My Biggest Mistake with the Depth and Complexity Icons

The Depth and Complexity icons are meant to, yes, increase the depth and complexity of the questions we ask students. However, I used them poorly for years.

My use of Depth and Complexity was, ironically, quite shallow and simple! And, I don’t think I’m the only one.

How I Got Depth and Complexity Wrong

If you want an introduction to the 11 prompts of Depth and Complexity, I’ll link you to those below. But, I really want to talk about the biggest problem I made when implementing Depth and Complexity.

Every Thursday, I send out an example of my earlier errors with Depth and Complexity. You can sign up for that right here. It’s free.

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Without a doubt, the biggest problem people make with Depth and Complexity is: pairing an icon with a low level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Look at these three tasks and think about what level of thinking each requires:

  • What are the rules you’d follow in this math problem?
  • What are the details of this story’s setting?
  • What academic language is used in poetry?
  • List the important details about George Washington.
  • What patterns do you see in the solar system?

Do you see it? ☝️ Every one of those questions requires merely a list as an answer. I’m asking low-level questions – despite using Depth and Complexity. And, now that I’m aware of it, I see it everywhere. Do a search for “depth and complexity worksheets” and spot all of the low-level questions out there.

It is almost impossible to find any examples where the icons are paired with high levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy!

Depth and Complexity + Bloom’s Taxonomy

So please make sure to pair depth and complexity with high levels of thinking:

  • Compare/Contrast: How is Poe’s 👄 language different from Lewis Carrol’s?
  • Evaluate: Which author most effectively uses 👄 language to create their tone?
  • Synthesize: What would happen to the tone if we used some of Carrol’s 👄language in The Raven.

See how we can go beyond “list the vocabulary words” and really get kids thinking?

I have a whole series of articles in which I break down my earlier mistakes with Depth and Complexity and renovate them before your very eyes!

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Depth and Complexity: The Basics

Each tool is represented by an icon that gives students a visual shortcut to expert thinking. The tools’ icons especially benefit younger students or those learning English. They unlock access to higher levels of thinking than those students’ vocabulary would otherwise support. But their use should not be limited to just those students.

Even as a grownup, I use the icons when I take notes. If I spot an interesting dilemma, I’ll sketch a little ethics icon to call it out. When I see a student draw an icon on their work, I know that they’re calling out a certain way of thinking.

Nowadays, I use emoji for depth and complexity icons. They’re free and easily accessible anywhere.

Here are the eleven prompts of Depth and Complexity along with a teeny explanation and a link to full articles.

Icon Name Description
🏛️ Big Idea An overarching idea about a topic.
🌻 Essential Details The most important specifics about a topic.
👄 Language of the Discipline The vocabulary an expert would use to discuss their field.
🚦 Rules The laws, hierarchies, norms, etc. within a topic. Breaking a rule leads to a consequence.
🌀 Patterns Expected repetition within a field. These can break without necessarily creating a problem.
⚖️ Ethics The problems, ambiguities, or dilemmas of a topic.
⏳ Change Over Time How has a topic changed over long periods of time?
👓 Multiple Perspectives How do different people view this topic?
❓ Unanswered Questions Perhaps the most under-used of the prompts. It’s so much more than “What questions do you have?” Instead, push students towards what we don’t yet know about this topic. Or whatcan’t we know? Consider questions that are truly unanswered to humankind.
📚 Across Disciplines How does this topic represent an intersection of other fields? How do language arts and math appear within this topic?
📈 Trends How a topic is currently changing and what forces are causing those changes? Trends is the prompt I’d most like to get rid of.

So that’s the eleven prompts of Depth and Complexity. Yeah, there are a lot! But there’s no need to use them all at first. Get comfy with, like, four. Plus, you’ll be surprised how quickly you start to pick them up.

Depth and Complexity Resources

Ok! Let’s take a break here and I’ll point you to a few Depth and Complexity resources that I’ve had a hand in creating:

If you’d like to continue on, I also have an article about how to introduce depth and complexity to students.

How I Got Depth and Complexity Wrong