1. Level of Cognitive Complexity
1.1. Level 4: Integrating
1.1.1. The students learned about environmental issues affecting their school.
1.1.1.1. This lesson was integrated across subject areas because the students had to use their science knowledge, then their reading, writing, and oral presentation skills to present the Prezi to the principal.
1.1.1.1.1. This is integrating, not investigating because the principal will use their research and suggestions to make a change to the school. This is Bloom's level of Evaluating.
2. Ways to Raise Cognitive Complexity
2.1. To raise the cognitive complexity to the Specializing level, students collaborate with environmental scientists and engineers via Skype to design the technology for low-cost devices necessary to make the school green.
2.1.1. Students will use a tool like Explain Everything to record themselves and explain how their devices/technology created from low-cost products will be beneficial to the school than outsourcing to purchase items that will make the school green.
2.1.1.1. The students will analyze the cost-effectiveness and the "green-effectiveness" of the new technology over a set period of time.
3. New Level of Cognitive Complexity
3.1. These new activities will raise the the cognitive complexity to level 5: Specializing/Bloom's Create level.
3.1.1. Collaboration with the environmental scientists and each other; creation of their own cost-effective devices; analysis of the green technology and the old technology--these activities all raise the level of cognitive complexity.
3.1.1.1. These three activities challenge students to think "like a content expert" (p. 35) They are creating their own questions and working through to find the answers to said questions.