example, writing an essay based on a defined topic can lead students in unique directions. As a result, they'll likely reach dissimilar conclusions. multi-step equation. To successfully do so, they may have to apply information in a different way or scenario than they learned it.
Critical thinking: DoK level 4
Students will get a mental workout. To complete a given challenge, they must typically gather information from different sources and disciplines. strategic thinking.
Webb's Depth of Knowledge questions for every level

1st level Depth of Knowledge question stems
extended critical thinking. Asking specific questions can launch activities, exercises and assessments that only require recollection and reproduction. For example: problem-based learning activities -- are usually linked to real-world problems without clear solutions, requiring students to justify their ideas and address counterpoints. As a result, students must critically think over relatively-long periods of time. Just make sure your questions are basic. This helps ensure exercises don't require deep thinking levels.
2nd level Depth of Knowledge question stems
Like the first Depth of Knowledge level, you can ask specific questions to launch exercises that build skills and understandings of concepts. To get students in the proper mindset, ask:
Concept Reinforcing Skill Building
math class? You could ask each student to reproduce a specific formula on paper. Then, test recollection of math facts by calling out numbers for them to plug into the formula. You can use such questions to frame activities across grades and disciplines. language arts class? If the class recently explored a book's theme, ask students if they remember the activity. Then, everyone can write down steps the class took to identify the theme. As a bonus, the product serves as a template to help them determine elements of future stories.
3rd level Depth of Knowledge question stems
Question stems that promote strategic thinking include:

Strategic Thinking

How would you test ____?

What would happen if ____? Why?

Can you predict the outcome of ___? How?

What conclusions can you draw from ____?

What facts would you use to support the argument that ____?

What is your interpretation of ____? Support your theory or ideas.

Explain and justify the single best answer to this open question: ____?

The goal of such questions isn't solely to gauge a student's understanding of lesson material, but to have them link concepts through independent thought. Active learning strategies use a similar tactic.
4th level Depth of Knowledge question stems

Extended Critical Thinking

What information can you find and use to support your idea about ____?

Follow the scientific method to design and conduct an experiment, using ____.

Write and defend a thesis, forming your conclusion based on at least __ number of sources.

Apply information from one source to another source in a different subject. Develop an argument about the overarching topic.

From this list of topics I provide, pick one you know nothing about. Research the topic using at least __ number of sources.

math class, you can reinforce concepts by holding a classwide discussion around the different ways to use a formula. You can subsequently provide worksheets that require solving questions with the formula. Whereas the third level aims to spur strategic thinking, fourth-level questions should result in products born from longer periods of critical thought. language arts or a similar subject, you can ask students to work in small groups to identify and explain a book's core plot points. This helps them understand concepts surrounding plot devices, while developing analytical skills to dissect them.
DoK questions for math
Adaptive and curriculum-aligned, Prodigy Math Game delivers questions that reflect Webb's DoK levels one to three. [caption id="attachment_8478" align="aligncenter" width="648"]
Here's an example of a DoK question your students can encounter in Prodigy Math Game.
[/caption] This helps students build skills and exercise strategic thinking in an exciting fantasy world where answering math questions correctly allows them to progress through the story.Plus your teacher account -- including all of its tools and features -- is free, forever.
Try Prodigy today! 🎉

Depth of Knowledge activities for any subject

Level 1 DoK
Despite a question's simplicity, you can still provide your class with many activities, having them finish a range of products. interdisciplinary learning -- fuse information from different classes and subjects. Some examples include: Depending on the question's purpose, students can:

Paraphrase a passage or chapter of a book

Outline and re-iterate the main points of a recent lesson

Complete a quiz or series of questions that only requires fact recall or fluency

Make a timeline that maps historical or storybook events in relation to each other

Deliver a short presentation to classmates that doesn't require independent research

Level 2 DoK
Using questions as starting points, your class can:

Write blog, diary or journal entries

Review texts in pairs or small groups

Complete isolated, multi-step calculations

Synthesize an explanation of a complex concept

Create mind maps that show relationships between topics

Design a physical model to demonstrate a scientific concept or historical event

These activities are time-flexible, lending themselves to many kinds of lessons and assignments.
Level 3 DoK
Activities and products associated with the above questions shouldn't inherently involve long-term research or drawing ideas from different subjects. That would extend into the final Depth of Knowledge level. Keeping this in mind, third-level activities include:

Writing an essay

Composing venn diagrams

Exploring a research question

Delivering a persuasive speech

Preparing and participating in a debate

Completing complex equations related to real-world problems

Keep this in mind if you feel classroom engagement dwindle due to lack of group work.
Level 4 DoK
Activities that require these longer periods of critical thought lend themselves to high school or older elementary students. But, with a few changes, you can offer similar activities to younger pupils. For example, students can work in small groups to form and test hypotheses under in-class supervision. They can also:

Debate on one side of a contentious issue

Partner or group with other students to complete a cross-subject research report and presentation

Apply lessons from different subjects to pinpoint a problem's underlying issues, subsequently solving it

differentiate your instruction by rotating through this blend of exercises. As they finish products, you'll gain clear insight into each student's distinct thought processes.
Additional Depth of Knowledge questioning strategies to apply in the classroom
deeper thought than recollection and reproduction, there are many activities that stop just short of the third Depth of Knowledge level. Referencing question stems and activity lists are useful steps in designing lessons, but there are other helpful strategies for teaching at each Depth of Knowledge level. Consider:

Listing and reviewing activities
At week's end, list each exercise you had your students do. Then, categorize them into the four Depth of Knowledge levels. This lets you reflect on how you structure your lessons, helping you target underrepresented thinking levels in upcoming classes.

Asking "Why?"
If you spend too much time on the first level, ask "why?" more . This challenges students to think about the facts and concepts they're recalling and reproducing. For example, if you're teaching how to make a slideshow, ask students why they think it is or isn't a viable supplement to presentations.

Allowing students to influence lesson structure
You know a lesson's essential questions, but you may not know how each student would best approach them. So, once per week or month as a higher-order thinking activity, allow students to brainstorm the lesson's hypothetical structure. Take their suggestions to deliver the ideal lesson the next day or week. This is a key element of experiential learning activities.

Switching, freely, between levels
There's a common misconception about applying Webb's theory. That is, students must grow proficient in one level before reaching the next. Such falsehoods are counterproductive. An engaging third-level task can, for example, help students build skills aligned with the first and second levels. Plus, dwelling on a level can dull your class.

Final thoughts about Webb's Depth of Knowledge and DoK levels
Whether you see it as basic or complex, effectively applying Depth of Knowledge theory in your classroom takes practice. Using the questions, examples, activities and strategies in this guide should help you consistently craft engaging lessons that vary in cognitive effort. The content of these lessons will differ based on grade and subject. So, don't be skeptical if a colleague's strategic thinking exercises have little in common with yours. It's likely a sign of properly recognizing your students' distinct learning needs and styles. Join over 1.5 million teachers benefitting from Prodigy's Depth of Knowledge power. 👇 cooperative learning.
Sign up now - it's free, forever!
distinct learning and thinking levels.

In theory, Norman Above all, it demands creativity and calculated preparation to Based on The first Depth of Knowledge level is defined as Rooted in simple exercises and procedures, students must remember facts, terms and formulas. There is little to no need forThe second Depth of Knowledge level is defined as Students must choose the appropriate route to correctly solve a question, making decisions and completing distinct steps along the way. For example, as opposed to reciting a math fact, they may have to solve a The third Depth of Knowledge level is defined as The fourth Depth of Knowledge level is defined as These challenges -- such asHow would you use these questions in, for example, How about Returning to the example of In To encourage continuous strategic thinking, questions must be open-ended. This requires students to independently research and -- in the spirit of While focusing on the first Depth of Knowledge level, you canRequiring These may all seem like solo assignments, but some -- such as preparing debate points -- can involveKeep these strategies in mind as you strive to establish an environment rich withWebb's Depth of Knowledge (DoK) makes sense. But, many teachers feel they're missing a puzzle piece. That's because there are hurdles to consistently applying each of the four DoK levels in your classroom, from recall and reproduction to extended critical thinking. deliver engaging tasks that range in complexity - all while providing scaffolding. This resource will help. All about applying Webb's Depth of Knowledge in your classroom at different DoK levels, it offers definitions, questions, examples, activities and strategies you can use. Jump straight to a section 👇 Depth of Knowledge definition Depth of Knowledge wheel DoK levels explained
What is Webb's Depth of Knowledge definition?
Webb's Depth of Knowledge questions Depth of Knowledge activities A first-level challenge may only require reciting a math fact. A final-level scenario may involve solving a real-world issue using content from different subjects. Keep in mind:

In action, these context levels look different between subjects and age groups

A student doesn't have to "master" learning and thinking at one level to progress to the next

As a teacher, you can deliver different levels to your students through diverse activities, assessments and assignments

his 1997 study, Webb's Depth of Knowledge is a framework that categorizes contexts -- prompts, scenarios and challenges -- into four levels of rigor. As students progress through the DoK levels, they will face contexts in assessments that demand learning and thinking at deeper cognitive stages.
Depth of Knowledge wheel
[caption id="attachment_8477" align="alignnone" width="709"]
More of a visual learner? Check out this depth of knowledge wheel.
[/caption] As you'll soon see below in depth, there are four DoK levels:

1. Recall

2. Knowledge application

3. Strategic thinking

4. Extended thinking

Referencing DoK levels should help you create an engaging classroom environment, filled with distinct thinking and learning experiences.
Understanding DoK levels 1 to 4

Recall: DoK level 1

Application: DoK level 2
recollection and reproduction.
Strategic thinking: DoK level 3
extended processing, as there aren't opportunities to "solve" anything. A student will or will not know the answer. knowledge application. Students must face problems and scenarios that are more abstract than those in the previous level. Often, there may be different correct steps and answers. For example, writing an essay based on a defined topic can lead students in unique directions. As a result, they'll likely reach dissimilar conclusions. multi-step equation. To successfully do so, they may have to apply information in a different way or scenario than they learned it.
Critical thinking: DoK level 4
Students will get a mental workout. To complete a given challenge, they must typically gather information from different sources and disciplines. strategic thinking.
Webb's Depth of Knowledge questions for every level

1st level Depth of Knowledge question stems
extended critical thinking. Asking specific questions can launch activities, exercises and assessments that only require recollection and reproduction. For example: problem-based learning activities -- are usually linked to real-world problems without clear solutions, requiring students to justify their ideas and address counterpoints. As a result, students must critically think over relatively-long periods of time. Just make sure your questions are basic. This helps ensure exercises don't require deep thinking levels.
2nd level Depth of Knowledge question stems
Like the first Depth of Knowledge level, you can ask specific questions to launch exercises that build skills and understandings of concepts. To get students in the proper mindset, ask:
Concept Reinforcing Skill Building
math class? You could ask each student to reproduce a specific formula on paper. Then, test recollection of math facts by calling out numbers for them to plug into the formula. You can use such questions to frame activities across grades and disciplines. language arts class? If the class recently explored a book's theme, ask students if they remember the activity. Then, everyone can write down steps the class took to identify the theme. As a bonus, the product serves as a template to help them determine elements of future stories.
3rd level Depth of Knowledge question stems
Question stems that promote strategic thinking include:

Strategic Thinking

How would you test ____?

What would happen if ____? Why?

Can you predict the outcome of ___? How?

What conclusions can you draw from ____?

What facts would you use to support the argument that ____?

What is your interpretation of ____? Support your theory or ideas.

Explain and justify the single best answer to this open question: ____?

The goal of such questions isn't solely to gauge a student's understanding of lesson material, but to have them link concepts through independent thought. Active learning strategies use a similar tactic.
4th level Depth of Knowledge question stems

Extended Critical Thinking

What information can you find and use to support your idea about ____?

Follow the scientific method to design and conduct an experiment, using ____.

Write and defend a thesis, forming your conclusion based on at least __ number of sources.

Apply information from one source to another source in a different subject. Develop an argument about the overarching topic.

From this list of topics I provide, pick one you know nothing about. Research the topic using at least __ number of sources.

math class, you can reinforce concepts by holding a classwide discussion around the different ways to use a formula. You can subsequently provide worksheets that require solving questions with the formula. Whereas the third level aims to spur strategic thinking, fourth-level questions should result in products born from longer periods of critical thought. language arts or a similar subject, you can ask students to work in small groups to identify and explain a book's core plot points. This helps them understand concepts surrounding plot devices, while developing analytical skills to dissect them.
DoK questions for math
Adaptive and curriculum-aligned, Prodigy Math Game delivers questions that reflect Webb's DoK levels one to three. [caption id="attachment_8478" align="aligncenter" width="648"]
Here's an example of a DoK question your students can encounter in Prodigy Math Game.
[/caption] This helps students build skills and exercise strategic thinking in an exciting fantasy world where answering math questions correctly allows them to progress through the story.Plus your teacher account -- including all of its tools and features -- is free, forever.
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Depth of Knowledge activities for any subject

Level 1 DoK
Despite a question's simplicity, you can still provide your class with many activities, having them finish a range of products. interdisciplinary learning -- fuse information from different classes and subjects. Some examples include:Depending on the question's purpose, students can:

Paraphrase a passage or chapter of a book

Outline and re-iterate the main points of a recent lesson

Complete a quiz or series of questions that only requires fact recall or fluency

Make a timeline that maps historical or storybook events in relation to each other

Deliver a short presentation to classmates that doesn't require independent research

Level 2 DoK
Using questions as starting points, your class can:

Write blog, diary or journal entries

Review texts in pairs or small groups

Complete isolated, multi-step calculations

Synthesize an explanation of a complex concept

Create mind maps that show relationships between topics

Design a physical model to demonstrate a scientific concept or historical event

These activities are time-flexible, lending themselves to many kinds of lessons and assignments.
Level 3 DoK
Activities and products associated with the above questions shouldn't inherently involve long-term research or drawing ideas from different subjects. That would extend into the final Depth of Knowledge level. Keeping this in mind, third-level activities include:

Writing an essay

Composing venn diagrams

Exploring a research question

Delivering a persuasive speech

Preparing and participating in a debate

Completing complex equations related to real-world problems

Keep this in mind if you feel classroom engagement dwindle due to lack of group work.
Level 4 DoK
Activities that require these longer periods of critical thought lend themselves to high school or older elementary students. But, with a few changes, you can offer similar activities to younger pupils. For example, students can work in small groups to form and test hypotheses under in-class supervision. They can also:

Debate on one side of a contentious issue

Partner or group with other students to complete a cross-subject research report and presentation

Apply lessons from different subjects to pinpoint a problem's underlying issues, subsequently solving it

differentiate your instruction by rotating through this blend of exercises. As they finish products, you'll gain clear insight into each student's distinct thought processes.
Additional Depth of Knowledge questioning strategies to apply in the classroom
deeper thought than recollection and reproduction, there are many activities that stop just short of the third Depth of Knowledge level. Referencing question stems and activity lists are useful steps in designing lessons, but there are other helpful strategies for teaching at each Depth of Knowledge level. Consider:

Listing and reviewing activities
At week's end, list each exercise you had your students do. Then, categorize them into the four Depth of Knowledge levels. This lets you reflect on how you structure your lessons, helping you target underrepresented thinking levels in upcoming classes.

Asking "Why?"
If you spend too much time on the first level, ask "why?" more . This challenges students to think about the facts and concepts they're recalling and reproducing. For example, if you're teaching how to make a slideshow, ask students why they think it is or isn't a viable supplement to presentations.

Allowing students to influence lesson structure
You know a lesson's essential questions, but you may not know how each student would best approach them. So, once per week or month as a higher-order thinking activity, allow students to brainstorm the lesson's hypothetical structure. Take their suggestions to deliver the ideal lesson the next day or week. This is a key element of experiential learning activities.

Switching, freely, between levels
There's a common misconception about applying Webb's theory. That is, students must grow proficient in one level before reaching the next. Such falsehoods are counterproductive. An engaging third-level task can, for example, help students build skills aligned with the first and second levels. Plus, dwelling on a level can dull your class.

Final thoughts about Webb's Depth of Knowledge and DoK levels
Whether you see it as basic or complex, effectively applying Depth of Knowledge theory in your classroom takes practice. Using the questions, examples, activities and strategies in this guide should help you consistently craft engaging lessons that vary in cognitive effort. The content of these lessons will differ based on grade and subject. So, don't be skeptical if a colleague's strategic thinking exercises have little in common with yours. It's likely a sign of properly recognizing your students' distinct learning needs and styles. Join over 1.5 million teachers benefitting from Prodigy's Depth of Knowledge power. 👇 cooperative learning.
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distinct learning and thinking levels.

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