Thinking Moves:

Essential Steps in Developing Deep Understanding

Thinking Moves
Observing closely and
describing whats there
Making connections

Wondering and asking

questions
Building explanations
and interpretations

Observable Thinking Behaviours

Notice parts and features
Take detailed notes to record observations
Describe parts and features in detail
Connect new information with whats
known
Identify patterns and perspectives
Identify areas of agreement and
disagreement between sources
Imagine possible connections and
implications
Relate ideas to emotions and values
Create questions to propel further inquiry
Examine similarities and differences
Hypothesize and test ideas
Apply theories to explain phenomenon

Reasoning with evidence Search for evidence to support claims

Check for validity and soundness
Verify sufficiency of detail to support claims
Uncovering complexity
and going below the
surface

Considering different
viewpoints and
perspectives

Capturing the heart and

Identify and reject simplistic explanations

Search for alternative evidence and
explanations
Examine all parts of issues to explore
complexity
Search for deep causes
Search for alternative explanations
Evaluate the evidence of opposing
perspectives
Self-assess and revise own arguments in
light of alternative explanations and
evidence
Capturing the essence of a concept

Questions to Drive Thinking

What do you see and notice?
What are the facts here?
How does this fit?
How does this relate to other
concepts, or what I already
know?
What am I curious about
here?
Why does ____?
Whats similar and different
here?
How can I explain ________?
Are these claims logical and
supported by convincing
evidence?
What lies beneath the surface
of this?

Whats another angle on this?

How might someone argue
against this or see it
differently?

forming conclusions

Whats at the core or centre

of this?
Whats the Big Idea here?
NOTE: Thinking for Deep Understanding is NOT a linear processit is recursive! There are
logical steps, but they usually need to be repeated multiple times, often in different orders, to
really dig down deep into complex concepts. Thinking for Deep Understanding is rarely easy
and orderly; its usually difficult and messy at first, which is all the more reason to develop
detailed, organized notes.

Thinking Moves
Observing closely
and describing
whats there

Forming a reasoned judgement based on

foregoing thinking

Observable Thinking Behaviours

Notice parts and features
Take detailed notes to record
observations
Describe parts and features in
detail

Actions that Demonstrate Deep Thinking

Supreme Court Declares Same-sex marriage
legal in all 50 states
Gay and lesbian are equal justice
under law
The supreme courts decision
arrived like a thunder bolt, said
Obama
"a truthful declaration by samesex couples of what was in their hearts
had to remain unspoken."
"The nature of injustice is that we
may not always see it in our own times,"
the right to marry is fundamental
the 14th Amendment requires
states to a) license same-sex marriages
and b) recognize such unions that were
made in other states.
Are states rights human rights?
many people viewed the
legalization of gay marriage rights as
free democracy
Some people think the legalization
of gay marriage is a human rights issue
The supreme court is not the
representative of the entire American
population

 We, as the citizens of this country,

have the right to govern ourselves.
Therefore, why couldnt the states vote
on this issue?
checks and balances in the
federal government-->ensure neither
the states nor the federal government
becomes too powerful
many states, including Alabama,
had voted down same-sex marriage in
several elections
focus on LGBT advocates
conflicts in states where the
majority do not agree with same-sex
marriage
states should have the right to
vote for themselves and people should
have the right to decide for themselves
make sure to not persecute others
simply because of his/her beliefs
Let States Decide on Marijuana
illegalized Marijuana during the
Vietnam War era
many states already start
liberalizing the regulations of marijuana
people rely on marijuana the ease
the pain of AIDS or other diseases
35 states + DC have permitted
the use of marijuana for medical use
Its hard for the public to take
seriously a law that says marijuana and
heroin have exactly the same high
potential for abuse, since that ignores
the vastly more addictive power of
narcotics, which have destroyed the
lives of millions of people around the
world
Consuming marijuana is not a
fundamental right that should be

imposed on the states by the federal

government, in the manner of abortion
rights, health insurance, or the freedom
to marry a partner of either sex
many states dont want to
legalizing marijuana because it is a
federal crime
it would not interfere with the
legalization plans of Colorado and
Washington as long as they met several
conditions: keeping marijuana out of the
hands of minors or criminal gangs;
prohibiting its transport out of the state;
and enforcing prohibitions against
drugged driving, violence and other
illegal drugs
Smaller States Find Outside Clout Growing in
Senate
a Vermonter has 30 times more
voting power than a New Yorker in the
Senate
The Constitution gave states with
smaller population a lift, but the framers
did not see the size and importance of
the gap has grown markedly in recent
decades
some scholars and members of
Congress view the small-state
advantage as a vital part of the
constitutional structure and say the
growth of that advantage is no cause for
worry
the power of smaller states is
large and growing
the larger states becoming more
urban and liberal, and the smaller ones
remaining rural and conservative
small states block or shape
legislation backed by senators

Making
connections

Connect new information with

whats known
Identify patterns and perspectives
Identify areas of agreement and
disagreement between sources

representing a majority of Americans,

most of the senators on the winning
side tend to be Republicans
Republicans live
disproportionately while the Democrats
live in big states such as California, New
York, and Florida
Great Compromise
no one expects the small state
advantage to disappear, but the
democrats are pushing for reformation
of the constitution to limit the small
state powers
the advantages enjoyed by small
states are essential to prevent the
larger states to take over
Washington is divided because it has
abandoned federalism
the constitution puts checks in the
government to preserve the balance
The Economists made a chart
shows that how much more liberal
major US cities were relative to national
average
a reminder of a fundamental
problem with our democracy, one thats
baked into the constitutional order
the us was never intended to be
pure democracy
Federalism is a form of government which
consists two levels of government: federal
and state. Each level of government has its
own power over its territory and they check
and balance each other to prevent the other
to grow too powerful.
Some people argue for the increase of state
powers, others argue for the increase of
federal powers.
In addition, some people argue for the

Wondering and
asking questions

Imagine possible connections and

implications
Relate ideas to emotions and
values

Building
explanations and
interpretations

Create questions to propel further

inquiry
Examine similarities and
differences
Hypothesize and test ideas
Summarize the main idea

Reasoning with
evidence

Search for evidence to support

claims
Check for validity and soundness

Uncovering
complexity and
going below the
surface

Verify sufficiency of detail to

support claims
Identify and reject simplistic
explanations
Search for alternative evidence and
explanations
Examine all parts of issues to
explore complexity
Search for deep causes

increase of large state powers, while others

argue that the advantage of smaller states in
the Senate is the way to prevent big states to
gain too much power
To what degree should the federal
government allow illegal practices such
as sales of marijuanas and when should
the federal government step in? How
should the criteria be determined?
Should smaller states continue to
expand their powers?
Supreme Court Declares Same-sex marriage
legal in all 50 states & Washington is
divided because it has abandoned federalism
pushes for a stronger federal government
while on the other hand Are states rights
human rights?, Smaller States Find Outside
Clout Growing in Senate, and Let States
Decide on Marijuana are pushing for the
increase in power in state governments.
The sell of marijuana is illegal in federal laws.
However, many states still practice this kind
of sell. The federal government chooses to not
see this illegal action and ignores it.

The money the state governments

can get from the practice of these illegal
sales
The state governments think they
should have a say in important federal
issues and they get a vote in the
supreme court
The supreme court should not
have involvement with either Congress,
state governments, nor federal

Considering
different
viewpoints and
perspectives

Capturing the
heart and forming
conclusions

Search for alternative explanations

Evaluate the evidence of opposing
perspectives
Self-assess and revise own
arguments in light of alternative
viewpoints
Capturing the essence of a concept
Forming a reasoned judgement
based on foregoing thinking

government
What do smaller states think about the power
that the bigger states have? Do they think
that bigger states have more power?

To what extent is the federal government

having too much power? To what extent are
the smaller states having too much power? To
what extent should the state governments
have a say in important court decisions about
their economy, politics, and culture?