Rigor: Finding the Peak of a Lesson
A simple 5-step protocol for identifying the Depth of Knowledge level of a lesson.
What is it?
A simple 5-step protocol that teachers can use to identify the Depth of Knowledge level of their own lessons.
- 1 page handout available in Google Doc or Word format.
- Guiding questions that walk teachers through the protocol step by step.
- Can be printed or completed online.
When to use this?
- Teachers may understand what Depth of Knowledge is in concept but find it challenging to apply to their own lessons.
- Administrators and coaches have observed that classroom instruction is not reaching higher levels of rigor (DOK 3 & 4) even though PD around DOK has been done.
How was this DESIGNED for ACTION?
Adult learning principles taken from The 4 Principles of Designing Actionable Professional Development.
This resource addresses all four Principles of Adult Learning.
Principle 1: Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.
- Teachers are self-evaluating their own lesson and where it lives within the Depth of Knowledge framework.
Principle 2: Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning activities.
- Gives teachers the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and how rigorous their instruction really is.
Principle 3: Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life.
- Teachers are examining their own lessons (or the lessons of their peers if done collaboratively).
Principle 4: Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
- Protocol gives teachers a meaningful task (i.e. finding the “peak”) rather than having them passively receive content.
Get the resources!
The following resources are available for download from our Google Drive folder.
- Printable version of the protocol available as a Google Doc or Microsoft Word document.
- A version of the protocol that can be completed online as a Google Doc.
Let us know what you think …
We’d love to get your thoughts about this activity using our Feedback Form.
