Depth and Complexity Back to School Activities 4th Grade and Up

This Depth and Complexity Back to School low-prep set of activities will make back to school a time of learning and connection. You'll get 7 activities that are all ready to print and go! The activities actively teach Depth & Complexity thinking prompts while providing engaging learning experiences. If you teach gifted (or even if you don't), this is a must-have back-to-school resource.

If you don't know the framework very well or have been wanting to use Depth & Complexity but weren't sure where to start, this set of back to school actvities is perfect. You can learn right along with your students, as you see what the elements mean and the kind of thinking they can bring out in your students.

Back to school time can be a period of flux and stress, but it doesn't have to be. With this set of actvities, you'll be able to build classroom community and get students used to the deep and critical thinking the Depth & Complexity framework is famous for!

You'll get great instructions, as well as a wide variety of types of activities. You can choose as few or as many of these Depth & Complexity activities as you want to use. They all stand alone.

You don't have to use them all during the Back to School time. They can easily be used throughout the year.

Included in This Depth and Complexity ELA Frames Resource:

✅ teacher instructions and ideas

✅ 7 different activities using 10 of the thinking prompts of Depth and Complexity

The Activities!

✍ Details about Me!

✍ Framing School

✍ The Big Idea of School

✍ Comparing the Rules of School

✍ Writing Prompts (2 different promts and a rubric!)

✍ What Will We Never Know about School?

✍ Let's Go to School (Image Analysis)

What teachers just like you are saying about this Depth & Complexity Back-to-School Resource

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I am so wowed by the thought that went into these activities. It is a great way to introduce depth and complexity. Thank you! — Iva W.

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My students were engaged! Loved that Back to School activity caught them off guard; thinking it was just another get to know each other, blah...blah....blah; but they were surprised and weren't expecting how using details could tie in so well!! — Audrie A.

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My students love this resource! — Jill S.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. I've never used Depth and Complexity before. Is that a problem? Nope. In fact, this is perfect for you. You can simply pass out the activities (if talking or teaching is needed, it's given to you word-for-word).
2. How much prep is involved? For the most part, these are print-and-go. There are a couple of activities with options that may required choosing groups and/or cutting up task cards.
3. I don't like fluffy stuff, even at the beginning of the year. Are these quality activities? I'm with you. I need my students to hit the ground running with deep thinking. That's why the Depth & Complexity framework is so fabulous. You can have the kind of classroom culture-building activities that are great at the beginning of the year, while still having students think critically.