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

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

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

Considering different
viewpoints and
perspectives

Capturing the heart and

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
Self-assess and revise own arguments in
light of alternative explanations and
evidence
Capturing the essence of a concept

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?

How might someone argue
against this or see it
differently?

forming conclusions

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

Forming a reasoned judgement based on

foregoing thinking

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 to play
Factionalism is an important part
of American Politics, even within
political parties
The best glue that forces a
political party to stay together is the
opposing party
Flood of money in US election
Money is extremely influential in
politics
However, money advantage may
not be decisive
There is currently too much
money spent in the political system
Up to Arms
The US is divided into 11 different
nations
Conflicts between nations within
the US caused factions
Social Liberals are Destroying America
Social liberalism is not a mark of
intelligence
Values without value lead to a
bankrupt country
Federalist 10
A strong republic will guard

Making
connections

Connect new information with

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

Wondering and
asking questions

Imagine possible connections and

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

against factions
problems come from majority
factions because they can prevent the
minorities from having power
A republic is different from a
democracy
two ways to check majority
factions
prevent the "existence
of the same passion or interest in
a majority at the same time"
render a majority
faction unable to act
Federalist 51
Checks and balances
advocate the separation of power
within the government
All articles are talking about
different factions in the US
There is no checks and balances
in political parties (factions)
A strong republic with checks and
balances will guard against factions
Conflicts within the country (arm
control)
The importance of the strong
government, with checks and balances,
to control the smaller factions, states
and economic factions, to ensure the
country is having progress
Im curious about how do people limit a strong
faction without tearing the government down.
The US government can efficiently eliminate
strong factions because they tore everything
down to scratch and started all over again.
How did other governments effectively limit
powerful factions?

Building
explanations and
interpretations

Examine similarities and

differences
Hypothesize and test ideas

Reasoning with
evidence

Summarize the main idea

Search for evidence to support
claims
Check for validity and soundness

Uncovering
complexity and
going below the
surface

Verify sufficiency of detail to

support claims
Identify and reject simplistic
explanations
Search for alternative evidence and
explanations

All articles talk about factions in many

aspects: political parties, money, arms
control, Social Liberalism, governments, and
checks and balances.
The evidence is provided very well in
Factions have a role play , Flood of Money
in US election, and Up to Arms. On the
other hand, Federalist papers 10 and 51 and
Social Liberals are Destroying America do
not provide any evidences but claims.
The limitation of factions in a government and
society is the main goal to allow the nation to
function.
The idea of checks and balances both within a
faction and within a government to keep the
factions from taking over.

Examine all parts of issues to

explore complexity
Considering
different
viewpoints and
perspectives

Capturing the
heart and forming
conclusions

Search for deep causes

Search for alternative explanations
Evaluate the evidence of opposing
perspectives
Self-assess and revise own
arguments in light of alternative
viewpoints
Capturing the essence of a concept
Forming a reasoned judgement
based on foregoing thinking

One might argue that factionalism is the core

concept that forces a society and nation to
grow. Without competition among different
factions, the government would never grow
and improve.

How is factionalism good and bad to the US?

What are the reasons for people to form
factions in the US?