Thinking Moves:

Essential Steps in Developing Deep Understanding

Thinking Moves
Observable Thinking Behaviours
Observing closely and Notice parts and features
describing whats there Take detailed notes to record observations
Describe parts and features in detail
Making connections
Connect new information with whats known
Identify patterns and perspectives
Identify areas of agreement and
disagreement between sources
Wondering and asking
questions

Building explanations
and interpretations

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

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?

Uncovering complexity Identify and reject simplistic explanations

and going below the
What lies beneath the surface
Search for alternative evidence and
surface
of this?
explanations
Examine all parts of issues to explore
complexity
Search for deep causes
Considering different
Search for alternative explanations
viewpoints and
Whats another angle on this?
Evaluate the evidence of opposing
perspectives
How might someone argue
perspectives
against this or see it
Self-assess and revise own arguments in light
differently?
of alternative explanations and evidence

Capturing the heart and Capturing the essence of a concept

forming conclusions
Forming a reasoned judgement based on
foregoing thinking

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 usual
ly 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

Winner take all seek to bind parties into two major parties
Factionalism still exists within the republican party
Libertarian element (Ron Paul) exception Moderate (Mitt
Romney) v.s conservatives (Tea Party)
Ideological differences neoconservatives, traditionalists,
libertarians, religious right, blinded together by practical
particulars
Spending for elections may be tied to scandals.
Hilary and Jeb bush can spend 2 billion on campaign, total
budget may approach 10 billion.
Supreme court lifted regulation on campaign funds
Super Pacs allow cooperation to spend unlimited
amount of money on campaigns after supreme court
2010 ruling
Dark money- does not have to reveal identity of donors
American death rate from assault many times higher than
Urbanized countries. America has capital punishment. Gun
control and stand your ground laws are major issues of debate.
Evaluation of gun control based on settlement patterns

and lasting cultural fissures

Di
vided into Eleven nations today, travel today helps like
minded people to strengthen into communities
Yankeedom- Massachusetts Bay with Radical Calvinists.
Social values, denial of self, assimilation of outsiders.
Communal empowerment, thus fine with
government regulation
New Netherlands- Tolerance for religious and Ethic
diversity. Social movements ex: Feminism
The Midlands(Pennsylvania and Delaware Bay)- swing
region, founded by Quakers
Accepting of others, dislikes governmental
regulation, middle class oriented
Tidewater(North Carolina)- Chesapeake country
founded by English Gentry- Semi feudal society
High value of respecting authority and tradition, less
on equality
Nation getting swallowed by D.C and Norfolk,
greater Appalachia
Greater Appalachia

Ireland, Scotts- culture formed in constant danger,

characterized by warrior ethic
Commitment to personal sovereignty and individual
liberty
Deep South- English Slave Lords- caste system clashed
by outside intervention
The Left Coast-New Englanders( Merchant, woodsman,
missionary)& Appalachians( farmers, fur traders)
Hybrid of Yankee utopianism and Appalachian selfexpression
The Far West- environmental factors- bad environment
only drillers etc. by cooperations- against federal
government
New France(New Orleans)- down to earth most liberal,
accepting of government involvement
First Nation- Native Americans- didnt give up land and
retained cultural practices- autonomy in Alaska and
Nunavut
Statistics and trends occur along these national regions.
2/100000 death Yankeedom, 10/10000 Alabama
Black suffer more than Whites 20/10000, <6/100000
Stand your ground laws removes need to retreat, passed
mostly in Midlands and Deep South(except New
Hampshire)
Gun laws, capital punishment, gun control south
dominated
Scottish whites herding society encourages feuds: code of
honor homicide rates huger.(Robert Baller)
Superpowers- Yankeedom- allied with New Neatherland
and Left Coast . Deep South allied with Appalachia and
Tidewater. Midlands and El Norte swing votes
Social Liberalism is destroying America Rick Santorum thinks gay society would fall structurally
and adopted children will run the risk of embarrassment
and paedophilia. Lack of values and against structural
intelligence.( this passage is really doesnt have any notes
worth taking)

Federalist No.10
We need a union because it prevents violence- popular
governments are much more likely to danger.
Injustice caused by overbearing majority
People band up for interests
Society divided by property- thus prioritize in adressing
Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, yet fire is also a
destructive agency
Removing causes
Destroying liberties
Giving everyone same passion and options
Conundrum because a man involved in an issue
cannot be a judge, the parties all fight for their
interest at the expense of the other.
Controlling effects- conclusion of the author
Existence of passions prevented
Prevent actions from being made
Factionism cannot be cured by pure democracy
Against individual interest and rights
Equalizing rights doesnt equalize opinions
Republic v.s democracy
Democracy larger in scale, republic has representatives
State- local issues( not not get too- unacquainted) large
issues national( to not get personalized)
Large republic- more people choose more fitting
representatives, prevent tyranny of the few
Large republic can divide into multiple parties
Federalist no 51
Separation of government- independent choosing
(Salary), but form people
Human nature- men control men must also control itselfeach branchs ambition should check the other
Will independent of majority
Two branch congress

Making
connections

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

Madisons idea that federalism and republic can cause

multiple regional interests instead of a single mass majority,
this seems to add up in terms of state laws. The eleven
nationals analysed by Woodard seems to support the
prediction.

Madison, however, did not predict that major opinion will

still ultimately be divided into two parties due to the winner
takes-all party system. This can potentially lead to majority
domination of minority rights (conservatives on
homosexuality in the past).

Madison identified in federalist No.10 that the biggest issue

of factionalism is the property owners v.s the non- owners.
The recent approval of super-pacs seems to increase
property owners ability to influence policy.

Madisons theories on large republics naturally blocks

majority radical opinions can be applied to Republican Party
as well. The huge umbrella organizations seem to naturally
root out the radicals in favour of a more moderate Mitt
Romney.

Madison firmly rejected unifying all values of the people

since each individual should have their own values and
interests to champion. This in a way supports the ultraconservative articles that denounce home sexualities
because they dont fall into conventional ideals. Madison
point, while supporting the voicing of the opinion, does not
necessary support the opinion itself. The article basically
claimed that liberals need to fall into line, thus is completely
contradictory to Madisons idea of free and varied interests.

Wondering and Imagine possible

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

Building
Examine similarities
explanations
and differences
and
interpretations Hypothesize and test
ideas
Summarize the main
idea

What is different from Madisons idea to compartmentalize

states since it is easier to achieve majority different from
gerrymandering?
By compartmentalizing states so bad idea can be blocked
for the entire nation, doesnt this also mean progressive
ones may be halted as well?\
Madison claimed a direct democracy will result in
domination by the majority, he also claimed that more
representatives will have higher the chance to have more
competing representative, yet isnt statistically, likelihood
would be similar, especially under the context the majority
is voting for a bad option? Is there even a way to safeguard
rights purely by the size of the republic?

A small republic causes nations to form, but while these

nations have majority in the local area, they have difficulties
assimilating into a strong national movement. Even the
umbrella party like the republican party has infighting and
have to compromise with themselves and adopt a more
moderate stance( thus preventing domination by the
majority)

Reasoning with Search for evidence to

evidence
support claims
Check for validity and
soundness

Verify sufficiency of
detail to support
claims

Uncovering
Identify and reject
complexity and
simplistic
going below
explanations
the surface
Search for alternative
evidence and
explanations

News articles states facts, no logistical argument, both

sound and valid.
Opinion against liberals is not supported by facts, nonexistent logic, merely declarative sentences. Seeks to justify
the problem to further encourage a problem. A child getting
humiliated by having gay parents should not be a argument
to prevent homosexuality if such humiliation is not justified.
A children is also equally susceptible to paedophilism
regardless of the sexual orientation of the parents, this
statement is unsound.
I find Madisons requirement vague, He says the republic
should be big enough to prevent domination by the
minority, and small enough to prevent confusion. That is like
saying we must find a perfect fit! Madison also assumed
that a larger representative pool will result in more
competent representatives. If the same people vote one
incompetent representatives, theres really no evidence that
the number of incompetent representatives will not just
increase proportionally as well.
Since Madisons papers are largely theoretical, soundness
could not be easily determined, but the general trend where
the federal laws were generally less polarized and less
radical than state laws seems to fulfil Madisons prediction.

I do not think sheep herders caused a culture that has an

enormous impact on pro-gun and stand your ground laws. If
that were true, the scandinavian countries will have much
more problems with violence than U.S today ( Vikings), yet
U.S has may times the number of death by assault. I think
the biggest issue that correlate with gun control is the

distrust of the police. By being unconfident in the

governments ability to provide security, the people often
voted for lax gun control law since the arms race method
of thinking kicks in. If the bad guys have guns, and the
government cannot protect me sufficiently, might as well
protect myself! This seeks to explain why South Africa has
such lax gun control law, yet Japan (arguably the most
heavily influence by warrior culture) has such a strong one.

Examine all parts of

issues to explore
complexity
Search for deep
causes

Considering
Search for alternative
different
explanations
viewpoints and
perspectives Evaluate the evidence
of opposing
perspectives

The increase in campaign funds might sound extremely

harmful to the poor population at first, but I believe the
influence of capital on campaign may be steadily waning. In
Taiwan, the candidates may sometimes hand out small gifts
like tissue packets and hats, but that only works on
population that are relatively uninformed. In the U.S, there
are increasing platforms where ideas can be spread without
any cost at all. YouTube and Facebook are all forms of
individualistic expression that money cannot influence
effectively.

The United States policies are formed by umbrella and

hierarchal parties that is moderate at the national level yet

Self-assess and revise

own arguments in
light of alternative
viewpoints

Capturing the Capturing the essence

heart and
of a concept
forming
conclusions
Forming a reasoned
judgement based

on foregoing
thinking

becomes increasingly partisan as the parties split into the

state level. While there is an increase of spending in terms
of campaign funding, the increase of methods of individual
and cost-efficient expression offsets the potential influence
gained.