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📚 Rigor & Sensemaking Series | Part 4 What does Depth of Knowledge (DOK) look like in math? Many people assume rigor means giving students harder numbers or more problems. In reality, rigor is about the depth of thinking required. Students can work with the same mathematical concept at very different levels of cognitive complexity. At DOK 1, students may calculate a unit rate using a procedure. At DOK 4, students may use proportional relationships to solve a real-world problem, evaluate options, and defend their recommendations with mathematical evidence. The math hasn't changed. The thinking has. As educators, our goal is not simply to help students get answers. Our goal is to help students make sense of mathematics, justify their reasoning, and apply their learning to meaningful situations. ⭐ Same Math. ⭐ Different Depth. ⭐ Different Thinking. #MosesSTEMinc #RigorAndSensemaking #MathEducation #STEMEducation #DepthOfKnowledge #StudentThinking #TeacherLeadership #InstructionalCoaching #MathematicalReasoning #Sensemaking

Rigor & Sensemaking Series | Part 2 One of the biggest misconceptions in education is that if students are asked to "create" something, the task must be rigorous. Not necessarily. A student can create a poster, slideshow, or model by simply recalling and organizing information. While those tasks have value, they may not require deep thinking. True rigor comes from what students are asked to do with their knowledge: ✅ Analyze evidence ✅ Make connections ✅ Justify reasoning ✅ Revise their thinking ✅ Solve meaningful problems The verb may be the same, but the depth of thinking can be very different. Remember: Rigor is found in the reasoning, not the product. How do you move students beyond creating and into deeper sensemaking? #MosesSTEMinc #RigorAndSensemaking #ScienceEducation #NGSS #StudentSensemaking #TeacherLeadership #InstructionalCoaching #PhenomenaBasedLearning #DOK #BloomsTaxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge (DOK) are often used together, but they are not the same. Bloom's helps us understand the type of thinking students are doing. DOK helps us understand the depth and complexity of that thinking. A student can be asked to "create" something and still engage in low-level thinking if the task only requires recalling information. True rigor comes from opportunities to analyze evidence, justify reasoning, revise ideas, and solve authentic problems. As we plan instruction, let's focus less on keeping students busy and more on engaging them in meaningful thinking and sensemaking. Which do you use most often when designing lessons—Bloom's, DOK, or both? #MosesSTEMinc #ScienceEducation #NGSS #TeacherLeadership #InstructionalCoaching #StudentSensemaking #PhenomenaBasedLearning #DOK #BloomsTaxonomy #ScienceTeachers

Policy Update for the 2026-2027 school year!

Recovery and Homework......

Coming Soon to TPT and mosesscience.net📷 Sometimes the best science phenomena are the ones we're living through. As I recover from an injury, I've been spending time in a fiberglass cast and started wondering: **Why fiberglass? Why not plaster?** That question turned into a week-long NGSS-aligned materials science investigation where students explore the properties of materials, engineering design trade-offs, and the relationship between structure and function. Students investigate: 📷 Strength 📷 Weight 📷 Flexibility 📷 Water resistance 📷 Composite materials By the end of the lesson, students develop evidence-based explanations for why fiberglass casts are often the preferred choice for protecting broken bones. Real-world science is everywhere—even in the cast on my leg. Grades 6–12 | Materials Science | Engineering Design | Scientific Modeling #NGSS #ScienceEducation #MaterialsScience #STEMEducation #PhenomenaBasedLearning #StudentSensemaking #ScienceTeacher #MosesSTEMinc

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Yes!!! That's my niece!!!