1. Teaching and Learning at All Levels
Depth of Knowledge
Teaching and Learning at All Levels

2. Depth of Knowledge Accessing Prior Knowledge Thoughtful Ed. Strategy
K-W-L

3. K-W-L K – What do I already KNOW about this topic?
(Generate list of ideas)
W – What do I WANT to know about this topic?
(Generate Questions)
L - What did I LEARN from this lesson?
(Generate personal reflections)

4. What do I KNOW?
Generate a list of things you already know about DOK. (Individual)
Share your list with a partner and add any additional information or ideas to your list.
Now share as a group at your table.

5. What do I WANT to know?
Generate a list of questions you have about DOK. (Individual)
Share your list with a partner and add any additional questions to your list.
Now share as a group at your table.

6. What did I LEARN?
Experience a variety of learning opportunities about DOK
Acquire new knowledge about DOK
Find answers to some of your questions about DOK
Reflect on what you have learned

7. Depth of Knowledge Norman Webb
Indicates the cognitive demand (thinking) for the state assessment.
Defines the “ceiling” or highest DOK level for each Core Content standard for the state assessment.
Guides item development for the state assessment.

8. Depth of Knowledge Determined in the Core Content for Assessment.
Every item that is assessed will have a DOK ceiling level. RD
Students will make predictions based on what is read.
DOK 2

9. 4 Levels of DOK
Do NOT equate to performance levels of Novice, Apprentice, Proficient, and Distinguished
Level 1: Recall and Reproduction
Level 2: Skills and Concepts/Basic Reasoning
Level 3: Strategic Thinking/Complex Reasoning
Level 4: Extended Thinking/Reasoning

10. Is the Ceiling the Limit?
YES, for State Assessment
NO, for Classroom Instruction
If all students are to reach proficiency then the DOK ceiling for assessment is the minimum end goal for instruction for ALL students.

11. Remember: DOK…. …is descriptive.
…focuses on how deeply a student has to know the content in order to respond.
…is NOT the same as difficulty.
…is NOT the same as Bloom’s Taxonomy.

12. Recall and Reproduction: Level 1
DOK 1 requires recall of information, such as a fact, definition, term, or performance of a simple process or procedure.
Answering a Level 1 item can involve following a simple, well-known procedure or formula. Simple skills and abilities or recall characterize DOK 1.
Level 1 only requires students to demonstrate a rote response, use a well-known formula, follow a set procedure (like a recipe), or perform a clearly defined series of steps. 12 12

13. Recall and Reproduction: DOK 1 Examples
List animals that survive by eating other animals
Locate or recall facts explicitly found in text
Describe physical features of places
Determine the perimeter or area of rectangles given a drawing or labels
Identify elements of music using musical terminology
Identify basic rules for participating in simple games and activities 13 13

14. Skills/Concepts: Level 2
DOK 2 includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response. Items require students to make some decisions as to how to approach the question or problem.
These actions imply more than one mental or cognitive process/step.
The content knowledge or process involved is more complex than in level 1. For example, to compare data requires first identifying characteristics of the objects or phenomenon and then grouping or ordering the objects 14 14

15. Skills/Concepts: DOK 2 Examples
Compare desert and tropical environments
Identify and summarize the major events, problem, solution, conflicts in literary text
Explain the cause-effect of historical events
Predict a logical outcome based on information in a reading selection
Explain how good work habits are important at home, school, and on the job
Classify plane and three dimensional figures
Describe various styles of music
Organize, represent and compare data
Compare/contrast people, events, places, concepts 15 15

16. Strategic Thinking: Level 3
DOK 3 requires deep understanding as exhibited through planning, using evidence, and more demanding cognitive reasoning. The cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract.
An assessment item that has more than one possible answer and requires students to justify the response they give would most likely be a Level 3.
The complexity does not result only from the fact that there could be multiple answers, a possibility for both Levels 1 and 2, but because the multi-step task requires In most instances, requiring students to explain their thinking is at Level 3; requiring a very simple explanation or a word or two should be at Level 2. 16 16

17. Strategic Thinking DOK 3 Examples
Compare consumer actions and analyze how these actions impact the environment
Analyze or evaluate the effectiveness of literary elements (e.g., characterization, setting, point of view, conflict and resolution, plot structures)
Solve a multiple-step problem and provide support with a mathematical explanation that justifies the answer
Explain, generalize, or connect ideas using supporting evidence from the text or from other sources 17 17

18. DOK Level 3 Examples Develop a scientific model for a complex idea
Propose and evaluate solutions for an economic problem
Explain, generalize or connect ideas, using supporting evidence from a text or source
Create a dance that represents the characteristics of a culture 18 18

19. Extended Thinking: Level 4
DOK 4 requires high cognitive demand and is very complex. Students are expected to make connections—relate ideas within the content or among content areas—and have to select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved.
Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4 often requires an extended period of time.
Many on-demand assessment instruments will not include any assessment activities that could be classified as Level 4. However, standards, goals, and objectives can be stated in such a way as to expect students to perform extended thinking. “Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used and apply them to new problem situations,” is an example of a Grade 8 objective that is a Level 4. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and does not require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.   19 19

20. However, extended time alone is not the distinguishing factor.
Task
Thinking
Collecting data samples over several months
Recall
Organizing the data in a chart
Skills/
concepts
Using this chart to make and justify predictions
Strategic
Developing a generalized model from this data and applying it to a new situation
Extending
Many on-demand assessment instruments will not include any assessment activities that could be classified as Level 4. However, standards, goals, and objectives can be stated in such a way as to expect students to perform extended thinking. “Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used and apply them to new problem situations,” is an example of a Grade 8 objective that is a Level 4. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and does not require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.  
is a task. exemplifies a. results in an increase to. would represent a. 20 20

21. Extended Thinking: DOK 4 Examples
Gather, analyze, organize, and interpret information from multiple (print and non print) sources to draft a reasoned report
Analyzing author’s craft (e.g., style, bias, literary techniques, point of view)
Create an exercise plan applying the “FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) Principle” 21 21

22. Extended Thinking: DOK 4 Examples
Analyze and explain multiple perspectives or issues within or across time periods, events, or cultures
Specify a problem, identify solution paths, solve the problem, and report the results
Write and produce an original play 22 22

23. The Depth of Knowledge is NOT determined by the verb, but by the context in which the verb is used and the depth of thinking required. 23 23

24. DOK 3- Describe a model that you might use to represent the relationships that exist within the rock cycle. (requires deep understanding of rock cycle and a determination of how best to represent it)
DOK 2- Describe the difference between metamorphic and igneous rocks. (requires cognitive processing to determine the differences in the two rock types)
DOK 1- Describe three characteristics of metamorphic rocks. (simple recall)
Same verb—three DOK levels 24 24

25. Time for an activity!
Name that DOK level.

26. DOK Review
Read each released assessment item as it appears on the screen.
When your facilitator prompts you, hold up the card that corresponds to the DOK level of the question.

27. SS-06-3.3.1 Big Idea: Markets are institutional arrangements.
In a free market economy, the price and quality of goods and services are most strongly affected by
advertising.
competition.
borrowing.
regulation.

28. Answer?
DOK 2

29. Answer: DOK 2
This item requires students to understand how prices of goods and services are determined in present day market economies.

30. Big Idea: Vocational Studies CCA 4.0: PL-04-4.1.02
Thomas has a part-time job working in a garden. This job would BEST help him prepare for a career in
transportation.
agriculture.
fish and wildlife.
dairy farming.

31. Answer?
DOK 2

32. Answer: DOK 2
Students must be able to differentiate between jobs in the career clusters.

33. Big Idea: Vocational Studies CCA 4.0: PL-HS-4.1.05
The lifelong earning potential of an individual is generally related to his or her
professional contracts.
supervisor’s recommendation.
volunteer experiences.
educational training.

34. Answer?
DOK 2

35. Answer: DOK 2
Students will make a connection between education and lifelong earning potential.

36. SC-HS-4.6.1 - (Big Idea: Energy Transformations)

37. Answer?
DOK 2

38. Answer: DOK 2
This question goes beyond simple recall. Students make the connection that a greater plant population (implied) will result in an increase in oxygen production.

39. impeaching public officials. vetoing a law. making appointments.
SS — (Big Idea: U.S. Constitution establishes a government of limited and shared powers).
Under our system of checks and balances, the Supreme Court can limit the power of both the Congress and the President by
impeaching public officials.
vetoing a law.
making appointments.
declaring a law unconstitutional.

40. Answer?
DOK 1

41. Answer: DOK 1
This item requires students to recall information about how our system of checks and balances prevents the concentration of political power.

42. Now What?
Apply this knowledge….