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

Reasoning with
evidence

Uncovering
complexity and
going below the
surface

Considering
different
viewpoints and
perspectives

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
Search for evidence to support
claims
Check for validity and soundness
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
Search for alternative explanations
Evaluate the evidence of opposing
perspectives

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?

Capturing the heart

and forming
conclusions

Self-assess and revise own

arguments in light of alternative
explanations and evidence
Capturing the essence of a concept
Forming a reasoned judgement
based on foregoing thinking

How might someone

argue against this or
see it differently?

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

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

Actions that Demonstrate Deep

Thinking
Factions Have A Role
Clashes of ideologies within
the Republican Party
Different political
philosophy
Two types
Moderate
Prudent, logical,
and can win the
general elections
Conservative
Flood of Money
Money becomes a crucial
factor for presidential
candidates
Fewer limits because the
Supreme Court thought that
money doesnt buy political
influence
Billionaires gave super PACs
to all top candidates
Dark Money
Up in Arms
Use of guns is an issue in the
States
Each region perceives
violence differently

 Yankeedom
Accept government
regulation
Assimilation of
outsiders
New Netherland
Similar to
Yankeedom
defend public
institutions and
reject prescriptions
for individual
behavior
The Midlands
Tidewater
Greater Appalachia
Deep South
El Notre
Buffer states
The Left Coast
The Far West
New France
First Nation
Social Liberals
A condescending attitude
toward social liberal.
The article supports social
conservatism.
Focused on very traditional
values
Making
connections

Connect new information

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

Chaos in the States

Clashes of ideology
Social liberal v. Social
conservative
Homophobia against
equality
A need to reform in laws about
restrictions of amount of
money in campaigns
The separation of powers
and checks and balances
ensure one branch does
not overrule another

Wondering
and asking
questions

Imagine possible
connections and
implications
Relate ideas to emotions
and values
Create questions to propel
further inquiry

Building
explanations
and
interpretation
s

Examine similarities and

differences
Hypothesize and test ideas
Summarize the main idea

Political philosophy is
mentioned in both Factions
have a role to play and
Social Liberals. America
The Social Liberals article was
outrageously biased and
narrow-minded.
The amount of money and its
huge role in politics is shocking,
as mentioned in Flood of Money
Dark money is so often
mentioned and of course,
dramatized in TV shows like
Blacklist, but why would the
Supreme Court continue to
allow that?
Similarities

Differences

People embrace
different
ideologies;
hence
contentions
happen when
they argue the
best for the
society.

Factions within
the Republican
Party do not
necessarily
agree that social
conservatism is
right and social
liberalism is
disdainful

The use of guns

are kept and
social
conservatism is
related
Guns and money
used in
campaign are
the two topics
that should be
reformed
Articles critique

certain policies;
however, none
argues against
the notion of
checks and
balance
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

Identify and reject

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

In March, 50 organizations were

asking Obama to issue an
executive order to stop dark
money this year.
Shows the severity of
the issue
Public is actually
aware?
In April, signatures of 550,000
people with the same request
were delivered to the White
House.
Public is aware.
The IRS drafted a proposal to
regulate nonprofits' political
activities in 2013 but both liberal
and conservative political
advocacy organizations reject it
In 2013, the Obama administration
came out with a majorly flawed
proposal in an attempt to solve the
dark money.
Non-profits can give dark
money as long as its not their
main goal.
Charities, labor unions,
and etc. are exempt.
No acceptable amount was
explicitly stated.
IRS could not enforce law is
powerless.
The IRS was fearful to
become too partisan in
order to avoid scandals
and remained reluctant
to judge a particular

Considering
different
viewpoints
and
perspectives

Search for alternative

explanations
Evaluate the evidence of
opposing perspectives
Self-assess and revise own
arguments in light of
alternative viewpoints

Capturing the
heart and
forming
conclusions

Capturing the essence of a

concept
Forming a reasoned
judgement based on
foregoing thinking

political party that used

too much money.
What else could possibly be a
factor that is leading to this
inability to resolve this issue in
Obamas part?
Obamas new non-profit: OFA
fundraises to defend his policies
and can give favors to its donors.
(Against the rulings of the
Supreme Court) So he might not be
as eager as he appears in this issue
From all the articles provided, it is
clear that America is very
democratic in that almost anyone
can voice their opinions freely
(Social Liberals article). And
because of this freedom,
outspoken people with different
thoughts cause the formation of
parties and factions, thus resulting
in pluralism.
Although these are examples of
democratic characteristics, the
issue of money that widely affects
those factions and peoples
opinions remains a problem that
needs to be solved.